Tag Archives: infrastructure

DIF Capital Partners acquires majority stake in UK fibre broadband operator

DIF

19 August 2020  |  London

DIF Capital Partners acquires majority stake in UK fibre broadband operator

DIF Capital Partners, through its DIF Core Infrastructure Fund II (“DIF CIF II”), is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition of a majority stake (54%) in 4th Utility, a fibre-to-the-premise (“FTTP”) infrastructure developer and internet service provider based in Hale, Manchester (UK).

4th Utility partners with residential and commercial landlords, property developers and house builders to design, install and upgrade their properties with state-of-the-art FTTP infrastructure.

4th Utility currently operates FTTP networks within a number of residential property developments in the North of England. DIF CIF II will provide significant capital to fund a large pipeline of opportunities generated by 4th Utility with their development partners throughout the UK.

“We are excited to partner with DIF Capital Partners who share our desire to invest in high-quality fibre infrastructure providing ultrafast internet access to properties across the UK. This long-term investment allows us to expand our current platform and provide ‘full fibre’ connectivity to a significant number of new customers” comments Tony Hughes, CEO of 4th Utility.

The transaction is the first investment for DIF CIF II in the UK and its third investment in the digital infrastructure sector following recent acquisitions in Canada and France. “We are pleased to bring our experience in digital infrastructure to support 4th Utility and their management team in delivering FTTP infrastructure investment to underserved properties in the UK” comments Willem Jansonius, Head of DIF CIF.

Please visit www.the4thutility.co.uk for further information.

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent infrastructure fund manager, with €7.5 billion of assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF Capital Partners invests in greenfield and operational infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

  • DIF CIF funds target equity investments in small to mid-sized infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy and transportation sectors.
  • DIF Infrastructure funds target equity investments in public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, utilities and renewable energy projects with long-term contracted or regulated income streams.

DIF has a team of over 145 professionals, based in nine offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

Contact: Thijs Verburg, IR & BD; t.verburg@dif.eu.

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DIF Capital Partners acquires a stake in French digital infrastructure company IELO

DIF

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”), through its DIF Core Infrastructure Fund II (“DIF CIF II”), is pleased to announce that it will invest in the French independent fiber optic operator IELO with the aim of contributing to its network roll-out in the coming years. DIF will enable IELO to build a nationwide footprint and become a leading fiber optic infrastructure operator in France, while remaining fully independent and a pure infrastructure player.

Resulting from the merger between IELO and LIAZO in 2016, the IELO group is positioned as a key player in the telecommunications sector in France. IELO’s fiber network is the highest quality urban optical network equipped with the latest technologies. It currently represents nearly 2,000 km of fiber, covering 30 metropolitan areas and connects more than 1,000 companies. Due to the significantly growing digitalisation requirements of companies the market is rapidly expanding. DIF’s capital injections will further accelerate the strong development of the fiber network of IELO in France.

As a long-term shareholder, DIF and IELO founders plan to invest together €90 million over the next few years to triple the size of IELO’s network by deploying more than 4,500 km of fiber (increasing it to 6,500 km total) in 95 French cities and economic zones. This acquisition perfectly fits CIF II’s strategy to invest in high-quality telecom infrastructure businesses.

Arthur Fernandez IELO co-founder and CEO said: “IELO is now at a turning point in its development and the long-term support provided by DIF represents a tremendous accelerator to achieve our ambitions of scaling up the strategy we have been successfully implementing in recent years. We intend to consolidate our position as a key independent wholesale operator in the fiber optics business with the aim of expanding our French client base to further gain market share.”

Thomas Vieillescazes, partner and head of DIF France added: “DIF has been investing heavily in the telecommunications sector in Europe and North America for several years, particularly in projects related to data centers and fiber optics. This investment is therefore in line with our strategy of investing in the high-potential digital infrastructure market, especially in the growing B2B business. We believe IELO, being a dedicated wholesale infrastructure provider, and the only one with a nationwide development strategy, is a perfect fit for DIF CIF II: it’s a pure infrastructure play with a greenfield component, for which DIF will bring to bear its longstanding experience in the French market. We have particular trust in IELO’s managers and their teams and are delighted to support the group in its development to become a key player in a growing market.”

