ENERMECH, the Aberdeen- based engineering services specialist, has acquired Australia’s EPS Group, marking its first move into the electrical and instrumentation (E&I) sector.

EPS, which employs more than 250 staff across sites in Australia and the US, turns over more than AUD$85 mil- lion (£52m) per year.

The company provides E&I, high voltage testing and mechanical services to oil and gas, metals, utility and infrastructure projects. It has worked on the £1.28bn Sydney Light Rail Project and Australia’s largest road building programme, the £10.2bn WestConnex motorway, as well as six of the world’s largest LNG (liquefied natural gas) facilities.

Enermech did not disclose the value of the acquisition, but noted it had been backed in the deal by banking partners Bank of Scotland, HSBC and DNB, as well as Lime Rock Partners, its long-standing equity partner.

It said the addition of the EPS business will allow it to provide a more integrated services offering to the downstream, infrastructure, offshore and defence industries. Enermech now employs about 2,300 staff in about 30 sites across the world.

Chief executive Doug Duguid said: “Adding a global E&I capability was essential to meet a demand from many of our customers who are looking for us to provide integrated commissioning and maintenance services.

“We have invested to organically develop our own E&I capability but by combining our expertise with EPS, this allows us to gain an immediate track-record and excellent reputation for service delivery in this area. The acquisition of EPS Group also widens our exposure to the infrastructure, power and defence markets.”

EPS managing director Paul Buckley and directors John Cox and Bett McGrane will remain with the group.