DIF Capital Partners closes acquisition and refinancing of Grupo Itevelesa

DIF

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) is pleased to announce that DIF Infrastructure VI has closed the acquisition of Grupo Itevelesa (“Itevelesa” or the “Company”), a market leading provider of vehicle inspection services in Spain with a network of 72 stations nationwide serving ca. 2.3 million customers annually. Simultaneously, DIF has secured a long-term debt financing for the refinancing of the Company and to partially finance the acquisition. The debt financing was fully underwritten by Santander Corporate & Investment Banking which was also involved in hedging the interest rate exposure between signing and completion of the transaction.

Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Madrid, Itevelesa is one of Spain’s largest independent providers of periodical technical inspection services for vehicles, which are conducted under contracts with regional governments of which the majority is concession-based. The Company operates 72 fixed locations and 20 mobile units across 11 autonomous communities; it also provides industrial safety, metrology and environmental inspection services, playing a relevant role in ensuring ESG standards. With the long-term support of DIF, Itevelesa will aim to continue its strong growth path and further consolidation of its relevant market position.

Jesús García Gil, CEO of Itevelesa, said: “It is a pleasure to welcome DIF on board as our new shareholder. We have worked extremely closely with DIF along the last months and I truly believe that it is the ideal partner to support the Company’s growth and diversification business strategy; this transaction ensures that we can continue delivering the highest possible safety and quality service to our customers under the highest ESG standards.”

Gijs Voskuyl, Partner at DIF, said: “We are delighted to have completed the acquisition of Itevelesa. The Company provides a crucial service across Spain under a regulated environment which aligns well with our core strategy. We are looking forward to working closely with the Itevelesa team to deliver a high-quality service to its customers and continue growing in the market.”

DIF has been advised by Cantor Fitzgerald (Financial), Herbert Smith Freehills (Legal), Roland Berger (Commercial), PwC (accounting and tax) and WTW (insurance). Hayfin has been advised by Alantra (Financial) and Linklaters (Legal).

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent investment manager, with ca. EUR 11 billion in assets under management across ten closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF invests in infrastructure companies and assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Australia through two complementary strategies:

  • Traditional DIF funds, of which DIF Infrastructure VI is the latest vintage, target core infrastructure equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships, concessions, utilities, and energy transition projects (incl. renewable energy).
  • DIF CIF funds, of which DIF CIF III is the latest vintage, target equity investments in small to mid-sized core-plus infrastructure companies in the telecom, energy transition, and transportation sectors.

DIF Capital Partners has a team of over 190 professionals, based in eleven offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney, and Toronto. For more information please visit www.dif.eu.

Contact: Thijs Verburg, t.verburg@dif.eu.

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DIF Capital Partners joins forces with Virya Energy to acquire a strategic position in Dutch green hydrogen developer VoltH2

DIF

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”), through DIF Infrastructure VI, has acquired an interest in green hydrogen production facilities developer VoltH2 (the “Company”). DIF entered into a strategic partnership with Virya Energy, a leading Belgian renewable energy company, in acquiring a majority stake in the Company, with VoltH2’s founder André Jurres, retaining a meaningful share as well.

The Netherlands based VoltH2 holds permits and secured land plots for two production sites in Vlissingen and Terneuzen, with advanced planning underway for an additional site in Delfzijl as well as a number of early phase development positions. The three most advanced facilities have a capacity of initially 75 MW which can be scaled up to 250 MW. DIF’s and Virya’s involvement enables VoltH2 to realise its first green hydrogen production facilities in the near future and further expand the pipeline.

André Jurres, Managing Director of VoltH2: “This investment attests to the confidence in green hydrogen and in the growth of VoltH2. With the involvement of DIF Capital Partners and Virya Energy, we can anchor VoltH2 locally as well as internationally, achieve our ambitions and play a crucial role in the European energy market and energy transition.”

Gijs Voskuyl, Partner at DIF Capital Partners, adds: “We expect a significant demand increase for green hydrogen in the short and medium term. As an investor with a strong footprint and ongoing focus within the energy transition space, we aim to play a role in this fast growing and capital intensive market and believe VoltH2 as well as Virya Energy are excellent partners to realise these ambitions.”

