Press release Archives - Page 7 of 13

13 January 2021 | London

DIF Capital Partners acquires additional stake in Dublin Waste to Energy PPP project

Following its initial investment in May 2019, DIF Capital Partners, through DIF Infrastructure V (“DIF”), is pleased to announce it has closed the acquisition of an additional 10% stake in the Dublin Waste to Energy PPP project (the “Project”). Together with its partner MEAG, DIF acquired the stake from the Green Investment Group (“GIG”). Following this transaction, DIF and MEAG together now hold 50% of the Project, with DIF holding the majority thereof. The Project is an operational waste to energy facility supported by a 45 year contract with Dublin City Council.

Located in Poolbeg, Dublin Port, the Project processes 600,000 tonnes of residual waste annually and generates electricity which is exported to Ireland’s national grid – sufficient to power 80,000 homes. The facility has been designed to provide highly efficient incineration and is classified as energy recovery in line with EU policy on waste. The Project is part of a wider Dublin regional waste management plan, which is aimed at reducing waste, maximizing recycling and generating energy from waste. The Project benefits from the Irish renewable energy feed-in tariff. The facility was constructed by Covanta who are also its long term operator.

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent fund manager, with €8.5 billion of assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF Capital Partners invests in greenfield and operational infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

DIF Infrastructure funds target equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, utilities, and (renewable) energy projects.
DIF CIF funds target equity investments in small to mid-sized economic infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy and transportation sectors.

DIF Capital Partners has a team of over 150 professionals, based in nine offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

Contact: Allard Ruijs, Partner; a.ruijs@dif.eu.

14 December 2020 | Toronto

DIF Capital Partners sells its 50% stake in US solar project Lone Valley to Munich Re

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) is pleased to announce that DIF Infrastructure III (“DIF III”) has signed an agreement to sell its 50% stake in Lone Valley to Munich Re, represented by Munich Re’s global asset manager MEAG. Closing of the transaction is expected to take place in Q1 2021.

Lone Valley consists of two single-axis tracking utility scale solar photovoltaic projects: Lone Valley I, which is a 10 MWac facility, and Lone Valley II, which is a 20 MWac facility, both located next to each other in San Bernardino County, California, USA.

Andrew Freeman, Head of Exits at DIF, said: “We are very pleased with the successful exit of DIF’s first renewable energy investment in the USA and are confident that MEAG will be a strong steward of the project going forward.”

Holger Kerzel, Member of MEAG’s Management Board, said: “By further expanding our renewable energy portfolio, we contribute to avoiding climate-damaging emissions near one of the world’s largest conurbations. With the solar energy produced in these plants, around 10,000 households can be supplied with electricity.“

DIF was advised by Fifth Third Securities (financial) and Stoel Rives LLP (legal). MEAG was advised by Ballard Spahr (legal).

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent fund manager, with €8.5 billion of assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF Capital Partners invests in greenfield and operational infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

DIF Infrastructure funds target equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, utilities, and (renewable) energy projects.
DIF CIF funds target equity investments in small to mid-sized economic infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy and transportation sectors.

DIF Capital Partners has a team of over 150 professionals, based in nine offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

About MEAG

MEAG manages the assets of Munich Re and ERGO. It has representations in Europe, Asia and North America and offers its extensive know-how to institutional and private customers. MEAG currently manages assets to the value of around €334 billion, around €67 billion of which in its business with institutional investors and private customers.

MEAG invests in alternative assets in North America on behalf of investors from the Group and institutional investors. MEAG’s most recent investments in the US comprise a timberland investment in Oregon, the infrastructure investment Astoria Energy Partners in N.Y.C. and the real estate investment 330 Madison Av. in Manhattan.

Contact DIF: Allard Ruijs, Partner a.ruijs@dif.eu.

Contact MEAG: Josef Wild, Spokesperson j.wild@meag.com.

26 November 2020 | Madrid

DIF Capital Partners signed agreement to acquire 33.3% interest in Toledo Hospital PPP project

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) is pleased to announce that DIF Infrastructure VI (“DIF VI”) has signed a share purchase agreement with Spanish infrastructure company OHL to acquire 33.3% of the share capital of Nuevo Hospital de Toledo S.A. (“Toledo Hospital” or “the Project”) and an indirect 33.3% stake in the company that operates the Project.

