AMP Capital sounds profit warning as earnings, fees decline Australian financial services giant AMP Capital today said it expects its investment management arm to report an AUD 16m (USD 11.5m) decline in its half-year earnings, but added that the division is still its strongest. Read More

Macquarie expects transactions to slow as uncertainty continues Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) raised and spent more than AUD 5bn (USD 3.6bn) in the last three months, according to a quarterly update today in which parent Macquarie Group warned of uncertain times ahead. Read More

Bankers mandated for Brookfield’s North American district energy business Brookfield is in the process of exploring strategic alternatives for its district energy business Enwave Energy, said two sources familiar with the situation. Read More

Credit Suisse creates global energy & infra group Credit Suisse is combining its infrastructure, utilities & renewables, and oil & gas groups to form a new global energy & infrastructure investment banking group. Read More

MUFG names head of Australian project finance MUFG has named Rob Ward as its new head of project finance and ESG finance for Oceania, according to an emailed announcement. Read More

China is shopping for European construction giants  Two Chinese state-owned companies are the latest to swoop in on troubled construction companies in Southern Europe. The acquisitions are based on a well-honed strategy that looks beyond Europe and is set to continue, despite rising protectionism on the continent, reports Celine

BlackRock hires renewables director BlackRock has hired a director in New York covering renewable energy from Denham Capital portfolio company Endeavor Energy.  Read More

Colombian highway stake sale enters second round The sale process for a 21.15% stake in the Pacífico II highway PPP is moving to the binding bids stage, said three sources familiar with the situation. Read More

Tokyo Gas to buy 630 MW Texas solar project Japanese utility Tokyo Gas today said it will buy a solar project in Texas as well as increase its stake in a shale gas operator in the US state. Read More

Generate Capital adds former executives from SunPower and Carlyle Generate Capital added former SunPower Corp. executive Nam Tran Nguyen and former Carlyle infrastructure co-head head Andrew Marino to its roster, the firm announced on 28 July. Read More

In Queensland, hydrogen investors await a chain reaction Queensland in Australia wants to be the leader in a major hydrogen export push, but despite a National Strategy, government grants and a plethora of early-stage projects around the country, it must first attract investment dollars from emerging hydrogen importers, including

Fundraising Report: Q2 volumes pull the curtain on bearish 2020 Brookfield’s BIF IV closing in the first quarter, raised mostly in 2019, has made it difficult to read too much into 2020 fundraising volumes, until now. It is clear that Q2 figures may be depressed but experienced re-ups and GP confidence are also evident, reports Pablo

UK midstream asset stake sale rumoured Infrastructure fund-backed strategic players are seen as likely bidders for Total’s 25.7% stake in the Shearwater Elgin Area Line (SEAL) North Sea gas pipeline system if the French oil giant decides to sell the asset.  Read More

Blackstone subsidiary preps Mexican power plant refinancing The owners of the 874 MW Ciclo Combinado Tierra Mojada thermal plant are preparing an August issuance for roughly USD 900m in bonds to refinance the project, said three sources familiar with the situation. Read More

Latham & Watkins hires partner from OMERS Infra Latham & Watkins is adding to its London infrastructure team with the appointment of John Guccione from the Canadian pension fund investor OMERS Infrastructure as a partner. Read More

Colombian road concessionaire secures short term financing The SPV behind the Cambao-Manizales highway concession in Colombia has secured a COP 230bn (USD 63m) short term financing to start construction works, Infrastructure National Agency (ANI) said on 24 July. Read More

Alinda linked to Community Fibre capital raise Alinda Capital Partners is among the bidders that have been circling Community Fibre, it has emerged, less than two months after the infrastructure investor announced the acquisition of fellow UK fibre company Glide. Read More

Blackstone buys USD 1bn of infra secondaries from Alaska Strategic Partners, Blackstone’s secondary and fund solutions business, has acquired USD 1bn of infrastructure secondary interests from Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation (APFC), according to a source familiar with the matter.  Read More

Macquarie-backed AUD 2.9bn water project starts market sounding Bowen River Utilities (BWU) will start a market-sounding exercise next month on delivery models for a AUD 2.9bn (USD 2.06bn) water project in north Queensland, said Managing Director John Cotter. Read More