About VoltH2

VoltH2 focuses on the design, development, construction and operation of green hydrogen facilities in Europe. The first two production facilities are currently being developed in Vlissingen and Terneuzen (the Netherlands). Both are expected to be operational in 2025. At start-up, each facility will produce nearly 2 million kg (1,890 tonnes) of green hydrogen per year. In time, this production will grow with the hydrogen market and will be scaled up. Because of its strategic location within North Sea Port, the end product will be transportable by road, rail and waterways. Local industry will be able to purchase green hydrogen in order to meet its environmental objectives. Recently, the project for a third green hydrogen facility was started in Delfzijl (within Groningen Seaports). VoltH2 is a collaboration between Volt Energy (the company of founder André Jurres), Virya Energy and DIF Capital Partners. www.volth2.com

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent investment manager, with ca. EUR 11 billion in assets under management across ten closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF invests in infrastructure companies and assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Australia through two complementary strategies:

  • DIF CIF funds, of which DIF CIF III is the latest vintage, target equity investments in small to mid-sized core-plus infrastructure companies in the telecom, energy transition, and transportation sectors.
  • Traditional DIF funds, of which DIF Infrastructure VI is the latest vintage, target core infrastructure equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships, concessions, utilities, and energy transition projects (incl. renewable energy).

DIF Capital Partners has a team of over 190 professionals, based in eleven offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney, and Toronto. For more information please visit www.dif.eu.

Contact: Thijs Verburg, t.verburg@dif.eu.

About Virya Energy

Virya Energy was founded in late 2019 by Colruyt Group and Korys. The energy holding company has shares in Parkwind, Eurowatt, Eoly Energy, Sanchore and recently also in VoltH2.

Virya Energy focuses on the development, financing, construction, exploitation and storage of renewable energy. All of these companies possess a wealth of complementary expertise. By sharing knowledge and enabling them to work together, Virya Energy aims to create economies of scale and take a leading role in the rapidly evolving renewable energy sector. Virya Energy and its subsidiaries worldwide have a capacity of 1 GW of green energy. This includes onshore and offshore wind power and a number of initiatives for green hydrogen such as Hyoffwind.

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InfraVia Capital Partners (“InfraVia”) has reached an agreement with funds managed by Equitix (“Equitix”) to sell Aurora Infrastructure Oy

InfraVia

Aurora is a Nordic infrastructure company that specialises in owning, operating, and upgrading private electricity network infrastructure where reliability and availability are critical to customers operations.

Aurora currently owns the electricity networks at two of Finland’s largest and strategically important industrial sites which represent 6% of Finnish electricity consumption: the AKO network serving the Kilpilahti industrial area, near Porvoo – the largest integrated chemical cluster in the Nordics; and the ATO network in Tornio, serving Outokumpu’s ferrochrome and stainless-steel manufacturing facility –the only fully integrated stainless-steel facility in the world. Aurora’s customers are blue-chip international industrial companies.

Tony Lindroos, CEO of Aurora, commented: “This is a significant milestone in our journey, and is welcome news for everyone at Aurora. Equitix will actively support Aurora’s expansion and investment in the network infrastructure, helping us to continue to deliver industry leading availability and reliability levels for our customers and supporting them in meeting their energy transition plans.”

Bruno Candès, Partner of InfraVia, said: “We have been extremely pleased to accompany Aurora over the last eight years. We have provided the group with a comprehensive set of resources that have paved the way for Aurora’s transformation into a leading independent distribution network in Finland. We are convinced that Equitix will continue the development of Aurora and support its customers to achieve their electrification and energy transition objectives.”

Achal Bhuwania, Chief Investment Officer at Equitix, said: “We recognise the mission critical nature of the Aurora networks for its customer operations. We are delighted to be a part of the future of Aurora and be able to partner with the management team in order to further expand and upgrade what is already a great platform.”

The terms of the transaction are not disclosed and the closing of the transaction is subject to the receipt of customary regulatory approvals.

InfraVia was advised on the transaction by Jefferies International Limited (financial), Roschier (legal), PWC (tax & accounting) as well as Afry (technical).

Equitix was advised by Macquarie Capital, PwC (joint financial advisers) and Linklaters (legal).