The Project consists of the construction, maintenance, financing and operation of the non-clinical services of the Toledo Hospital. The Project benefits from an availability based payment scheme granted by Castilla-La Mancha Health Service (SESCAM) under a concession that will run until 2045. The construction of Toledo Hospital started in 2016: it was officially inaugurated in November 2020 and is expected to be fully operational during 2021. The Project was built by a joint venture between OHL, Acciona and ACS.

Toledo Hospital is considered to be one of the largest hospital complexes in Europe. It will serve more than 434,000 inhabitants living in 116 municipalities in the province of Toledo. The Project comprises seven buildings with a total floor area of more than 245,000 m², which are organized around a central street that functions as a public space and connects the various hospital services. It houses 1,142 beds, of which 760 are for hospitalization and 382 for other uses, 368 consultation rooms, 97 examination rooms, 120 outpatient posts, 42 emergency observation posts and 65 treatment posts, and examination bays.

Fernando Moreno, DIF’s head in Spain: “DIF has an excellent and long lasting relationship with OHL. We are very glad that we have been able to further develop our relationship through this high profile transaction. We are honoured to and believe that we are well placed to operate this landmark infrastructure project together with the grantor and our project partners. The Project perfectly fits in our portfolio and should provide a stable and strong yield for our investors”.

Closing of the transaction is expected to take place in the first half of 2021.

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent fund manager, with €8.5 billion of assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF Capital Partners invests in greenfield and operational infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

DIF Infrastructure funds target equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, utilities, and (renewable) energy projects.
DIF CIF funds target equity investments in small to mid-sized economic infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy and transportation sectors.

DIF Capital Partners has a team of over 150 professionals, based in nine offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

Contact: Allard Ruijs, Partner; a.ruijs@dif.eu.

13 November 2020 | Schiphol

DIF Capital Partners bolsters team with senior hires

Continuing to build on the firm’s strong current momentum, DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) is pleased to announce the hiring of three senior investment professionals to bolster its investment team.

Most recently, DIF hired Caine Bouwmeester as Managing Director in London, further strengthening the global activities in renewable energy. He brings more than 13 years of renewable energy experience and has a track record of developing, acquiring and financing more than 2GW of wind and solar projects globally, enabling over €3 billion of investment.

Prior to DIF, Caine was most recently a senior vice president at Macquarie’s Green Investment Group (GIG) in London where he was responsible for the origination, structuring and execution of renewable energy investments in Europe. He has a Master’s degree in Finance from INSEAD and Bachelor Business Administration and Financial Mathematics degrees from Wilfrid Laurier University (Canada).

In addition, Marcel Beverungen has been hired as a Senior Director in the investment team in Frankfurt and Pierre Boschin as a Senior Director in the investment team in Paris to further expand and strengthen our local practices.

Marcel is an experienced infrastructure specialist, having worked as a Director in the energy, power and infrastructure team at Rothschild in Germany. Prior to Rothschild, Marcel worked at UBS and Dresdner Kleinwort, in their energy and renewables teams, advising many institutional investors and strategics on M&A, ECM and debt advisory type of transactions in German speaking countries. He has Master’s degrees from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (Germany) and the University of Sankt Gallen (Switzerland).

Pierre has a broad experience in the infrastructure and energy markets. Prior to joining DIF, Pierre was Managing Director at French leading M&A boutique Messier Maris & Associés, where he advised numerous transactions for major French utilities, blue chips and prime PE houses in the energy and industrial segments, in France and Southern Europe. Prior to that, he worked as an investment banker for Credit Suisse and Lazard. Pierre has Master’s degrees from the Ecole Polytechnique (France) and Oxford University (UK).

Wim Blaasse, Managing Partner: “We are excited to welcome Caine, Marcel and Pierre to DIF Capital Partners. We are delighted to have recruited three such high calibre professionals to strengthen DIF’s investment team. They will play a key role in the further growth of our platform and transacting attractive deals for our funds.”

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent infrastructure fund manager, with €8.5 billion of assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF Capital Partners invests in greenfield and operational infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

DIF Infrastructure funds target equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, utilities, and (renewable) energy projects.
DIF CIF funds target equity investments in small to mid-sized economic infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy and transportation sectors.

DIF Capital Partners has a team of over 150 professionals, based in nine offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

Contact: Allard Ruijs, Partner; a.ruijs@dif.eu.