About IELO

The IELO group markets enterprise access products through offers exclusively for telecom operators (the so-called “wholesale only” market). Operating its own optical cable network, IELO has an extensive coverage area covering some thirty of France’s largest conurbations, i.e. 161 municipalities in 23 departments. Since 2014, IELO has been implementing a strong strategy of rolling out its own network through an investment plan and a sustained pace of deployment, in order to extend its position in France. To find out more: www.ielo.com

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent infrastructure fund manager, with €7.5 billion of assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF Capital Partners invests in greenfield and operational infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

  • DIF CIF funds target equity investments in small to mid-sized infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy and transportation sectors.
  • DIF Infrastructure funds target equity investments in public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, utilities and renewable energy projects with long-term contracted or regulated income streams.

DIF has a team of over 140 professionals, based in nine offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

Contact: Thomas Vieillescazes, Partner; t.vieillescazes@dif.eu and Thijs Verburg, IR & BD; t.verburg@dif.eu.

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EQT Infrastructure to sell Hector Rail Group

eqt

  • EQT Infrastructure to sell Hector Rail Group, the largest private rail freight operator in Scandinavia with significant operations in Germany, to Ancala
  • During EQT’s tenure, Hector Rail has grown revenue organically into new segments, geographies and customers, with an 80 percent growth of both revenues and the fleet
  • Hector Rail has increased its capacity offering reliable and environmentally friendly transportation solutions

The EQT Infrastructure II fund (“EQT Infrastructure” or “EQT”) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Hector Rail Group (“Hector Rail” or “the Company”) to Ancala’s European Infrastructure Fund II. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Hector Rail is the largest private rail freight operator in Scandinavia with significant operations in Germany.

With a fleet of over 100 locomotives and 400 employees, including approximately 250 train drivers, Hector Rail transports essential goods for a wide range of customers. Hector Rail also operates a growing domestic platform in Germany, the largest rail freight market in Europe, from which it focuses on attractive niche segments, such as energy and intermodal flows.

Since acquired by EQT Infrastructure in November 2014, Hector Rail’s focus has been on driving sustainable growth, expanding into new segments and geographies, and diversifying the customer base while providing environmentally friendly transport solutions. Hector Rail has also executed on an ambitious sustainability agenda by providing essential transportation services to industries in an environmentally sustainable way.

Masoud Homayoun, Partner and Investment Advisor to EQT Infrastructure, adds: “Hector Rail has continued to grow and gain market share while fostering a strong, safety-oriented culture, sustainable operations and high-quality services to all customers. Management and the entire Hector Rail team have done a fantastic job. With the ever-increasing demand for environmentally friendly transport solutions, Hector Rail is well-positioned for continuous growth under Ancala’s ownership”

Claes Scheibe, Managing Director of Hector Rail AB, added: “With the support from EQT, Hector Rail has grown by adding a range of new freight services across the Scandinavian and German rail network, and supported the growth of the European economy through the transportation of essential goods and materials. We continue to see strong demand for our services and look forward to entering the next phase of growth together with our new owners.”

Stig Kyster-Hansen, Managing Director of Hector Rail GmbH, further commented: “Under EQT’s ownership, we have in a short period of time been able to build a strong and scalable platform in Germany. We see great potential for further growth in this market and look forward to continuing our journey together with Ancala”

Deutsche Bank AG acted as financial advisor and Advokatfirman Vinge KB as legal advisors to EQT Infrastructure.

Contact
Masoud Homayoun, Partner and Investment Advisor to EQT Infrastructure, +46 73 402 1081
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com, +46 8 506 55 334

About EQT
EQT is a differentiated global investment organization with more than EUR 62 billion in raised capital and around EUR 40 billion in assets under management across 19 active funds. EQT funds have portfolio companies in Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America with total sales of more than EUR 27 billion and approximately 159,000 employees. EQT works with portfolio companies to achieve sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

More info: www.eqtgroup.com
Follow EQT on Twitter and LinkedIn

About Hector Rail
Hector Rail Group is an independent rail freight operator, providing traction and related services across Scandinavia and Germany. We offer environmentally friendly transportation solutions on rail, to industrial companies, forwarders, and other rail operators. The Group consists of Hector Rail AB, Sweden’s largest private rail freight company, and Hector Rail GmbH, a German operator servicing both international traffic to Scandinavia and the domestic German market

More info: www.hectorrail.com

About Ancala Partners
Ancala Partners LLP is an independent infrastructure investment manager focused on delivering enhanced returns from mid-market infrastructure investments across Europe. Ancala adopts a proactive approach to the origination and asset management of investments to create value for its investors.