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DIF Capital Partners to divest its stake in the Thames Tideway Tunnel project

DIF

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) is pleased to announce that DIF Infrastructure III (“DIF III”) and DIF Infrastructure IV (“DIF IV”) have agreed to the sale of their 10.66% shareholding in Thames Tideway Tunnel (“Tideway”) to DIF’s existing co-shareholders in the project: an affiliate of Allianz Capital Partners, two Amber Infrastructure-related entities (International Public Partnerships and Swiss Life Asset Managers) and Dalmore Capital. The transaction has arisen due to DIF III coming to the end of its fund life.

Tideway is a unique UK infrastructure project and is the largest single asset in the UK water sector. The 25km long tunnel is being constructed to help prevent the release of 37 million cubic metres of untreated sewage that is currently discharged into the River Thames in a typical year. The ‘super sewer’ will significantly increase the capacity of London’s sewer network and help to transform the River Thames into a healthier and cleaner river.

DIF, along with Allianz, Amber Infrastructure and Dalmore Capital, was awarded the project licence for Tideway from Ofwat in 2015, and has managed the project successfully through its most challenging construction phase. At the end of April 2022, Tideway reached a significant milestone with the completion of tunnelling.

Andrew Freeman, Head of Exits at DIF, said: “During our joint ownership, the co-shareholders have championed our collective vision of providing long-term benefits to London by upgrading its essential infrastructure. We are delighted to leave Tideway under their stewardship.”

DIF was advised by RBC Capital Markets (financial) and Norton Rose Fulbright (legal).

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent investment manager, with ca. EUR 11 billion in assets under management across ten closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF invests in infrastructure companies and assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Australia through two complementary strategies:

  • DIF CIF funds, of which DIF CIF III is the latest vintage, target equity investments in small to mid-sized core-plus infrastructure companies in the telecom, energy transition, and transportation sectors.
  • Traditional DIF funds, of which DIF Infrastructure VI is the latest vintage, target core infrastructure equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships, concessions, utilities, and energy transition projects (incl. renewable energy).

DIF Capital Partners has a team of over 190 professionals, based in eleven offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney, and Toronto. For more information please visit www.dif.eu.

Contact: Thijs Verburg, t.verburg@dif.eu.

 

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DIF Capital Partners to sell French fibre company ADTIM

DIF

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) is pleased to announce that DIF Core Infrastructure Fund I (“CIF I”) signed an agreement to sell its 55% ownership stake in ADTIM SAS (“ADTIM”), a French fibre company, to HICL Infrastructure PLC (“HICL”), the listed core infrastructure fund managed by InfraRed Capital Partners. This will be the first exit for CIF I.

ADTIM operates an independent wholesale broadband network that focuses on low-density areas in the Ardèche and Drôme departments. ADTIM was awarded two complementary concession contracts by the public local authority Syndicat mixte ADN, under the French PIN (Public Initiative Networks) scheme. The company operates two infrastructure networks providing broadband access to telecom operators serving both residential and business retail markets.

During DIF’s ownership, ADTIM has realised over 100,000 new rolled-out connections in the low density household areas of the Drôme and Ardèche departments, and established a very robust BtB platform with over 2,000 enterprises served by the ADTIM network. It has maintained its network to a high standard with an overall availability of its network reaching over 99%. DIF has exercised its oversight authority effectively as majority shareholder of ADTIM to ensure that ADTIM complies responsibly with its concession agreements with ADN as well as to its clients and end users.

Andrew Freeman, Head of Exits, said “This is the first exit for CIF I, an important milestone for our CIF strategy. Benefitting from the strong momentum in the European fibre market, this exit is expected to yield attractive returns to our CIF I investors. We believe InfraRed is an excellent counterparty and is very well placed to manage the company going forward.”

DIF was advised on the transaction by DC Advisory (financial), Orrick (legal), Analysys Mason (commercial), KPMG and Denjean & Associés (tax & accounting), Currie & Brown (technical), as well as Marsh (insurance).

Closing of the transaction is subject to the receipt of customary approvals and consents.