27 October 2020 | Schiphol

DIF Infrastructure VI reaches final close at €3.03 billion

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) is pleased to announce the final close of DIF Infrastructure VI (“DIF VI) at €3.03 billion, exceeding its €2.5 billion target.

DIF VI targets equity investments in projects and companies with pre-dominantly long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships, concessions, utilities, and (renewable) energy projects, that generate stable and predictable cash flows as well as attractive risk-adjusted returns. The fund targets both greenfield and operational investments in Europe, the Americas and Australasia.

DIF VI has seen strong backing from existing and new investors to the DIF platform, receiving commitments from leading institutional investors across the globe.

Allard Ruijs, Partner at DIF Capital Partners said: “We are proud of this achievement, especially in the challenging times in which we live, which is a testimony to the strength of the DIF platform and the attractiveness of the DIF VI proposition. Over the past 15 years the team has been able to generate attractive returns for our investors by consistently investing in high quality projects, enhancing project value during our ownership through active shareholder engagement, as well as by achieving successful realisations. We are confident that DIF VI will be a successful continuation of this strategy, leveraging DIF’s unique global office network and dedicated local teams to source and manage attractive investment opportunities and build robust and diversified portfolios. We are thankful for the strong support received from investors for the DIF VI partnership.”

DIF VI has made a strong start, having committed to three investments to date thereby deploying ca. 20% of the fund. This includes investments in (i) BluEarth, a Canadian renewable energy platform, (ii) Cascade, a 900 MW long-term contracted Canadian power project, and (iii) stakes in Norte Litoral and Via do Infante, two Portuguese availability-based PPP roads. Furthermore, the fund has a strong pipeline of investments across its target sectors and geographies, including both greenfield and operational projects.

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent infrastructure fund manager, with €8.5 billion of assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF Capital Partners invests in greenfield and operational infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

DIF Infrastructure funds target equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, utilities, and (renewable) energy projects.
DIF CIF funds target equity investments in small to mid-sized economic infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy and transportation sectors.

DIF Capital Partners has a team of over 150 professionals, based in nine offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

Contact: Allard Ruijs, Partner; a.ruijs@dif.eu.

28 September 2020 | Schiphol

Building Back Better – DIF Capital Partners achieves A+ UNPRI scores

2020 has been an extraordinary year for all of us. The Covid-19 pandemic has called into question some of the foundations of modern societies, from global supply chains to national health services. But most of all, 2020 has put a spotlight on resilience: the resilience of individuals, of communities, of businesses, of the climate and, in particular of the infrastructure investments of DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”).

Today, DIF is publishing its 2020 ESG Report – Building Back Better. With the publication of the report, DIF shows it has an action-oriented and transparent approach designed to positively engage with all our stakeholders ensuring the resilience of the assets in which it invests and promoting improvement in ESG performance over time.

Furthermore, DIF is pleased to announce that it achieved A+ UNPRI scores for 2020, for both the infrastructure and the strategy & governance modules. This is the result of an integrated approach to ESG across all of DIF’s activities. ESG remains a key strategic priority for DIF, and the awarded UNPRI scores confirm it is fully embedded in DIF’s investment principles, strategy, policies and processes.

DIF welcomes your feedback and is looking forward to continuing this important discussion with its stakeholders – collectively targeting to improve ESG performance and to take to mitigate climate change across the industry.

Please click on the following link to access the full report: DIF Capital Partners – ESG Report 2020.

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent infrastructure fund manager, with €7.6 billion of assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF Capital Partners invests in greenfield and operational infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

DIF Infrastructure funds target equity investments in projects with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, utilities, and (renewable) energy projects.
DIF CIF funds target equity investments in small to mid-sized economic infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy and transportation sectors.

DIF Capital Partners has a team of over 145 professionals, based in nine offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

Contact: Allard Ruijs, Partner; a.ruijs@dif.eu.

15 September 2020 | Madrid

DIF Capital Partners to acquire stakes in two Portuguese availability PPP roads

DIF Capital Partners, through DIF Infrastructure VI, is pleased to announce it has reached an agreement to acquire a 49% stake in the Norte Litoral and a 48% stake in the Via do Infante availability PPP roads from Cintra, a subsidiary of Ferrovial. Closing of the transaction is subject to customary approvals from Portuguese authorities and lenders.

