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Saudi gets solar right with Sakaka
Renewables MENAAfter a number of false starts, Saudi Arabia’s first utility scale solar project – the 300MW Sakaka PV plant – is nearing financial close. The deal is the first step in the kingdom’s ambitious renewable energy plans
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Data centres – led by the wrinkled nose
Telecoms EuropeData centres - they are increasingly flavour of the day among infrastructure funds with a good number of them shifting focus to target these assets. We are seeing increasing activity in this space and here we focus on an exciting area that is set to grow in coming years...
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Private placements and investors' expanding appetites
Oil & Gas EuropeA few years ago, private placements in infrastructure were primarily focused on refinancings. Now, the private placement market has evolved in a number of ways enabling institutional investors to increasingly participate in infrastructure M&A deals, to act on the origination of deals, and going in as primary investors
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Kuwait PPP 10 years on
Renewables MENAIt is 10 years since Kuwait launched its PPP programme, which to date has delivered just one project, leading many to question whether procurement agency Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP) will ever deliver most of its pipeline
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Acquisition of 70% of ENGIE E&P International
Oil & Gas Asia PacificPrivate equity-backed operators have poured billions of dollars into the North Sea upstream industry over the last 18 months. Neptune Energy’s first deal to buy out ENGIE's portfolio seals the entry of another independent, but is likely to be the last in a flurry of sales of mega-sized upstream portfolios by majors
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Spanish vultures circle for road killing
Transport EuropeSpanish construction leaders are lining up for the nine national road projects that are presently in triage – defibrillator juiced up – to revive them in time for a short spell of public ownership before being hawked off to the private sector once more
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The bluffer’s guide to infrastructure
MENASitting down yesterday to an old-school lunch with a rare selection of industry veterans, discussion over a succulent rack of lamb and a cheeky bottle of red inevitably turned to the nostalgic “where are they now?” and swiftly evolved into the more waspish “how are they still there?”
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Dublin Energy-from-Waste refinancing, Ireland
Renewables EuropeThe original financing of Covanta’s Dublin/Poolbeg energy-from waste (EfW) plant in 2014 took the best part a decade to close, unluckily catching the tail winds of the 2008 financial crisis. Fast forward to 14 December 2017, and Covanta has signed friendlier financial terms
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Data Analysis: Europe and energy still funds' favourite
Oil & Gas EuropeEurope and energy - across traditional energy and renewables - continue to be the most significant focus at the start of 2018 for unlisted, close-ended funds raising capital globally
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Road to hell paved with burning coal…
Power Asia PacificLooking at the 2017 IJ League Tables, one thing leaps off the page – the number of coal-fired power plants that made it to financial close. That’s a surprising stat to pick out at first glance, and leaves you thinking that surely – in this increasingly sustainable world – involvement in such deals must be fairly challenging for lenders...
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How to fix US infra
North AmericaA leaked policy document has underwhelmed, so what should the Trump administration be doing to stimulate investment in infrastructure?
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Aussie renewables rules
Renewables Asia PacificAustralia’s Minister for Energy and the Environment Josh Frydenberg this week insisted that Australia will hit its 2020 target of 33,500GWh of renewable energy, but that 6,000MW of new renewable capacity must be built by the end of 2019
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KL-SG HSR – James Bond’s preferred project
Transport Asia PacificNot many projects require all participants to sign the Official Secrets Act, but the Kuala Lumpur to Singapore High Speed Rail is anything but a run-of-the mill deal and every single adviser on it has signed on the dotted line… possibly in blood
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Shadow cast over US solar
Renewables North AmericaThe 30% tariff on imported solar panels imposed by Trump's government should have a larger impact on rooftop solar and distributed solar energy generation.
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Listed infrastructure funds adapt to a changing environment
Renewables EuropeIncreasing interest rates, limited assets and competitive market conditions are steering UK listed infrastructure funds towards new markets in search of better returns
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Vietnam: solar outlook 2018
Renewables Asia PacificVietnam has eluded solar developers for several years. Deals appear set to finally get done in 2018, if not on international developers’ desired terms
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Show me the (infra) money…
Oil & Gas EuropeJanuary is traditionally a time for reflection, but moreso it’s a time to plan for the year ahead and ensure you’re in position to make the most of the market… which is not so easy these days given, as one old chum puts it nicely: “It’s hard to eke out an existence when there’s a dearth of opportunity”
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4G Colombian road sets new financing standard
Transport Latin AmericaThe financing of the road Ruta al Mar may represent a new financing paradigm with a combination of bonds and loans; first private international emission; use of local currency.
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PCOAs and PRGs: Solar protection in Nigeria
Renewables Sub-Saharan AfricaSolar developers in Nigeria are aiming to reach financial close on 14 PV projects totaling 1,125MW of capacity this year. But the ambitious programme still has a number of hurdles to clear