More info: www.ancala.com

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Altor enters partnership with the entrepreneurs of Eleda

Altor

ltor Fund V (“Altor”) has signed definitive agreements to invest in a majority stake in Eleda Infra Services Group (“Eleda”) to support the entrepreneurs and management on the continued growth journey to create a leading infrastructure services group. As part of the transaction, Eleda acquires and partners with the entrepreneurs of Järfälla VA- & Byggentreprenad AB (“JVAB”). In addition, Eleda acquires ONE Nordic (“ONE”) from Altor Fund III. Management of the respective companies will remain as significant shareholders of the combined group and continue in their respective operational management roles.

The new, larger, Eleda will be an expansive infrastructure services group focusing on small to medium sized civil engineering and transmission infrastructure projects and services across a wide range of sectors including water works, road works, energy works and data centers. JVAB strengthens Eleda’s geographical coverage in the Stockholm area and has strong expertise in water works. One Nordic broadens Eleda’s capabilities into electricity transmission infrastructure services and projects focusing on electricity distribution and renewable energy (wind and hydro power). The companies have an impressive history of strong growth and a proven ability to gain additional market shares in fast-growing areas of the market. The new Eleda group had a combined turnover of ca SEK 6 billion in 2019.

“We are enthusiastic and confident that Altor’s experience of building great companies will contribute to our continued strong growth and further support our ambition to always be the partner of choice for both public and private customers within infrastructure services. The timing of this transaction in the current market turmoil is a testament to our attractive and resilient business model, and we are proud to remain as significant shareholders in the combined group”, say Johan Halvardsson and Peter Condrup, representing the management consortium in Eleda.

“ONE Nordic is stronger than ever today”, says Jonas Arvidsson, CEO of ONE Nordic. “During Altor’s ownership period, ONE Nordic has had the opportunity to expand from electricity distribution into services and projects in renewable energy, and we now look forward to a continued growth journey as part of the larger Eleda group, with whom we already have several overlapping clients and hope to expand that further”.

“We are impressed with the businesses that the entrepreneurs have built and are truly excited to partner with them for the next phase of development. It is particularly exciting to be able to contribute ONE into the combination, adding new capabilities that will result in commercial benefits for both companies. We are highly committed to extend the strong track record of the companies to date and continue to build a leading infrastructure services company in the Nordics” says Bengt Maunsbach, Partner at Altor.

“In Eleda, I see a successful entrepreneurial, decentralized organization with local decision-making and responsibility, but with the resources and methods of a large corporation”, says Torbjörn Torell, current Chairman of ONE Nordic and incoming Chairman of Eleda. “I am glad for the opportunity to continue to work alongside Altor and look forward to working with the exceptional entrepreneurs of Eleda.”

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

For more information, please contact:
Johan Halvardsson, Eleda Group CEO, +46 70 545 95 01
Emilie Condrup Maisor, Head of Communications and ESG, Eleda, +46 70 828 04 66
Jonas Arvidsson, CEO of ONE Nordic, +46 70 304 09 70
Bengt Maunsbach, Partner at Altor, +46 867 89 115
Tor Krusell, Head of Communications at Altor, +46 705 43 87 47

About Eleda Infra Services Group
Eleda Infra Services Group is an expansive group focusing small to medium sized civil engineering and transmission infrastructure projects and services across a wide range of sectors including water works, road works, energy works and data centers. The Group operates through regional companies across southern and western Sweden. The group currently includes Akeab, KEWAB, Mark & Energibyggarna and Salboheds Bygg & Anläggningstjänster. Eleda Group’s corporate culture is marked by a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and the companies work independently in complementary geographical areas with the goal of being a leading player in their respective regional markets. Eleda Group, which has its headquarters in Stockholm, has around 800 employees and sales of approximately SEK 3.1 billion in 2019. Eleda Group is currently owned by management and a broad group of key individuals in the group. For further information please visit www.eleda.se/en