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent investment manager, with ca. EUR 11 billion in assets under management across ten closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF invests in infrastructure companies and assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Australia through two complementary strategies:

  • DIF CIF funds, of which DIF CIF III is the latest vintage, target equity investments in small to mid-sized core-plus infrastructure companies in the telecom, energy transition, and transportation sectors.
  • Traditional DIF funds, of which DIF Infrastructure VI is the latest vintage, target core infrastructure equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships, concessions, utilities, and energy transition projects (incl. renewable energy).

DIF Capital Partners has a team of over 190 professionals, based in eleven offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney, and Toronto. For more information please visit www.dif.eu.

Contact: Thijs Verburg, t.verburg@dif.eu.

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BDC exits HKA

Bridgepoint

Bridgepoint Development Capital (‘BDC’) today announced the sale of HKA, a leading global consultancy in risk mitigation and dispute resolution, to PAI Partners.

Headquartered in the United Kingdom, HKA provides a comprehensive set of specialist offerings, including Expert, Claims and Advisory services for the capital projects and infrastructure sector. The Company has over 130 partners and more than 1,000 experts, consultants and advisors across 40+ offices in 18 countries.

HKA works with law firms, contractors, owners, operators, and other professional service providers across the breadth of the risk mitigation and dispute resolution market. The Company’s global portfolio includes some of the world’s largest and most prestigious commissions across a wide range of industries including industrial & manufacturing, power & utilities, resources and energy transition, transportation infrastructure, buildings, technology, financial services and government contracts.

Under Bridgepoint’s ownership, HKA has seen significant growth in its Claims, Dispute Resolution and Litigation Support business and successfully developed new service lines, including its offerings in Forensic Technical Services and Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages. The Company significantly expanded its US operations through the transformational acquisition of The Kenrich Group in 2019, creating the region’s largest construction claims consultancy as well as significantly strengthening HKA’s global capabilities in forensics, commercial damages and government contract services. In 2020, the Company bolstered its Forensic Technical Services offering by acquiring Probyn Miers, the UK’s leading firm of Expert Architects in the field of Construction Dispute Avoidance and Resolution.

PAI will support HKA’s management team in delivering their future growth plans, including accelerating HKA’s growth through development into adjacent services and through selective and targeted M&A opportunities.

“HKA has been a successful investment for Bridgepoint. Working closely with management, together we built significant value by establishing a strong partnership culture, focusing on strategic geographic markets and undertaking selective M&A as well as a comprehensive operational improvement programme. These initiatives mean that the business is now well positioned for further growth under new ownership,” said Jeannele M’Bembath, Director at Bridgepoint Development Capital.

Renny Borhan, CEO of HKA, commented: “I am extremely proud of the successes the team at HKA has achieved to date, and I am very thankful for Bridgepoint’s support and expertise over the last five years. We are very excited to be partnering with PAI Partners in the next phase of our growth.”

Neil McIlroy, Partner at PAI Partners, added: “HKA is uniquely positioned in the large and fragmented risk mitigation and dispute resolution market, with attractive long term growth prospects. We look forward to supporting Renny and his talented team as they pursue organic and inorganic initiatives to deliver their ambitious business strategy.”

PAI Partners was advised by Rothschild & Co. and DC Advisory (M&A); Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP (Legal); Alvarez & Marsal (Financial); and Bain & Company (Commercial).

Bridgepoint was advised by J.P. Morgan (M&A); Travers Smith (Legal); BDO (Financial); and OC&C (Commercial).

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

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DIF Capital Partners to divest its stakes in three Irish roads

DIF

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) is pleased to announce that DIF Infrastructure III (“DIF III”) has signed an agreement to sell its stakes in three Irish roads to Semperian PPP Investment Partners (“Semperian”).

The Irish roads portfolio consists of shareholdings in three projects that DIF invested into between 2013 and 2016: M3 Motorway, M4 Motorway and M50 Motorway. The M3 and M4 Motorway projects are demand-based toll roads and the M50 Motorway is an availability-based public private partnership. DIF has optimised these projects throughout its ownership and worked closely with the local management teams to successfully steer the roads through the Covid-19 pandemic. Traffic on the M3 and M4 Motorway projects has materially recovered in the last few months as lockdown restrictions have been lifted in Ireland. The sale of these assets means DIF III is almost fully divested as the end of the fund life approaches.