Through other funds under its management DIF Capital Partners controls the remaining 51% stake in Norte Litoral as well as a 49% stake in Via do Infante, stakes it acquired from Cintra in 2016.

Via do Infante (A22) is a 133 kilometer motorway concession between Lagos and Castro Marim in the South of Portugal. This concession was awarded in 2000, with the contract running until 2030. Norte Litoral (A28 and A27) is a 113 kilometer motorway concession between Porto and Caminha, and from Viana do Castelo to Ponte de Lima, in Northern Portugal. This concession was awarded in 2001, with the contract running until 2031. Both concessions benefit from availability payments which represent ca. 95% of revenue. Cintra will continue to provide the management services for both roads.

Fernando Moreno, partner at DIF Capital Partners, said: “We are very pleased with the addition of these critical and robust road assets to the DIF VI portfolio. Given their structure, the projects have continued to demonstrate strong performance despite the Covid-19 crisis.”

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent infrastructure fund manager, with €7.6 billion of assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF Capital Partners invests in greenfield and operational infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

DIF Infrastructure funds target equity investments in projects with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, utilities, and (renewable) energy projects.
DIF CIF funds target equity investments in small to mid-sized economic infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy and transportation sectors.

DIF Capital Partners has a team of over 145 professionals, based in nine offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

Contact: Allard Ruijs, Partner; a.ruijs@dif.eu.

28 August 2020 | Toronto

DIF Capital Partners invests in 900 MW Canadian power project

DIF Capital Partners, through DIF Infrastructure VI (“DIF”), is pleased to announce its investment in the 900-megawatt Cascade Power Project (“Cascade” or the “Project”) in Canada. Together with joint equity sponsors OPTrust and Axium Infrastructure, DIF will invest in the construction of Cascade. The equity sponsors and its development sponsors Kineticor and Macquarie Capital, successfully closed financing of the CAD 1.5 billion Project today, including securing non-recourse project financing.

Cascade is a 900-megawatt combined cycle natural gas-fired generating facility to be located near Edson, Alberta. Siemens Energy will provide two highly efficient single shaft SCC6-8000H power trains and provide maintenance support under a long-term service agreement. Cascade is strategically situated in proximity to significant gas production as well as the NGTL System and high voltage electrical transmission lines, an important competitive advantage for Cascade. Construction will start immediately with commercial operations commencing in 2023. Cascade is contracted and benefits from long-term gas netback agreements which provide cashflow stability and downside protection once the project is commissioned.

Cascade will lead the transition to a lower carbon intensive power grid in Alberta by supporting the province’s transition off coal-fired power, generating low emissions electricity that is expected to supply over 8 percent of the province’s average demand. With Alberta contributing over 50 percent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation, Cascade is expected to result in one of the largest emissions reduction opportunities in the country’s electricity sector.

BPC, a joint venture between affiliates of PCL Construction and Overland Contracting Canada, Inc., a Black & Veatch Company, will construct the facility under an Engineering, Procurement and Construction Services contract with Kineticor acting as construction and asset manager. Cascade will additionally benefit the local community with over 3 million work hours of labour required for construction, creating approximately 600 jobs during peak construction as well as 25 long-term jobs during operation.

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent infrastructure fund manager, with €7.6 billion of assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF Capital Partners invests in greenfield and operational infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

DIF Infrastructure funds target equity investments in public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, utilities and renewable energy projects with long-term contracted or regulated income streams.
DIF CIF funds target equity investments in small to mid-sized economic infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy and transportation sectors.

DIF has a team of over 145 professionals, based in nine offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

Contact: Allard Ruijs, Partner; a.ruijs@dif.eu.

19 August 2020 | London

DIF Capital Partners acquires majority stake in UK fibre broadband operator

DIF Capital Partners, through its DIF Core Infrastructure Fund II (“DIF CIF II”), is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition of a majority stake (54%) in 4th Utility, a fibre-to-the-premise (“FTTP”) infrastructure developer and internet service provider based in Hale, Manchester (UK).

4th Utility partners with residential and commercial landlords, property developers and house builders to design, install and upgrade their properties with state-of-the-art FTTP infrastructure.

4th Utility currently operates FTTP networks within a number of residential property developments in the North of England. DIF CIF II will provide significant capital to fund a large pipeline of opportunities generated by 4th Utility with their development partners throughout the UK.

