Danish pensions administrator PKA is investing DKK1.3bn (€174m) in a new psychiatric hospital in Aarhus in the biggest public-private partnership (project) hospital project in Denmark so far.

PKA, which manages five labour-market pension funds in the social and healthcare sectors, will finance the project in conjunction with KPC and Wicotec.

The consortium of the three partners was chosen by the central Jutland municipality Region Midtjylland to run the hospital project, PKA said.

With financing of DKK1.3bn, the PPP will be the biggest of its kind so far in Denmark, PKA said.

Peter Damgaard Jensen, managing director of PKA, said: “This is unique and historic and clearly underlines the fact that, in Denmark, too, PPP projects are getting off the ground.”

PKA said it had now invested in five healthcare sector buildings in Denmark, including this project.

In March, PKA joined PensionDanmark and Sampension in a PPP deal worth DKK430m to build and operate a new psychiatric hospital in the city of Vejle.

The hospital will be built in Skeiby, north of Aarhus, and form part of the New University Hospital (DNU) in Aarhus.

PKA will supply financing for the 50,000m2 hospital building, while KPC will act as turnkey contractor and be responsible for construction, while Wicotec will operate the hospital for a 25-year term.

Construction is set to start at the beginning of 2016, and the hospital is expected to be ready for use three years later.

Arkitema is the architect for the project ,and the consulting engineer is Grontmij.