Andrew Freeman, Head of Exits at DIF: “We are very pleased with the sale of this high quality roads portfolio which delivers a strong exit outcome for our DIF III investors. We are confident that Semperian will be an excellent counterparty to the projects going forward given their extensive experience in managing these type of assets.”

DIF was advised on the transaction by Cantor Fitzgerald (financial), HSF (legal), Arthur Cox (Irish counsel), Jacobs (technical) and KPMG (tax & accounting).

Closing of the transaction is expected to take place in Q3 2022 subject to the receipt of customary approvals and consents.

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent investment manager, with ca. EUR 10 billion in assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF invests in infrastructure companies and assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Australia through two complementary strategies:

  • DIF CIF funds, of which DIF CIF II is the latest vintage, target equity investments in small to mid-sized core-plus infrastructure companies in the telecom, energy transition, and transportation sectors.
  • Traditional DIF funds, of which DIF Infrastructure VI is the latest vintage, target core infrastructure equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships, concessions, utilities, and energy transition projects (incl. renewable energy).

DIF Capital Partners has a team of over 190 professionals, based in eleven offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney, and Toronto. For more information please visit www.dif.eu.

Contact: Thijs Verburg, t.verburg@dif.eu.

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DIF Capital Partners signs a JV agreement with Boluda Corporación Marítima to invest in Boluda Maritime Terminals

DIF

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”), through its DIF CIF II fund, has signed an agreement to acquire an undisclosed stake from Spanish main shipping and port services company, Boluda Corporación Marítima (“Boluda CM”), in its container terminal division, Boluda Maritime Terminals. Boluda CM will remain the majority shareholder in the joint venture (“JV”).

The transaction involves 8 container terminals located in continental Spain and the Canary Islands with a total capacity of over 1.5 million TEUs. All terminals are operated under a concession granted by the port authorities. Focused on gateway cargo, these maritime terminals provide loading, unloading, warehousing, handling of containers, and general cargo services. The JV employs ca. 150 employees. Each terminal has its own financing in place with no new debt being arranged in the context of the transaction.

The terminal portfolio is key to serve essential goods from / to the Canary Islands, a region which represents a population of ca. 2 million inhabitants. The JV agreement includes specific arrangements to further invest in container terminal opportunities.

The terminals will continue to benefit from the support of Boluda Lines, the maritime transport division of Boluda CM, which has developed a successful container cargo service between the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands and other regions in Europe and Africa. The JV has signed a long-term contract with Boluda Lines.

Willem Jansonius, head of DIF CIF Investments, says“We are pleased to announce the agreement reached with Boluda CM to invest in their container terminal business. The Boluda terminals are essential infrastructure assets delivering cargo services 24/7 to the Iberian Peninsula and the Canary Islands. We are looking forward to continuing to grow the business together with Boluda CM, management and employees and aim to work closely with its customers, the port authorities and other stakeholders”.

The completion of the acquisition is subject to antitrust approval.

DIF was advised by Deloitte (financial), Uria (legal) and Drewry (commercial and technical). Boluda CM was advised by Ocean Capital Partners (financial) and CMS (legal).

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent investment manager, with ca. EUR 10 billion in assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF invests in infrastructure companies and assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Australia through two complementary strategies:

  • DIF CIF funds, of which DIF CIF II is the latest vintage, target equity investments in small to mid-sized core-plus infrastructure companies in the telecom, energy transition, and transportation sectors.
  • Traditional DIF funds, of which DIF Infrastructure VI is the latest vintage, target core infrastructure equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships, concessions, utilities, and energy transition projects (incl. renewable energy).

DIF Capital Partners has a team of over 180 professionals, based in eleven offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney, and Toronto. For more information please visit www.dif.eu.

Contact: Jorda Zuurendonk, j.zuurendonk@dif.eu.

About Boluda Corporación Marítima

Boluda Corporación Marítima is the holding company of the main shipping and maritime services group in Spain. The company is organized in 2 strategic divisions:

  • Boluda Towage, which mainly provides tugboat services, being an undisputed leader on both a national and international level, with a fleet of over 300 tugs operating in the main ports of Europe, Africa, America and the Indian Ocean. The division also provides coastal, ocean, and offshore towage and maritime salvage services.
  • Boluda Shipping division, which, in addition to holding the container terminal division of the group, provides shipping services (Boluda Lines) through a wide offer of commercial lines linking the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Italy, northern Europe, the west coast of Africa and Cape Verde. The division also offers general cargo, international freight forwarding and other port logistics services.