About ONE Nordic
ONE Nordic is one of Sweden’s leading suppliers of technical services in electricity transmission infrastructure and renewable energy production. With a nationwide organization and local knowledge, ONE Nordic delivers high quality services and solutions to energy producers, distributors and energy users. ONE Nordic is headquartered in Malmö and has around 1,000 employees and sales of approximately SEK 2.1 billion in 2019. ONE Nordic has been owned by Altor Fund III since 2011. For further information please visit www.one-nordic.se

About JVAB
Järfälla VA- & Byggentreprenad AB is focusing on civil engineering and transmission infrastructure in the Stockholm region. JVAB has around 150 employees and sales of approximately SEK 0.7 billion in 2019. The majority of JVAB is owned by the founding family, who will reinvest a significant portion in the combined Group. For further information please visit www.jvab.se

About Altor
Since inception, the family of Altor funds has raised some EUR 8.3 billion in total commitments. The funds have invested in excess of EUR 4.2 billion in more than 60 companies. The investments have been made in medium sized predominantly Nordic companies with the aim to create value through growth initiatives and operational improvements. Among current and past investments are Dustin, Byggmax, Piab, Aalborg Industries, Trioplast, SATS and RevolutionRace. For further information please visit www.altor.com

Author: Katarina Karlsson
Date: 2020.05.11
Categories: News

 

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Waterlogic closes on long-term investment from strong institutional partners to accelerate growth ambition

Castik Capital

Waterlogic, a leading global designer, manufacturer, distributor and service provider of purified drinking water dispensers, is pleased to announce the closing of the acquisition of a significant minority stake in the company by four strong institutional investors – BCI, Neuberger Berman, StepStone, and Skandia.

Following January’s announcement of British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) entering into an agreement to acquire a significant minority stake in Waterlogic from Funds managed by Castik Capital and the Waterlogic management team, Waterlogic and Castik Capital complete the transaction and include three additional partners.

BCI, with C$153.4 billion in assets under management (as of March 31, 2019), is a leading provider of investment management services to British Columbia’s public sector and one of Canada’s largest asset managers. Joining BCI as minority shareholders in Waterlogic are:

  • Neuberger Berman, a private, independent, employee-owned investment management firm that manages equities, fixed income and private equity portfolios for global institutional investors, advisors and high-net-worth individuals;
  • StepStone, a global private markets firm providing customised investment and advisory solutions to some of the most sophisticated investors in the world; and
  • Skandia, a mutual life insurance company with SEK 692 billion under management as of 31 December 2019, provides pension, banking and insurance services to the population of Sweden.

Jeremy Ben-David, Founder and Group CEO of Waterlogic, said: “This is a very pleasing result and a testament to Waterlogic’s businesses resilience, especially considering the unprecedented economic downturn and turbulent times we currently find ourselves in. The acquisition provides further access to capital in support of Waterlogic’s growth ambition to become the global leader in the fast-growing market for bottle-less workplace hydration. We look forward to continuing our journey with Castik Capital and the new shareholders in this next exciting phase of our growth.” 

Waterlogic has a direct presence in 17 countries including the UK, USA, Canada, Chile, Australia and Western Europe, and an extensive independent global distribution network reaching over 50 countries around the world. The company is responsible for hydrating nearly 50 million consumers daily and contributes to the reduction of 23.8 billion single-use plastic bottles around the world each year.

Waterlogic aims to build on its capabilities and customer base in both established and new geographic markets in pursuit of its mission to offer healthy drinking water solutions and contribute to the reduction of plastic pollution globally with a range of freestanding and countertop dispensers, Billi integrated dispensers and Purezza, the company’s specialty restaurant and hospitality solution.

Inspired by innovation, Waterlogic has embraced superior FirewallTM and BioCote® technologies to create cutting-edge, highly certified products focused on delivering the safest, best-tasting water to all businesses in the most sustainable way. The company’s approach to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) supports the growing demand from organisations looking to reduce the plastic pollution and high CO2 emissions associated with bottled water, and supports Waterlogic’s long-term growth, relevancy and financial standing in the marketplace.

Waterlogic has annualised revenues of c. $400M and c. 550k water dispensers on rental and service contracts across 17 direct markets and employs over 3,000 people worldwide. Waterlogic was advised on the transaction by Goldman Sachs International, Skadden (legal), PwC (financial and commercial), Deloitte (tax), L.E.K. (commercial), and EY (Luxembourg legal).

