BAM Buys Dutch Pipeline Specialist A.Hak for €504m to Power UK Push

Dutch construction giant BAM has agreed to buy pipeline and cable specialist A.Hak in a €504m (£428m) deal that will sharpen its push into the UK's fast-growing energy and water markets.

The acquisition gives BAM added firepower in transmission pipelines, power cables and trenchless construction as it targets expanding infrastructure investment. A.Hak earns around 85% of its revenue in the Netherlands but already operates in the UK and Belgium.

BAM plans to use its established UK business to scale up the specialist's activities and open doors to more clients and projects.

What does A.Hak bring to the UK?

A.Hak already has major UK pipeline jobs under its belt. It teamed up with Skanska and Porr to deliver National Grid's £150m River Humber pipeline replacement, installing a high-pressure gas main through a roughly 5km tunnel between East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

More recent contracts include National Gas Transmission's A66 pipeline diversions near Penrith, involving two microtunnels, deep shafts and a 36-inch pipeline diversion. That award followed completion of a pipeline diversion for the A47 near Norwich.

A.Hak has also worked for Wales & West Utilities on a 13km replacement gas pipeline through Snowdonia, crossing 22 watercourses on a route serving 13,500 homes.

The firm employs around 900 full-time staff and brings more than 60 years of experience in underground electricity, water, gas and heat infrastructure.

What does the deal change for BAM?

Royal BAM Group chief executive Ruud Joosten said: "A.Hak's specialist capabilities will also support BAM's growth in the United Kingdom, where the energy transition and investment in essential water infrastructure are taking place on an even larger scale."

He added: "BAM's established UK position offers opportunities to scale A.Hak's existing activities and deploy its specialist expertise across a broader range of customers and projects."

The deal will lift BAM's exposure to the energy transition market above 20% of group revenue.

A.Hak will retain its name and existing leadership and continue to operate independently within the group.

Completion is expected in the first quarter of 2027, subject to regulatory approvals, employee consultation and other customary conditions. Until then, BAM's UK expansion in energy and water infrastructure rests on integrating a business still rooted overwhelmingly in the Dutch market.