For more information, please visit www.boluda.com.es

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Partners Group invests in Climeworks, a leading Swiss designer, developer, and operator of Direct Air Capture plants

Partners Group

Baar-Zug, Switzerland; 5 April 2022

  • Partners Group co-led a CHF 600 million fundraising round for Climeworks
  • The funding will enable Climeworks to scale its Direct Air Capture capacity
  • Direct Air Capture technology is critical to reaching global net-zero goals

Partners Group, a leading global private markets firm, has agreed, on behalf of its clients, to invest in Climeworks (or “the Company”), a designer, developer, and operator of carbon dioxide Direct Air Capture (“DAC”) plants. Partners Group co-led a CHF 600 million fundraising round for the Company, together with GIC. Other new investors in the round included Baillie Gifford, Carbon Removal Partners, Global Founders Capital, M&G, and Swiss Re.

Founded in 2009 as a spin-off from ETH Zurich, Climeworks generates revenues through selling carbon dioxide removal services to businesses and individuals. Today, the Company has built 15 DAC plants, including the world’s largest DAC and storage plant, which started operations last September in Iceland. The capital from this equity round is anticipated to be used for capacity scale-up and geographical expansion – pilot projects have started in the US, the Nordics, and the Middle East – as well as investment into technology development and scaling the organization. The Company aims to become a dominant platform in the growing DAC market.

Partners Group will work with the management team and other investors to help scale Climeworks, as well as support its commercialization strategy and international expansion.

Alfred Gantner, Co-Founder and Executive Member of the Board of Directors, Partners Group, says: “Climeworks’ DAC plants are part of a portfolio of carbon removal technologies that are essential to achieving the Paris Agreement goals. The scalability of Climeworks’ technology makes it ideally suited to our transformational investing strategy and positions the Company to make a significant contribution to global carbon removal efforts. We are also attracted to Climeworks due to its close fit with our commitment to achieving lasting, positive stakeholder impact.”

Dr. Christoph Gebald, Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Climeworks, comments: “Climeworks is a pioneer in the DAC market. We have been working on our DAC technology for over a decade and are now in a position to scale-up. Partners Group’s extensive experience in building next-generation infrastructure platforms and working with fast-growing businesses makes them an ideal long-term partner. We look forward to working with the team alongside our other investors.”

Esther Peiner, Managing Director, Co-Head Private Infrastructure Europe, Partners Group, adds: “Investing in DAC technology has never been more important as the atmospheric concentration of CO2 globally continues to climb. Our research shows DAC technology benefits from several advantages over other emissions reduction technologies, such as location-agnosticism and limited land area requirements. Together with our co-lead investor GIC, we believe Climeworks has the potential to become a category leader in the DAC market due to its premium product and strong brand presence.”

Decarbonization is one of the giga themes guiding Partners Group’s thematic investing across asset classes and the firm has identified carbon management as a key focus within that theme. In a recent research paper, The next generation of decarbonization infrastructure, Partners Group estimated that approximately USD 250 billion will be spent on carbon management this decade, expanding to over USD 1.6 trillion by 2040.

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PGGM Infrastructure Fund and DIF Capital Partners reach agreement for intended acquisition of Enexis-subsidiary Fudura

DIF

Proposed new owners announce substantial investments in company with key role in Dutch energy transition

A consortium of DIF Capital Partners, through its DIF Infrastructure VI fund (“DIF”), and PGGM Infrastructure Fund (“PGGM”) has entered into an agreement for the acquisition of Fudura B.V., a subsidiary of Enexis Groep. PGGM and DIF will both acquire 50 percent of the shares. PGGM invests pension capital from, among others, Pensioenfonds Zorg en Welzijn for its three million participants, while DIF’s investment fund is supported by a large number of Dutch and international pension funds and insurance companies.

