The global alternative asset manager has appointed Niel Thassim as head of Asia for its Private Funds Group to drive fundraising for private investment vehicles across its asset classes.
The Sydney-headquartered fund manager last month hired Louisa Yeoman as institutional director UK in its London office with responsibility for identifying new institutional clients and product sales for infrastructure.
The European Union-focused fund manager has acquired 22.5% of the 288-megawatt Butendiek project. Danish pensions Industriens Pension and PKA, plus Germany’s Siemens Financial Services, have also purchased 22.5% stakes.
The fund manager with offices in London, Dublin and Munich, is looking to raise a minimum of £205m from the listing of a new fund investing in UK wind opportunities. The fund will be fully invested from launch due to agreements already struck with two utilities.
The UK Coalition government has made no shortage of announcements on infrastructure, but how good are the ideas and how much progress have they made? Opposition Labour MP John Healey gives his verdict
The days of trying to squeeze infrastructure funds into a one-size-fits all model are over. But recognising funds’ very different characteristics can produce some interesting challenges – including in the area of incentivisation.
Samir Palod, a partner in 3i’s infrastructure business, has been appointed managing director in India. The move coincides with the departures of 3i Asia head Anil Ahuja (pictured) and partner Girish Baliga who are leaving to ‘pursue other opportunities’.
Standard & Poor’s estimates private debt sources – what it calls ‘shadow banking’ – can provide up to $25bn of project finance loans this year. However, it warns its ‘opaque nature’ carries certain risks.
Hamish Mackenzie and Nadir Maruf will take over leadership of the infrastructure investment arm of Deutsche Bank following the departure of former head John McCarthy. RREEF Infrastructure is this year hoping to relaunch a fundraising it postponed in 2012.
The Amsterdam-based infrastructure fund manager announced that it has raised €604m for its third infrastructure fund and is ‘well on track’ to hit its €750m hard cap. Final close is due by the end of Q1.
The London-listed infrastructure fund is planning to again tap the market in March for an equity issue in excess of £30m.
The European private equity firm has sold a wind portfolio – including developer RidgeWind and a 177MW collection of assets – to the UK’s Blue Energy. The investment came from HgCapital’s first fund, which closed in 2006 and is now in a realisation phase.
The Australian fund manager managed to raise $2bn from 27 institutional investors throughout 2012 – its strongest fundraising in the region since 2009. CalSTRS ended up committing the largest single amount at $500m.
The first fund from Allianz Global Investors’ recently established infrastructure debt team will focus on senior debt, target the UK, and reportedly seek to raise at least £1bn.
The vehicle, which has reached a first close on €201m, will invest in assets and unlisted companies in the biomass, hydropower and solar sectors in Switzerland. Eighteen institutional investors backed the fund’s first closing.