Media Contact

Rosanna Turner, Group Marketing Communications Manager
rosanna.turner@waterlogic.com

 

About Waterlogic

Waterlogic is an innovative designer, manufacturer, distributor and service provider of drinking water dispensers and solutions designed for environments such as offices, factories, hospitals, restaurants, hotels, schools and public spaces. From freestanding, countertop and integrated dispensers to water filling stations, fountains and boilers, every solution focuses on delivering the best quality water in the most sustainable way. Founded in 1992, Waterlogic was one of the first companies to introduce mains-fed dispensers to customers worldwide and has been at the forefront of the market promoting product design and water quality, the application of proprietary technologies, sustainability and world-class sales and service. Waterlogic has its own subsidiaries in 17 countries and its leading markets are the U.S., Australia and Western Europe, in particular the UK and Germany. In addition, Waterlogic’s extensive and expanding independent global distribution network reaches over 50 countries around the world in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and South Africa. More information can be found at www.waterlogic.com.

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DIF Capital Partners closes refinancing Finnish district heating network

DIF

DIF Capital Partners is pleased to announce the closing of the refinancing of Loimua’s (formerly known as Elenia Heat) acquisition debt facilities.

DIF Capital Partners, together with its partners LPP Infrastructure and Aberdeen Standard Investments, acquired Loimua in July 2019 with DIF Infrastructure V (link to original press release). Loimua is the second largest private supplier of district heating in Finland, providing environmentally sustainable heating to residential, commercial and public sector customers. The company owns and operates 640 MW of heat production capacity across 16 networks, covering circa 500 kilometers and circa 4,600 supply points (85,000 end-users).

Through the refinancing of the acquisition facilities Loimua established a common terms multi tenor debt platform including long term bank debt and 10, 12, and 14 year private placement tranches from institutional debt providers, alongside working capital facilities for general and capex financing purposes. The refinancing further de-risks the company’s long term capital structure and provides operational flexibility to deliver growth in line with the business plan. The transaction was concluded at favourable terms and covenants, emphasizing that there is still strong support from debt providers for stable and sustainable businesses such as Loimua despite the recent capital market developments.

DIF Capital Partners and its partners were advised by DC Advisory (financial) and Shearman& Sterling (Legal).

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent infrastructure fund manager, with €7.4 billion of assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF Capital Partners invests in greenfield and brownfield infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

  • DIF Infrastructure funds target equity investments in public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, utilities and renewable energy projects with long-term contracted or regulated income streams.
  • DIF CIF funds target equity investments in small to mid-sized infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy and transportation sectors.

DIF has a team of over 140 professionals, based in nine offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

Contact: Allard Ruijs, Partner; a.ruijs@dif.eu.

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DIF Capital Partners invests in Canadian fiber optic networks build out

DIF

DIF Capital Partners, through its DIF Core Infrastructure Fund II (“DIF CIF II”), is pleased to announce that it has completed a majority investment into Valley Fiber Ltd (“Valley Fiber”) to build fiber-to-the-home (“FttH”) and fiber-to-the-business (“FttB”) networks in Manitoba, Canada.

Based in Winkler, Manitoba, Valley Fiber is a telecommunications infrastructure company that specializes in the development, construction and operations of fiber and fixed-wireless infrastructure for residential and commercial use. Valley Fiber has received support from municipal and federal levels of government in Canada. DIF Capital Partners’ investment will allow Valley Fiber to connect more than 15,000 homes and businesses to fiber over the next two years. The transaction contemplates a conservative capital structure which provides additional financial resiliency in the current environment.

Valley Fiber was incorporated in 2016 and has successfully built a presence in Southern Manitoba, constructing high quality telecommunications infrastructure to service the historically underserved communities. Valley Fiber currently operates in more than 20 municipalities in Manitoba. The transaction also includes the acquisition of 40 operating fixed-wireless towers.

“The Valley Fiber team is extremely excited to have found a long-term partner that shares the same values and vision of how to bring the best-in-class fiber and telecommunication infrastructure to the region. With the support from the Canadian government and our financial partner DIF Capital Partners, we look forward to usher in a new generation of economic development and diversity to Southern Manitoba” comments Hank Wall, CEO of Valley Fiber.