“We are excited to partner with DIF Capital Partners who share our desire to invest in high-quality fibre infrastructure providing ultrafast internet access to properties across the UK. This long-term investment allows us to expand our current platform and provide ‘full fibre’ connectivity to a significant number of new customers” comments Tony Hughes, CEO of 4th Utility.

The transaction is the first investment for DIF CIF II in the UK and its third investment in the digital infrastructure sector following recent acquisitions in Canada and France. “We are pleased to bring our experience in digital infrastructure to support 4th Utility and their management team in delivering FTTP infrastructure investment to underserved properties in the UK” comments Willem Jansonius, Head of DIF CIF.

Please visit www.the4thutility.co.uk for further information.

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent infrastructure fund manager, with €7.5 billion of assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF Capital Partners invests in greenfield and operational infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

DIF CIF funds target equity investments in small to mid-sized infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy and transportation sectors.
DIF Infrastructure funds target equity investments in public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, utilities and renewable energy projects with long-term contracted or regulated income streams.

DIF has a team of over 145 professionals, based in nine offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

Contact: Thijs Verburg, IR & BD; t.verburg@dif.eu.

17 August 2020 | Paris

DIF Capital Partners to acquire a stake in TTIA Container Terminal

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”), through its DIF Core Infrastructure Fund I (“CIF I”), and French shipping giant CMA CGM, are pleased to announce that they have signed a sale and purchase agreement with HMM for the acquisition of a 50% less one share stake in the TTIA Container Terminal in Algeciras, which is located on the Spanish side of the Strait of Gibraltar. TTIA is currently 100% owned by HMM, the largest South Korean shipping line.

TTIA is a modern semi-automatic container terminal, strategically located in the bay of Algeciras, at the Strait of Gibraltar directly on the main shipping routes for containerized maritime traffic to Asia, Europe, the Mediterranean, North and West Africa as well as North and South America. Such a strategic location has allowed the terminal to maintain strong volumes despite the Covid-19 crisis. TTIA operates under a concession provided by the Port of Algeciras Bay Authority which runs until 2043.

TTIA will benefit from long-term support from both HMM and CMA CGM, who as major shipping companies and port operators, have decided to join forces to support and develop this strategic terminal.

Thomas Vieillescazes, partner of DIF, says: “We are delighted to initiate this partnership with CMA CGM, investing alongside world-leading shipping companies and port operators. TTIA is a modern and well-managed terminal, strategically located at the Strait of Gibraltar, with partners providing long-term volume support, making this an attractive investment for CIF I”.

The completion of the acquisition remains subject to certain conditions precedent, including antitrust and Algeciras Port Authority consents.

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent infrastructure fund manager, with €7.5 billion of assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF Capital Partners invests in greenfield and operational infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

DIF CIF funds target equity investments in small to mid-sized infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy and transportation sectors.
DIF Infrastructure funds target equity investments in public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, utilities and renewable energy projects with long-term contracted or regulated income streams.

DIF has a team of over 145 professionals, based in nine offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

Contact: Thijs Verburg, IR & BD; t.verburg@dif.eu.

10 August 2020 | Frankfurt

DIF Capital Partners to acquire a stake in European railcar leasing company Touax Rail

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”), through its DIF Core Infrastructure Fund II (“CIF II”), is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement to acquire a 49% stake from the Touax Group in Touax Rail Limited (“Touax Rail” or the “Company”), a leading European rail freight leasing company, via a capital increase of €81.9 million. The investment by CIF II will enable Touax Rail to accelerate the development of its long-term leasing activities of freight wagons.

Touax Rail is offering tailor-made and environmentally friendly solutions for leasing rail equipment such as intermodal, car carrying, hopper, box and tank wagons. Services offered comprise leasing, sale and maintenance of freight railcars. The Company has a fleet size of c. 6,930 owned platforms and c. 4,080 managed platforms. Touax Rail is fully certified to manage and maintain wagons used on the mainline railway tracks in Europe.

The transaction will strengthen the position of Touax Rail by increasing its capacity to grow and finance the needs of its customers. The capital increase will be primarily used to buy out minority shareholders and to finance the acquisition of new wagons.

Fabrice Walewski, CEO of Touax Group, said: “We are very delighted to have DIF Capital Partners as partner to accompany the development of our long-term leasing activities of freight wagons. With this transaction, Touax Rail will strengthen its position in the market.”