Macquarie Capital Macquarie Capital’s PPP infrastructure division has further swelled its growing ranks of managing directors, promoting Alex Kornman and Juan Miguel Custodio to the new positions over recent days. Read More

Flurry of European terminal deals set to advance Inter Pipeline is planning to relaunch the sale of its European terminals business after it suspended the process due to the coronavirus pandemic, adding to a flurry of deal activity that is attracting infrastructure fund interest. Read More

Japan prepares major offshore wind splash Japan chose not to revise its renewable energy goal in 2018 but a government decision earlier this month to suspend aging coal-fired power plants has paved the way for the introduction of a long-term offshore wind target later this year, Hiroyuki Kachi reports Read More

AMP Capital’s new boss shakes up infra team AMP Capital’s global head of debt, Andrew Jones, is leaving after 20 years at the fund manager amid a major restructure of leadership by new CEO Boe Pahari, it was announced today. Read More

Melbourne Airport prepares for second COVID-19 storm Melbourne Airport said today it can survive a second wave of COVID-19 infections in the city as it reported a 95.1% fall in passengers passing through the airport in June. Read More

Arcus hires director from Wren House Arcus Infrastructure has hired Feriel Feghoul from Wren House Infrastructure as a senior investment director and is looking to expand its team further this year.   Read More

Bidders circle China Three Gorges portfolio The Netherlands' APG Asset Management, Singapore's GIC and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) are among bidders for a minority stake in China Three Gorges' global portfolio, according to sources familiar with the matter. Read More

International consortiums exploring bids for Virginia toll road Preliminary bids for the Elizabeth River Crossings Midtown Tunnel come due on 5 August, said two sources close to the situation. Read More

Japan public-private fund invests in Houston-Dallas High Speed Railway Japan’s government-private fund specializing in overseas infrastructure investments has agreed to inject an additional JPY 2.9bn (USD 27m) into the Texas High-Speed Railway project. Read More

John Laing re-cuts Australian renewables portfolio sale UK infrastructure investor John Laing has asked bidders to re-submit offers for its Australian renewable energy portfolio by this Friday after deciding to sell the wind and solar assets separately, said four sources close to the process.  Read More

KKR looks to launch super-core infra fund KKR is set to launch a new super-core infrastructure investment strategy. The New York-headquartered investment manager has begun talking to limited partners in its existing infrastructure funds about investing in a debut super-core fund, SparkSpread  has learned. Read More

Engie and CDPQ acquire the remaining 10% of TAG French power company ENGIE and Canadian pension fund CDPQ have acquired the remaining 10% stake in Transportadora Associada de Gás S.A. (TAG) from Petrobras for BRL 1bn (USD 190m). Read More

US battery storage outfit appoints Onpeak Capital Battery storage company Key Capture Energy has retained Onpeak Capital to advise on a corporate equity raise. Read More

Investors quietly shop stake in Linden Cogen power plant Ares Management Corp. and Oaktree Capital Group have quietly put up for sale their equity interests in Linden Cogen, a 974.1 MW natural gas-fired power plant located in New Jersey. Read More

Beijing Enterprises eyes renewables investments in mature overseas markets The renewable energy offshoot of Beijing Enterprises is looking to expand its overseas portfolio with a focus on mature markets, a spokesperson told Inframation.  Read More

Vietnam to invite bids for North-South Expressway PPPs Vietnam will issue an invitation for bids for five road PPPs, which are part of the North-South Expressway, over the next few days, Nhan Dan, an official publication from the Communist Party of Vietnam, said yesterday. Read More

LA Metro pursuing USD 1.4bn TIFIA refi Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) has hired advisors to explore a USD 1.4bn refinancing of TIFIA loans backing four different LRT projects. Read More

Asia's largest desalination project contractor seeks investors PowerChina today said it has begun the process to sell stakes in 10 key subsidiaries, including Asia's largest desalination project contractor by market share.  Read More

India's NIIF and NTPC to explore energy investment opportunities Indian power generation firm NTPC and the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) will jointly explore investment opportunities in the renewable energy and power generation sectors. Read More

Ares backs USD 100m commercial solar venture Ares Management Corp.’s Infrastructure and Power strategy has formed a partnership to provide more than USD 100m in commercial solar loans. Read More