The transaction is the first investment for DIF CIF II and underlines the key strategic focus to invest in digital infrastructure. “We are pleased with our long-term investment into the Valley Fiber platform for the roll out of fiber in rural Canada. This is an excellent opportunity for DIF CIF II to invest in a high growth company with a strong management team and to further expand our presence into the fast-growing telecom infrastructure sector” comments Willem Jansonius, Head of DIF CIF.

DIF Capital Partners was advised by Agentis Capital (financial) and Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg (legal).

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent infrastructure fund manager, with €7.4 billion of assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF Capital Partners invests in greenfield and brownfield infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

  • DIF CIF funds target equity investments in small to mid-sized infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy and transportation sectors.
  • DIF Infrastructure funds target equity investments in public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, utilities and renewable energy projects with long-term contracted or regulated income streams.

DIF has a team of over 140 professionals, based in nine offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

Contact:
Allard Ruijs, Partner
Email: a.ruijs@dif.eu

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DIF Capital Partners sells its stake in Royal Jubilee Hospital

DIF

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) is pleased to announce the sale of its stake in Royal Jubilee Hospital to its co-shareholder Innisfree by DIF Infrastructure III (“DIF III”).

Royal Jubilee Hospital is a PPP hospital located in Victoria, Canada and was DIF’s first PPP investment in North America. The project consists of the design, construction, financing, maintenance and operations of the hospital during 30 years from construction completion which was in December 2010. The facility includes 500 beds and provides inpatient services to medical/surgical patients and patients suffering from mental health and addiction issues.

Andrew Freeman, Head of Exits, said: “We are very pleased to have been able to complete another strong exit, underpinning the high quality and stable nature of our assets also during uncertain times.”

DIF was advised by DLA Piper (Canada) LLP (legal).

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF is an independent infrastructure fund manager, with €7.4 billion of assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF invests in greenfield and brownfield infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

  • DIF Infrastructure funds target equity investments in public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, utilities and renewable energy projects with long-term contracted or regulated income streams.
  • DIF CIF funds target equity investments in small to mid-sized infrastructure assets in the energy, transportation and telecom sectors with mid-term contracted income streams.

DIF has a team of over 135 professionals, based in nine offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

Contact:
Allard Ruijs, Partner
Email: a.ruijs@dif.eu

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Ardian Infrastructure acquires LAKIAKANGAS Wind Farm in Finland, growing existing portfolio in the Nordics

Ardian

The investment is the first build-up for eNordic, Ardian’s windfarm platform in the Nordics. Ardian’s first investment in Finland, supporting the transition towards sustainable energy.

Helsinki, 2 April 2020 – Ardian, a world-leading private investment house with $96bn assets under management, today announces the 100% acquisition of Lakiakangas 1 from, German based wind power company, CPC Finland Oy. The wind farm is Ardian’s first investment in Finland. It is an add-on to Ardian Infrastructure’s existing asset base in the Nordics and will be part of Ardian and eNordic’s partnership.

“With this investment, we aim to make a lasting contribution to the delivery of clean energy to our customers and we will continue to pursue strong cooperation with our local partners. Thanks to Fingrid’s long-sighted grid reinforcement programme, we will be able to add additional turbines, which would significantly increase the capacity of the power plant” says Eero Auranne, CEO of eNordic.

The Lakiakangas 1 wind farm currently has 14 turbines in operation and a production capacity of 57MW, with permits to build-up capacity to 90MW.

“Although this investment comes during a challenging period for the world, we remain committed to sustainable energy, which will continue to play an important role in the transition to a more climate friendly society. This investment, our first in Finland, is underpinned by agreements with strong counterparties to whom we will deliver all of the produced electricity under long term contracts. This combined with the opportunity to build additional capacity in the future is a great fit for our industrial asset management strategy” says Simo Santavirta, Head of Asset Management of Ardian Infrastructure.

CPC Finland built the Lakiakangas 1 wind farm in Isojoki in 2018-2019. Following the transaction, CPC will remain responsible for the technical and commercial asset management of the wind farm in cooperation with Ardian and eNordic. The parties will not disclose the value of the transaction.

“We are pleased to partner with Ardian and eNordic in this transaction. It was one of the most efficient transactions and it has been a real pleasure to work with the Ardian/eNordic’s highly competent team. We look forward to a long lasting partnership” says Erik Trast, Managing Director of CPC Finland Oy.

