CANBERRA, Australia — Two of Australia’s key wheat and barley marketers have formed an international alliance in a bid to buy South Australia’s Ports Corp.
AWB Ltd. and ABB Grain have formed a consortium with the French infrastructure development firm Bouygues Travaux Publics and the French port of Rouen, the largest grain-exporting port in Europe. Bouygues operates in more than 80 countries and has assets of more than $29.6 billion (Aus).
Their Encounter SA consortium will compete against South Australian grain handler Ausbulk, which has forged a joint venture with Britain’s Forth Ports. Other bids are expected from Australia and Hong Kong.
The South Australian state government is privatizing seven ports, including Adelaide, through a 99-year lease.
AWB said that if its bid is successful, the consortium would aim to enhance the ports’ competitiveness, improve logistics and add services for all ports users.
