Californian developer Oceanus is raising development capital for an integrated pumped hydro and desalination project in northern Chile, according to the group’s financial adviser Energy Estate. The USD 550-650m project will treat over 1,000 litres per second of seawater and produce 200 MW of dispatchable energy as well as 16 hours of energy storage. Sydney-based

EDP Brasil has suspended negotiations to purchase a power transmission asset amid the COVID-19 crisis, according to a spokesperson. The company postponed talks as part of a measure to preserve its cash position and reduce operational costs, including a four-month delay on capex deployment for the transmission business, the spokesperson said. EDP

Hong Kong-listed CK Infrastructure Holdings (CKI) is in talks with various parties for potential acquisitions of new assets despite a slower due diligence process due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The railway-to-water conglomerate will focus mainly on assets that could generate sufficient and steady returns as it actively seeks new investment opportunities

Korean Electric Power Co. (KEPCO) and LG CNS, a subsidiary of LG Corp., have reached financial close on a non-recourse debt package supporting a USD 200m solar-plus-battery project in Guam, a US territory in the Western Pacific, according to a KEPCO announcement issued yesterday. The two companies, which are sponsors of a project company named

Tikehau Capital has entered into exclusive discussions to acquire Star America Infrastructure Partners, the French asset manager said on 14 May. Roslyn, New York-based Star America specializes in medium-scale infrastructure projects in the transportation, social infrastructure, environment and communications sectors. Star America had over

UK power developer Statera Energy has put up for sale a 300 MW portfolio of consented battery storage projects in the UK. Jones Lang LaSalle is advising on the sale, code-named Project Leo, and is in the process of taking first round bids. It is looking to complete the sale in the third quarter. Read More

Three senior private equity professionals have left Energy Capital Partners, including the head of midstream investments, as part of a downsizing of the firm’s Houston office. The three are Scott Rogan and Jeff Spinner, principals, and Enoch Varner, v.p. and counsel, SparkSpread has learned. Rogan headed midstream and downstream investments. Read

Palisade Investment Partners and First State Super have appointed RBC Capital Markets and Grant Samuel as financial advisers for a joint bid in the upcoming sale of John Laing’s Australian renewables portfolio, according to three sources familiar. Macquarie Capital is financial adviser to John Laing and is preparing to issue an information memorandum

US utility-scale battery storage outfit esVolta is quietly looking to raise corporate-level equity. Nomura Greentech, formerly Greentech Capital Advisors, is advising on the process, which is code-named Project Intrepid, SparkSpread has learned. Aliso Viejo, Calif.-based esVolta aims to raise some USD 250m in corporate-level equity, according

Canada's Amp Energy is negotiating to buy Newcastle-based developer EPS' South Australian solar portfolio, according to sources close to the situation. Other parties have also been looking at the portfolio, one of the sources added. The portfolio consists of the 500 MW Robertstown Solar, 300 MW Yoorndo Ilga Solar and the 280 MW Bungama Solar

Alinda Capital Partners hired Brian Rynott as a director focused on tangible assets including transportation and industrial assets, said a source close to the situation. Rynott will be based out of the Alinda’s Greenwich, Connecticut offices. Rynott was previously an executive in aviation, having had prior stints as a managing director at Alton

IFM-backed energy storage company VTTI has made its first move into China with the acquisition of a 50% stake in the Dalian chemicals storage terminal from Odfjell Terminals for USD 59m (EUR 54.5m). The acquisition, which has completed, broadens VTTI’s chemicals storage portfolio and provides it with further growth opportunities in the region,

Basalt Infrastructure Partners has completed a USD 1.2bn first close of its third infrastructure fund, with 85% of commitments coming from the firm’s existing investors.   The London-headquartered fund manager launched Basalt Infrastructure Partners III (BIP III) last year with a fundraising target of USD 2bn and has been holding a rolling

Taiwan is planning to launch a 1 GW-5 GW offshore wind tender in December, according to sources. The authorities previously planned to reveal the 2026-2035 third phase of its offshore wind development plan in late March, but the COVID-19 outbreak has delayed the process, a Bureau of Energy spokesperson told SparkSpread.  The offshore wind development

Infrastructure fund-backed Spanish toll road operators are expected to seek compensation for lost revenues during the COVID-19 crisis. But doing so could result in years of legal battles and fallouts with the Spanish government, Stefano Berra reports Toll road operators in Spain over recent weeks have focused on mitigating the impact of the COVID-19