“This investment is a significant step in our strategy to build a leading independent sustainable energy group with presence across three Nordic countries” says Amir Sharifi, Managing Director at Ardian Infrastructure.

Ardian Infrastructure’s portfolio, which already includes three wind farm investments in Norway and Sweden, is now at nearly 500MW of gross capacity, corresponding to the yearly energy consumption of more than 750,000 electric vehicles. The portfolio is comprised of a balanced mix of greenfield and brownfield assets. The assets all operate under a mixture of pay as produced schemes. Ardian’s total renewable portfolio represents 3.5GW of capacity across Europe and Americas.

Lakiakangas Wind Farm transaction was completed through the Ardian Infrastructure Fund IV and Ardian Clean Energy II funds.

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$96bn managed or advised in Europe, the Americas and Asia. The company is majority-owned by its employees. It keeps entrepreneurship at its heart and focuses on delivering excellent investment performance to its global investor base.

Through its commitment to shared outcomes for all stakeholders, Ardian’s activities fuel individual, corporate and economic growth around the world.

Holding close its core values of excellence, loyalty and entrepreneurship, Ardian maintains a truly global network, with more than 680 employees working from fifteen offices across Europe (Frankfurt, Jersey, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Zurich), the Americas (New York, San Francisco and Santiago) and Asia (Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul). It manages funds on behalf of around 1,000 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Fund of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.

www.ardian.com

ABOUT ENORDIC

eNordic is the Nordic’s first sustainable energy platform, formed by a partnership between Ardian, a world-leading private investment house, and leading domestic industry executives.
Through a local, responsible and agile investment approach, eNordic enables the transformation of the energy sector through long-term partnerships with those that develop or operate sustainable energy projects in the Nordics.
It invests in opportunities in wind, biomass, hydro and district heating, in addition to traditional energy assets that have the potential to be transformed or managed in a particularly sustainable way.
eNordic is based in Sweden and Finland, with local teams operating throughout the Nordics region.
www.enordic.fi

ABOUT CPC FINLAND

CPC Finland is a fully owned subsidiary of the German based CPC Germania GmbH & Co. KG. CPC Germania plans,  builds and operates wind farm projects. It is one Europe’s oldest wind energy company with more than 650 MW of wind energy projects constructed in Germany and Europe since its founding in 1993. CPC Germania manages a portfolio with a total installed capacity of more than 750 MW for institutional investors, utilities and the CPC Group.
www.cpc-germania.com

PRESS CONTACTS

Ardian/eNordic
Headland Consultancy
CARL LEIJONHUFVUD
cleijonhufvud@headlandconsultancy.com
+44 20 3805 4827

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airteam secures contract in connection with new underground line in Copenhagen

Ratos

airteam has secured a major ventilation and cooling contract in connection with construction of a new underground line to Copenhagen’s Sydhavn district. The project includes installations at five stations and two crossings.

airteam is carrying out the project for the contractor TUNN3L JV, a joint venture between the French company Vinci and the German Hochtief. The project is expected to be finished in 2024, with the start scheduled for 2021.

“This is an interesting project that will mean a lot for Copenhagen and its inhabitants for years to come. I’m proud that airteam has been chosen as a ventilation contractor in the construction of the new underground line to Copenhagen’s Sydhavn. This is a project that includes both cooling, traditional ventilation facilities and a solution for the tunnels’ fire ventilation system.

airteam was chosen based on our vast know-how, which is the result of many years of work in comfort and industrial ventilation, and not least based on our previous ventilation contract carried out at the underground at Nordhavn Station. As we accumulate further competence in this field, we will be well positioned for future infrastructure projects in Denmark, Sweden and other Nordic countries,” says Poul Pihlmann, CEO of airteam.

“This contract award is a proof of the strong position airteam has in the Danish market. As airteam has grown and delivered high levels of quality and customer satisfaction, we are now being invited to bid on the largest ventilation projects in Denmark. We remain optimistic about the future of our Danish operations, and about the potential to build the same position in the growing Swedish operation,” says Christian Johansson Gebauer, Head of Business Area Construction & Services, Ratos.

For further information, please contact:
Helene Gustafsson, Head of IR and Press, Ratos, +46 70 868 40 50, helene.gustafsson@ratos.se
Christian Johansson Gebauer, Head of Business Area Construction & Services, Ratos, +46 8 700 1700

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