Fudura is the market leading B2B provider of medium-voltage electricity infrastructure (mainly transformers), metering devices and related data services in the Netherlands. With the intended acquisition, the new investors add a company to their investment portfolios that plays an important role in the Dutch energy transition. Fudura is active in offering services to companies seeking solutions for energy efficiency, security of energy supply and CO2 neutrality. Fudura currently has 22,000 business customers, being a combination of larger companies, public institutions such as hospitals, and SMEs. Within all these client segments there is a great urgency for a more sustainable energy consumption.

Fudura’s strategy to broaden its services within the energy transition is fully endorsed by the new intended shareholders. Various solutions will be offered, such as the delivery of solar panels, batteries, EV chargers and electric heating solutions. With this, Fudura wants to meet the increased demand from business customers to reduce their CO2 footprint, reduce dependence on natural gas and guarantee energy security.

René Pruijssers, director of Fudura: ,,As director of Fudura I am very pleased with selecting DIF and PGGM. With these partners Fudura can further develop as the energy transition platform for business customers. Fudura’s customers, employees and partners will benefit from the knowledge and ambition of DIF and PGGM to make the Netherlands more sustainable.’’

Erik van de Brake, head of Infrastructure at PGGM: ,,Fudura fits perfectly into PGGM’s strategy to make long-term investments for our clients, including Pensioenfonds Zorg en Welzijn, which are not only financially attractive, but also have a positive impact on our society. We are faced with the enormous task of making the Netherlands CO2 neutral within a few decades, and companies such as Fudura play a very important role in this. Fudura will become part of our investment portfolio, which, in addition to Fudura, also contains a number of other investments that play a key role in realizing the energy transition and will help to accelerate it.’’

Gijs Voskuyl, head of Core Infrastructure at DIF: ,,We are delighted with the acquisition of a 50% stake in Fudura. The company’s leading role in the energy transition in the Netherlands fits seamlessly with DIF’s own ambitions including having a CO2-neutral investment portfolio by 2050 the latest. In addition, we expect that DIF’s expertise in previous energy transition investments will contribute to a fruitful collaboration with both Fudura and co-shareholder PGGM.’’

Enexis and the consortium of DIF and PGGM have also made agreements about employment, sustainability and continuity of Fudura. The consortium of DIF and PGGM sees Fudura as a platform for the energy transition and commits itself to Fudura for a long period of time. The employment and working conditions of Fudura’s employees are guaranteed and there is support for Fudura’s strategy and its role in the energy transition. These agreements are laid down in the signed document and are an integral part of this intended transaction.

About Fudura

Fudura B.V. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Enexis Groep and is active in the non-regulated part of the energy market. Fudura focuses on business services to optimize and make the energy supply of more than 22,000 business customers in the Netherlands more sustainable. Fudura provides advice, measures, designs and realizes infrastructures and manages and maintains meters, charging stations, transformers and switchgear. Fudura is the market leader in its segment.

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent investment manager, with ca. EUR 10 billion in assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF invests in infrastructure companies and assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Australia through two complementary strategies:

  • Traditional DIF funds, of which DIF Infrastructure VI is the latest vintage, target core infrastructure equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships, concessions, utilities, and energy transition projects (incl. renewable energy).
  • DIF CIF funds target equity investments in small to mid-sized core-plus infrastructure companies in the telecom, energy transition, and transportation sectors.

DIF Capital Partners has a team of over 180 professionals, based in eleven offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney, and Toronto. For more information please visit www.dif.eu.

About PGGM

PGGM is a not-for-profit cooperative pension fund service provider. As a pensions administrator, asset manager and advisor to pension fund boards, it executes its social mandate: to provide for good old-age incomes for 4.4 million participants in the Netherlands. On December 31, 2021 PGGM managed long-term pension capital of EUR 291 billion worldwide. Rooted firmly in the Dutch healthcare sector, PGGM develops innovative provisions for labour market issues in this sector, alone or with strategic partners. Our member organisation PGGM&CO supports 764,000 workers and pensioners with a background in healthcare. www.pggm.nl.

For more information:

DIF Capital Partners

Allard Ruijs, a.ruijs@dif.eu, +31 (0)20 655 47 05

PGGM Corporate Communications

Maurice Wilbrink, maurice.wilbrink@pggm.nl, +31 (0)30 277 97 35

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