Traffic studies are being re-assessed as COVID-19 threatens the future profitability of revenue risk projects such as toll roads and airports. Jonathan Carmody explores how major LatAm countries Colombia, Chile and Mexico are assessing the viability of these projects.   Strict lockdowns on movement and businesses imposed across Latin America

Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets has made strong progress on fundraising this year despite the coronavirus pandemic, but executives remain cautious about the outlook.  The infrastructure manager raised about AUD 3.5bn (USD 2.3bn) in April largely from existing products, London-based head of Macquarie Asset Management Martin Stanley

The APA Group is pressing ahead with plans to acquire a US gas company but its head of North American strategy said finding a suitable target is proving difficult amid the coronavirus lockdown. The Australian gas pipeline operator has identified 169 large pipelines and 145 local distribution companies (LDCs) in the US with a combined value of USD

Privately-listed Transtelco Holding is looking to expand into Latin America as it looks to scale up its broadband business, said CEO Miguel Fernández in an interview with Inframation. The El Paso, Texas-based company owns and operates a dense fiber-optic network that spans over 22,000km (13,670 miles) from California to Texas and throughout Mexico

A Mizuho affiliate that manages Japan’s first project finance debt fund is pushing ahead with its second vehicle and has eyes on a third. With COVID-19 testing asset liquidity and ever tighter bank regulation looming, Asian infra debt funds may be on the cusp of having their day in the sun. Ella Arwyn Jones reports. As the world continues to

The government of Chile announced changes to projects in its procurement pipeline to be tendered over the next 12 months. The pipeline of projects features in a special report made by the Concessions Department of the country's Ministry of Public Works (MOP). The Ministry had planned to tender many of the projects in 2019 or early 2020, according

A small group of infrastructure GPs have raised record amounts to target the secondary fund market. With LPs globally expected to face liquidity stress from COVID-19 pension withdrawals and an infra overallocation from the denominator effect, these GP buyers are waiting in the wings. Colin Leopold reports It could be said that the seeds of the

Allianz Capital Partners' US head of renewables, Iain McMorrine, has retired after 15 years with the global investment manager. McMorrine stepped down from the London and New York based role at Allianz on 30 April. An Allianz spokesperson confirmed his retirement and said the firm has yet to appoint a successor.  McMorrine could not be

Canadian mining company Gran Colombia has signed a letter of intent (LOI) to acquire an 11.2 MW solar project in Colombia, according to a 5 May press release. The miner will acquire the “Suarez” project in the Tolima region from the Colombian subsidiary of Italian developer Renergetica. The company will acquire the project through its Segovia

Foreign investors that have previously bid for Indian airports today expressed caution about an upcoming auction. Zurich Airport AG - which last year won a USD 4bn project to build an airport 80km from New Delhi - warned against a “rushed bidding” process for a proposed privatization of six airports, saying that the industry's focus in a

Calpine is understood to have agreed to sell its remaining wind project development portfolio to a strategic investor. Northland Power is the buyer, according to an industry source. A spokeswoman for Northland Power declined comment. Officials at Calpine could not immediately be reached. Read More

Teranet, a statutory registry services firm owned by OMERS Infrastructure, has bought out the remaining shares of Foster Moore, a New Zealand-based firm specializing in registry software, Teranet announced. Teranet, which OMERS Infrastructure bought in November 2008, initially acquired a 49.1% stake in Foster Moore in 2014. The shares were

Singapore-based electronic waste management company TES has made an undisclosed equity investment in energy storage and power systems firm GenPlus, according to an announcement. TES, which is backed by Southeast Asian private equity firm Navis Capital Partners, claims to be the largest electronic waste recycler in the world with 36 sites across

Freight activity and a reliance on a “landlord” model is keeping UK port operators afloat during the coronavirus crisis, but the infrastructure funds that own them are still bracing for a financial hit. Rory Gallivan reports. UK ports have remained open during the COVID-19 crisis, having been designated as an essential service by the government,

Spanish developer Acciona is looking to launch the sale of a stake in a portfolio of Spanish concessions by summer, according to three sources familiar with the deal. Acciona, which declined to comment, is currently preparing a vendor due diligence report with the help of financial advisor Credit Agricole, the sources said. The bank did not respond