CPPIB plans to increase Brazilian infrastructure investments CPP Investments (CPPIB) plans to expand its investments in the Brazilian infrastructure market and is looking for partners, said Head of Latin America Rodolfo Spielmann. Read More

Ecuador extends renewable tenders deadline due to Covid-19 outbreak The Ministry of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources in Ecuador has postponed the tenders for two renewable projects due to the high impact the coronavirus crisis is having on the country, the Ministry said on 10 July. Read More

Apollo files second infrastructure fund Apollo Global Management filed a Form D for its second fund, Apollo Infrastructure Opportunities Fund II LP, on 9 July. Read More

Colombian highway project closing on financing after lengthy delays The Alternativas Viales SPV is due to close project financing in the next few months for the USD 140m Cambao-Manizales highway project, said four sources familiar with the situation. Read More

Queensland Labor moves to prevent infrastructure sell-off Queensland’s Labor government will use its new Future Fund to buy up unregulated public infrastructure to help pay off debt and prevent the assets from being privatised, it said today. Read More

Orsted signs largest corporate renewables PPA Denmark's Orsted and Taiwan-based semiconductor company TSMC yesterday said that they have signed a 920 MW corporate power purchase agreement (PPA), which they said is the largest renewables corporate PPA ever. Read More

Partners Group takes control of undersea cable company following dispute Asset manager Partners Group has taken full control of the Seabras 1 subsea fiber optic cable project, following the resolution of a legal dispute, according to an 8 July press release. Read More

Foresight to buy Pensions Infrastructure Platform Foresight has increased its assets under management (AuM) by nearly 40% and added transport to its portfolio for the first time with the agreed acquisition of the Pensions Infrastructure Platform (PiP). Read More

Toesca announces sale of 49% highway stake Chilean infrastructure asset manager Toesca has signed an agreement to sell its 49% stake in the Sociedad Concesionaria Ruta del Algarrobo highway, according to a 9 July stock exchange filing. Read More

Victoria scraps Suburban Roads upgrade PPP Victoria’s AUD 2.2bn (USD 1.53bn) arterial roads PPP has been cancelled, with the government citing the need to favour smaller, local builders, it was announced today. Read More

Starwood sells W. Va. district energy business Starwood Energy Group Global has agreed to sell a district energy system in West Virginia to an entity backed by Antin Infrastructure Partners. Read More

Evercore Power & utilities head exits advisory outfit Laurie Coben, senior managing director and head of the power & utilities investment banking group at Evercore in New York, is leaving the firm, according to three industry sources. Read More

ENGIE final bids due in three weeks Final bids for ENGIE and Mitsui's Australian renewables portfolio are due at the end of this month, according to sources close to the process. Read More

CapDyn partners with Tenaska on 4.8 GW solar portfolio Tenaska has brought in Capital Dynamics as a partner to develop a 4.8 GW portfolio of 24 solar projects located in the Midwest and Southeast. Read More

SMBC infra team takes on new vice president Pei Hua Yeap, formerly an associate director at Singapore-based renewables developer Nexif Energy, has joined SMBC Principal Investments (Infrastructure Equity) as a vice president. Read More

Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners plans 1GW Japanese offshore project Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners is planning to develop a 1 GW wind project off the coast of Ishikari City and Otaru city in Hokkaido in northern Japan. Read More

DIF Capital Partners puts Calif. solar parks up for sale European fund manager DIF Capital Partners has put up for sale its half stake in a pair of California solar parks it co-owns with EDP Renewables.  Read More

First Sentier bids for John Laing Australia renewables business First Sentier Investors has filed an indicative bid for UK Infrastructure investor John Laing's Australian renewables business, according to a source close. Read More

How APG got an edge in acquiring core infra For years, the largest Dutch pension fund investor APG has leveraged its LP positions to build knowledge on assets and get a headstart on other interested parties. As it scales up to acquire utilities and telecoms, it may be forced to join a more crowded market competing on price. Colin Leopold reports Read

Balfour Beatty mulls EfW plant stake sale Balfour Beatty is mulling a sale of its 49.5% stake in the Javelin energy from waste (EfW) plant in the west of England amid an ongoing High Court case over whether a PPP contract to deliver the plant was awarded unlawfully, SparkSpread has learned. Read More