Delivering the project

3.2  Bazalgette Tunnel Limited (Bazalgette) was appointed in August 2015 to design, finance, build, commission, own and maintain the Tunnel, following a procurement competition run by Thames Water. Following a separate tendering process started by Thames Water, Bazalgette contracted with three consortia to build the three sections of the Tunnel (West, Central and East). Thames Water will design, build and commission enabling works to facilitate the connection of the Tunnel to its sewer network.11 The project plan at licence award was for the Tunnel to be fully operational by 2024 (Figure 10), but Bazalgette has incentivised contractors to complete construction up to two years earlier.

3.3  The Department has set out its role during the construction phase as:

•  together with Ofwat, holding Bazalgette to account for delivery of the project to time, cost and quality;

•  monitoring any developments which could increase the risk of a call on the Government Support Package (GSP) (paragraphs 3.15 to 3.17);

•  monitoring any changes to the project in terms of design or its financing; and

•  taking suitable and early action in the event that one of the elements of the GSP is, or is likely to be, triggered.

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11  Enabling works includes project development work, procurements and works necessary to hand over sites to Bazalgette.