Asset manager Riverstone's second Mexican CKD fund is close to acquiring two Mexican solar plants, according to two sources familiar with the deal.  The investor's second Mexican fund, Riverstone CKD II Management Company, is negotiating the acquisition of the 82 MW Andalucía II solar plant, and the 34 MW Aguascalientes SUR I solar plant from

Calpine has put up for sale the Freeport Energy Center, a contracted 260 MW combined heat and power (CHP) plant located some 60 miles south of Houston. Bank of America Securities and Guggenheim Securities are advising on the sale process, which is code-named Project Watt, SparkSpread has learned. Officials at Calpine and the advisors declined

The Australian government has launched an AUD 300m (USD 192m) hydrogen fund as it seeks to position itself at the forefront of the fledgling global export industry. Finance Minister Matthias Cormann announced the new fund on Monday, which Australian green bank the Clean Energy Finance Corporation will administer. Read More

Motorway traffic on the roads Transurban owns have stopped declining rapidly, allowing the company to prepare for opportunities as governments re-open economies, CEO Scott Charlton said today. The ASX-listed toll road operator provided a detailed analysis of traffic on its roads in its scheduled annual investor day update, and is keeping a watching

Google, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft now dominate renewable energy corporate PPAs and developers globally are following their lead with new projects. Will increased digital demand under the COVID-19 lockdown mark a new phase in their corporate offtake ambitions? David Craik reports Tech companies, led by Google, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft,

Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation will decide on whether to use a public-private partnership to develop a new IDR 16trn (USD 1bn) Bali Airport only after finishing a feasibility study, a spokesperson told Inframation. The ministry is currently preparing the financial aspects of the project, after finishing the technical part of the study, the

Purple Line Transit Contractors (PLTC) notified the lead contracting and finance consortium for the Purple Line Project of its intent to exit the public-private partnership that is building the Maryland Light Rail, said PLTC on 1 May. PLTC, the design-build contractors in the partnership, comprises Fluor, Lane Construction and Traylor Brothers. Read

Apollo Global Management has launched a new infrastructure fund in the first quarter and is going to scale fundraising platforms across the board, according to its 1Q20 earnings call on 1 May. The new Apollo Infrastructure Fund, which is expected to target more than USD 1bn, will look at renewable energy, power, communications and transportation,

The Ministry of Public Works launched the tender for a 200-bed hospital project in the Buin and Paine regions south of Santiago, according to a press release. The project has a USD 120m estimated capex and a 15-years contract from when the project enters into commercial operation. The deadline to present bids is 22 July and the Ministry will

Australia's Origin Energy has bought a 20% stake in the UK retailer Octopus Energy and secured a perpetual licence for Octopus' Kraken technology platform in Australia, Origin announced today. Origin hopes that Kraken will provide retail customers with an improved experience, as well as generating significant cost savings. “For our customers,

The Carlyle Group has deployed about 10.3% of Carlyle Global Infrastructure Opportunity Fund, according to its 1Q20 earnings release published on 30 April. The firm has invested a total of USD 226m of the 2018-vintage fund, which reached a USD 2.2bn final close in July 2019.  The fund, which focuses on transport, logistics, energy and power,

Mainstream Renewable Power has begun sounding out bidders ahead of launching a sale of itself early in May.  Its financial advisor Rothschild began disseminating teasers to potential suitors this month, in a deal code-named Project Danu, SparkSpread has learned. The size of the stake for sale is “fluid” but Mainstream could consider an

Talen Energy has retained Weil, Gotshal & Manges to advise on a potential restructuring or Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing for a pair of combined-cycle gas turbine generation facilities. Weil is advising Talen on Athens, a 1,080 MW facility in New York; and Millennium, a 360 MW plant in Massachusetts, according to an industry source. Officials at

Singapore-based Bayfront Infrastructure Management aims to acquire and securitize about USD 7bn of infrastructure loans over the decade, Chief Executive Premod Thomas told Inframation. It expects to buy between USD 400m-USD 600m of infrastructure debt annually, securitize and then sell it to insurance companies, pension and endowment funds,

An APG Asset Management-led consortium is set to buy a majority stake in Portugal’s largest toll road operator Brisa for an equity value of over EUR 3bn, despite uncertainty over future traffic flows. The consortium, which is also led by the National Pension Service of the Republic of Korea (NPS) and include Swiss Life Asset Managers, said

