The opening of the new Terminal B at Dubrovnik airport, the third-largest airport in Croatia, follows a €23.5m private financing led by Erste Bank, the Vienna-based banking group focused on Central and Eastern Europe.
Brussels has some environmental concerns regarding the €3.3bn first stretch of Slovakia's D1 highway PPP that need solving before full approval is granted. The government wants to close the deal – which faces political opposition at home – by May 18, before parliamentary elections take place in June.
Mid Europa Partners, the London-based private equity firm focused on Central and Eastern Europe, has made its first investment in renewable energy since the firm decided to make it a core target sector nine months ago.
The €1.1bn fund – formerly known as ABN Amro Global Infrastructure Fund – has bought a 49% stake in two roads and two transport hubs in Spain owned by Sacyr for €47m. The deal may signal the beginning of a longer-term partnership between the two companies.
Why investors in public-private partnerships say they will not be deterred by fears of sovereign defaults.
The Scandinavian country’s debut rail PPP is in the market with interested parties asked to submit their requests to participate by November 8. A forthcoming roadshow in Brussels will also outline the procurement process for a road PPP, to be tendered later this year.
The Australian toll road operator has picked up the distressed road for A$630m – almost A$1bn less than the original consortium paid for it three years ago. Canadian pensions CPPIB and OTPP, which are bidding for Transurban, are reportedly angry with the purchase as they plan to meet with Transurban today to discuss a revised takeover bid.
Confirming an earlier report, a source says Global Infrastructure Partners is gearing up to start fundraising for its second infrastructure fund. The new vehicle is reportedly aiming for between $5bn and $6bn.
Public entity Transport for London has bought Bechtel and Amey, a Ferrovial subsidiary, out of Tube Lines – the private sector consortium tasked with upgrading London’s underground rail – for £310m. Mayor Boris Johnson is happy to be free ‘from the perverse pressures of the Byzantine PPP structure’.
Sir Adrian Montague has been appointed as the new chairman of listed UK investment group 3i, replacing Baroness Hogg. Montague has extensive experience of infrastructure.
Aravis Energy, a Zurich-based venture capital firm, has sold LuciaWind, a Spanish wind farm operator, to Swiss utility EBM. The deal is illustrative of the trend for entrepreneurs and VC firms to roll up renewable energy plants into portfolios they can sell to utilities and large infrastructure funds.
EBITDA growth of 11.2% and “robust” asset performance has left 3i Infrastructure with a war chest of £314m “to invest in a strong pipeline of opportunities”.
The advisory company running the day-to-day activities of the EU-focused €1.5bn Marguerite infrastructure fund has hired David Harrison, formerly of Macquarie, to serve as chief financial officer and William Pierson, a former partner at Santander Infrastructure Capital, to be the firm’s managing director for energy investments.
Morrison & Co and Craigs Investment Partners’ social infrastructure vehicle has raised NZ$41m from its IPO, about 33% of the $125m they originally intended to raise from the share offering.
Spanish transport minister José Blanco has signed a protocol with public and private financial institutions to help fund his €17bn infrastructure plan. About 42% of the funds will come from public institutions with the private sector expected to foot the bill for the remaining 58%.