Carl Jobst von Hoersten, partner and head of DIF Germany added: “This transaction is a unique investment providing exclusive access to the attractive railcar market. Touax Rail is a well-established, asset heavy railcar platform with a robust and resilient business model which is well-positioned for growth. We look forward working together with Touax Rail’s highly experienced management team to further grow the platform.”

The transaction is subject to approval by the German antitrust authorities. Parties expect to close the transaction by the end of September.

About Touax Group

Touax Group leases out tangible assets (freight railcars, river barges and containers) on a daily basis throughout the world, for its own account and on behalf of third party investors. With €1.2 billion under management, Touax Group is one of the European leaders in the operational leasing of this type of equipment. For more information: www.touax.com

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent infrastructure fund manager, with €7.5 billion of assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF Capital Partners invests in greenfield and operational infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

DIF CIF funds target equity investments in small to mid-sized infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy and transportation sectors.
DIF Infrastructure funds target equity investments in public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, utilities and renewable energy projects with long-term contracted or regulated income streams.

DIF has a team of over 145 professionals, based in nine offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

Contact: Thijs Verburg, IR & BD; t.verburg@dif.eu.

21 July 2020 | Paris

DIF Capital Partners acquires a stake in French digital infrastructure company IELO

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”), through its DIF Core Infrastructure Fund II (“DIF CIF II”), is pleased to announce that it will invest in the French independent fiber optic operator IELO with the aim of contributing to its network roll-out in the coming years. DIF will enable IELO to build a nationwide footprint and become a leading fiber optic infrastructure operator in France, while remaining fully independent and a pure infrastructure player.

Resulting from the merger between IELO and LIAZO in 2016, the IELO group is positioned as a key player in the telecommunications sector in France. IELO’s fiber network is the highest quality urban optical network equipped with the latest technologies. It currently represents nearly 2,000 km of fiber, covering 30 metropolitan areas and connects more than 1,000 companies. Due to the significantly growing digitalisation requirements of companies the market is rapidly expanding. DIF’s capital injections will further accelerate the strong development of the fiber network of IELO in France.

As a long-term shareholder, DIF and IELO founders plan to invest together €90 million over the next few years to triple the size of IELO’s network by deploying more than 4,500 km of fiber (increasing it to 6,500 km total) in 95 French cities and economic zones. This acquisition perfectly fits CIF II’s strategy to invest in high-quality telecom infrastructure businesses.

Arthur Fernandez IELO co-founder and CEO said: “IELO is now at a turning point in its development and the long-term support provided by DIF represents a tremendous accelerator to achieve our ambitions of scaling up the strategy we have been successfully implementing in recent years. We intend to consolidate our position as a key independent wholesale operator in the fiber optics business with the aim of expanding our French client base to further gain market share.”

Thomas Vieillescazes, partner and head of DIF France added: “DIF has been investing heavily in the telecommunications sector in Europe and North America for several years, particularly in projects related to data centers and fiber optics. This investment is therefore in line with our strategy of investing in the high-potential digital infrastructure market, especially in the growing B2B business. We believe IELO, being a dedicated wholesale infrastructure provider, and the only one with a nationwide development strategy, is a perfect fit for DIF CIF II: it’s a pure infrastructure play with a greenfield component, for which DIF will bring to bear its longstanding experience in the French market. We have particular trust in IELO’s managers and their teams and are delighted to support the group in its development to become a key player in a growing market.”

About IELO

The IELO group markets enterprise access products through offers exclusively for telecom operators (the so-called “wholesale only” market). Operating its own optical cable network, IELO has an extensive coverage area covering some thirty of France’s largest conurbations, i.e. 161 municipalities in 23 departments. Since 2014, IELO has been implementing a strong strategy of rolling out its own network through an investment plan and a sustained pace of deployment, in order to extend its position in France. To find out more: www.ielo.com

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent infrastructure fund manager, with €7.5 billion of assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF Capital Partners invests in greenfield and operational infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

DIF CIF funds target equity investments in small to mid-sized infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy and transportation sectors.
DIF Infrastructure funds target equity investments in public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, utilities and renewable energy projects with long-term contracted or regulated income streams.

DIF has a team of over 140 professionals, based in nine offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

Contact: Thomas Vieillescazes, Partner; t.vieillescazes@dif.eu and Thijs Verburg, IR & BD; t.verburg@dif.eu.