Bouygues signs £650m French Defence Ministry contract

Exprimm is the facilities management subsidiary of Bouygues Construction’s Energies & Services division and its contract is worth €534m. The finance for the operation is provided  by a banking consortium comprising Natixis, Dexia, Société Générale, CIC and BBVA.

The new ministry will accommodate the minister of defence and advisors as well as offices of the armed forces, the French  defence procurement agency and other military departments and administrative services. In all there  will be roughly 9,300 people spread over a total surface area of 320,000m².

The project is designed by architects Nicolas Michelin & Associés and Atelier 2/3/4 and engineering consultant Iosis. It is made up of the 140,000m² main ministry building on the western part of the site along with 170,000 m² redevelopment in the eastern part, including 120,000 m² of  refurbishment.

As consortium leader, Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France will be the guarantor of the entire design-build operation (building and systems). Exprimm will be responsible for operating and maintaining the buildings for 27 years from the date of handover. Yves Gabriel, chairman and chief executive officer of Bouygues Construction, said: “We are very  proud of this prestigious contract, which illustrates Bouygues Construction’s know-how in large-scale  public-private partnerships in France and in numerous other countries. It also demonstrates our  Group’s strong commitment to sustainable construction.”

Opale-Défense consists of Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France, Thales Communication, Sodexo France, Dalkia France and Exprimm alongside FIDEPPP and SEIEF (private finance partners) and the Caisse des  Dépôts et Consignations.  

Works will begin in January 2012, and will involve  2,500 people at peak periods. Substantial  resources will be employed, most notably 25 tower cranes. Almost all the buildings will be  available by the end of August 2014.

An additional 90,000 m² office development designed by Wilmotte & Associés will be  built on land further to the west of the site for Axa Reim. This project will generate a further  €206 million of additional works for Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France, and the site will be developed  by Icade and Sodéarif.  

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