The first part of Colombia's Fifth Generation (5G) program will include 20 projects with an estimated capex of COP 36.7trn (USD 9bn), according to two official sources. The 5G infrastructure plan's first waves ("primeras olas") will comprise ten highways, three waterway projects, one rail development and six airports concessions. Read

Brookfield Asset Management has raised USD 800m in commitments for its second infrastructure debt fund Brookfield Infrastructure Debt Fund II (BID II) to date, accomplishing more than 40% of its USD 1.75bn target, according to an LP meeting on 28 April. The information was first disclosed during New Mexico State Investment Council's (NMSIC)

New South Wales will fast-track 24 projects worth AUD 7.54bn (USD 4.85bn) as it turns to infrastructure to boost the state economy in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.  The AUD 4.6bn, 2 GW expansion of the Snowy Hydro scheme located in southern NSW is by far the largest project on the list released on Tuesday. Read More

A subsidiary of Marubeni recently sold its stake in a 1 GW portfolio of contracted natural gas-fired generation assets in the US to an infrastructure investor. In the deal, BlackRock Global Energy and Power Infrastructure Fund III (GEPIF III) acquired Marubeni Power America, Inc.’s 49% interest in a 1,041 MW portfolio, according to an industry

EDP Renewables is seeking to raise non-recourse debt to finance construction of two projects in Mexico, said three sources familiar with the situation. In early March, the sponsor sent invites to potential lenders describing the 281 MW (dc) / 200 MW (ac) Los Cuervos solar project and the 96 MW Los Cañones wind project, both to be built in Mexico. The

UK renewable energy developer Wind 2 recently launched a capital raise to part fund the rollout of a 450 MW portfolio of wind development projects. Wind 2 is seeking a strategic partner who can provide at least GBP15m to fund development costs for the 12 projects in Scotland and Wales. Read More

Thailand's TPI Polene Power (TPIPP) is planning to acquire a THB 2.2bn (USD 67m) waste-to-energy project in Nakhon Ratchasima province, an official told Inframation. The company is negotiating the acquisition of the 8MW project from Thailand-based company WRK, said Worawit Lerdbussarakam, senior vice-president of TPIPP. The project is slated to

Japan’s mammoth Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) today signalled a potential move into emerging markets, saying it is looking for information from infrastructure fund managers. The USD 1.5trn pension fund - the world’s largest - is looking for details such as fund of funds' market size, investment returns, the track record of their

The Future Fund has used defensive trading strategies to protect its portfolio from extreme volatility in listed markets in the past two months, its chief investment officer said today. In a March quarter portfolio update, Raphael Aarndt said the sovereign wealth manager recorded a negative return of 3.5%, and a return of -0.2% for the financial

Japan’s Kansai Electric Power has agreed to buy a 15% stake in an onshore wind farm project in Finland, its latest foray into renewable energy projects outside Japan.   The electric power utility announced today that it signed the accord with Glennmont Partners on 24 April to buy the minority stake in Glennmont Clean Energy Fund III Wind

Infrastructure fund owners of storage terminals are benefiting from the increased demand for storing commodities during the COVID-19 crisis. But some storage sectors are faring less well and M&A in the sector is off the cards for now.  Rory Gallivan reports The coronavirus crisis is hitting many infrastructure funds' investments hard, but oil terminals

Spanish developer Abengoa is negotiating the sale of a prison public-private partnership (PPP) project it owns in Uruguay, a source told Inframation. The acquirer is Andean Social Infrastructure Fund I, a fund managed by Aberdeen Standard Investments. Teyma, a local subsidiary of Abengoa, owns 85% of the project while a joint venture between

InterGen has re-entered talks to acquire Calon Energy, a U.K. independent power producer with some 2.3 GW of natural gas-fired generation after the London-based IPP’s sole lender looks to push ahead with a fast-track sale. Edinburgh-based InterGen is understood to be evaluating filing a bid as early as this week to effectively acquire the

AMP Capital will look at increasing its infrastructure investments in the coming months, it said today while reporting that its assets under management shrank in the first quarter amid plunging financial markets. The fund manager's AUM fell to AUD 192.4bn (USD 121.32bn) in the January-March period, a 5.3% drop from the previous quarter. This

The Indonesian government has iterated that plans to launch a new infrastructure-focused sovereign wealth fund will move ahead after the COVID-19 crisis ends, the official news agency Antara reported yesterday. The United Arab Emirates government recently asked whether the project would progress, the agency cited Indonesia Coordinating Minister