The Belgian transmission operator said today it is planning to buy a controlling stake in Vattenfall’s German grid. Vattenfall reopened the auction for its grid in November after exclusive talks with a Goldman Sachs/Allianz/RREEFF consortium broke down over price.
A new law is set to be approved in February that will allow the government to launch a three-year, €15bn infrastructure programme, to be procured in conjunction with the private sector. The new law will allow the government to guarantee private sector debt.
The Australian investor is said to be in talks with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority to submit a joint bid for French firm EDF’s UK electricity network. Goldman Sachs and Lexicon Partners are reportedly advising the consortium on their bid.
A strong level of lending to infrastructure projects in India is bucking the trend of a weaker credit climate overall, according to new figures from the Reserve Bank of India.
The BNP Paribas-sponsored infrastructure fund has acquired about a third of the Pisto Group from several of Macquarie’s infrastructure funds. Pisto is a holding company for three oil storage and transportation operators in France.
Mexican firms IDEAL and ICA together with Spain’s Acciona Agua and a subsidiary of Japanese investor Mitsui & Co. have won a $726m contract to build and operate one of the world’s largest wastewater treatment plants. The plant will be located close to Mexico City.
Transport minister Lars Barfoed says successful completion of the pathfinder project could pave the way for more road PPPs. The Strabag-led consortium will invest €148m in the M51 road but will receive availability payments from the Danish government.
A developer is expected to be selected soon for the Upper Ganga Canal Expressway, the latest major road project in the state.
The ANITE consortium, led by Atlantia subsidiary Autostrade per l’Italia, has pulled out of the race for Abu Dhabi’s $2.7bn Mafraq-Gwheifat highway PPP. Three bidders are now left with a winner expected to be announced in the second half of the year.
MVision, the private equity placement agent business led by Mounir Guen, has appointed Mitchell Sikora and Scott Arden from JT Partners to boost its real estate services offering.
The French-Canadian partnership has acquired three wind farms in France from renewable firm Theolia for €73m. The new farms add 47 megawatts to Boralex's European wind portfolio.
The new company – provisionally called Veolia-Transdev – would become one of the world leaders in passenger transportation and plans to attract new investors via a public listing.
The fund has $107m of initial funding and, in exchange for the payment of premiums, will protect investors against unfavourable policy decisions affecting PPP projects.
PensionDanmark and PBU have agreed a €100m co-investment in a renewable energy fund run by a third pension, AP Pension. In a separate development ATP, a fourth Danish pension, will channel €1bn to a climate change fund.
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