6 September 2022  |  Schiphol

Willem Jansonius in Mid Market Roundtable | Infrastructure Investor September 2022

The magic of the mid-market.

In the 2022 edition of the Infrastructure Investor Mid Market Roundtable DIF’s Head of CIF Willem Jansonius explains why the mid market is such an interesting part of the infrastructure space, continuing to offer highly attractive investment opportunities for the DIF strategies.

To read the complete article, please open Willem Jansonius in Mid Market Roundtable (September 2022)

25 April 2022  |  London

DIF Capital Partners to divest its stakes in three Irish roads

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) is pleased to announce that DIF Infrastructure III (“DIF III”) has signed an agreement to sell its stakes in three Irish roads to Semperian PPP Investment Partners (“Semperian”).

The Irish roads portfolio consists of shareholdings in three projects that DIF invested into between 2013 and 2016: M3 Motorway, M4 Motorway and M50 Motorway. The M3 and M4 Motorway projects are demand-based toll roads and the M50 Motorway is an availability-based public private partnership. DIF has optimised these projects throughout its ownership and worked closely with the local management teams to successfully steer the roads through the Covid-19 pandemic. Traffic on the M3 and M4 Motorway projects has materially recovered in the last few months as lockdown restrictions have been lifted in Ireland. The sale of these assets means DIF III is almost fully divested as the end of the fund life approaches.

Andrew Freeman, Head of Exits at DIF: “We are very pleased with the sale of this high quality roads portfolio which delivers a strong exit outcome for our DIF III investors. We are confident that Semperian will be an excellent counterparty to the projects going forward given their extensive experience in managing these type of assets.”

DIF was advised on the transaction by Cantor Fitzgerald (financial), HSF (legal), Arthur Cox (Irish counsel), Jacobs (technical) and KPMG (tax & accounting).

Closing of the transaction is expected to take place in Q3 2022 subject to the receipt of customary approvals and consents.

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent investment manager, with ca. EUR 10 billion in assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF invests in infrastructure companies and assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Australia through two complementary strategies:

  • DIF CIF funds, of which DIF CIF II is the latest vintage, target equity investments in small to mid-sized core-plus infrastructure companies in the telecom, energy transition, and transportation sectors.
  • Traditional DIF funds, of which DIF Infrastructure VI is the latest vintage, target core infrastructure equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships, concessions, utilities, and energy transition projects (incl. renewable energy).

DIF Capital Partners has a team of over 190 professionals, based in eleven offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney, and Toronto. For more information please visit www.dif.eu.

Contact: Thijs Verburg, t.verburg@dif.eu.

 

28 October 2021  |  Sydney

DIF Capital Partners consortium reaches financial close on A$11.1 billion Australian North East Link PPP

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) is pleased to announce that the SPARK consortium comprising DIF Infrastructure VI (“DIF VI”), Capella Capital, John Laing, Pacific Partnerships, CPB Contractors, GS Engineering & Construction, WeBuild, China Construction Oceania and Ventia has reached financial close on the landmark North East Link project in Melbourne, Australia.

North East Link will be the largest transport project in Victoria’s history and the largest PPP project in Australia, with a total cost of A$11.1 billion. DIF VI will own a 20% stake in the Primary Package PPP, which has an unprecedented long-term financing structure in place with top tier local and international financiers.

North East Link (click here for video) will be Victoria’s longest twin road tunnel, with three lanes and ca. 6.5 kilometres in length, finally closing the missing link in Melbourne’s freeway network. Up to 135,000 vehicles will use North East Link every day, reducing congestion in the north-east, and giving back local roads to local communities. North East Link will slash travel times by up to 35 minutes, take 15,000 trucks of local roads each day, and create more than 10,000 local jobs.

The project will be delivered by a design & construction joint venture consisting of WeBuild, CPB Contractors, GS Engineering and China Construction Oceania. Operations and maintenance will be undertaken by Ventia.

Gijs Voskuyl, Partner and Head of Investments for DIF VI added: “DIF is excited to work with the North East Link Project Authority and alongside our leading Spark consortium members to deliver this critical missing link in Melbourne’s road network. The North East Link project will not only create thousands of local community jobs, it will also reduce congestion and remove significant freight transport from the existing suburban roads, and thereby significantly improving the liveability of the surrounding communities.”

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent fund manager, with more than €9.0 billion in 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:

  • Traditional DIF funds, of which DIF Infrastructure Fund VI is the latest vintage, target equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships, concessions, utilities, and (renewable) energy projects.
  • DIF CIF funds, of which DIF CIF II is the latest vintage, target equity investments in small to mid-sized economic infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy, and transportation sectors.

DIF supports the goal of Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, in-line with global efforts as a result of the Paris Agreement to have net zero emissions by 2050, or sooner.

DIF Capital Partners has a team of over 170 professionals, based in ten offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, New York, Paris, Santiago, Sydney, and Toronto. For more information please visit www.dif.eu.

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

19 April 2021  |  London

DIF Capital Partners agrees to sell a portfolio of European PPP assets to Equitix

DIF Capital Partners (“DIF”) is pleased to announce that DIF Infrastructure III (“DIF III”) and DIF Infrastructure IV (“DIF IV”) have agreed to the sale of their stakes in a portfolio of six European PPP assets to Equitix, a leading UK and European infrastructure fund manager.

The portfolio consists of shareholdings in a number of critical infrastructure projects that DIF invested into as primary transactions: A1/A6 Road, IJmond Sea Lock and N18 Road in the Netherlands; A7 Nord Road and Netz West Rolling Stock in Germany; as well as the KAV Vienna Hospital in Austria. With the exception of IJmond Sea Lock which is currently in the final stages of construction, all of the projects are operational under availability-based contractual structures that are backed by strong public counterparties.

Andrew Freeman, Head of Exits at DIF, said: “We are very pleased with the sale of this well diversified and optimised portfolio of North-Western European PPP assets which represents an attractive exit for our DIF III and DIF IV investors. We believe Equitix is an excellent counterparty and is perfectly positioned to manage the assets until maturity.”

Hugh Crossley, Chief Investment Officer for Equitix, said: “As we continue to diversify and grow our European portfolio, we are always looking out for attractive opportunities to acquire high-quality assets that meet our responsible investment criteria. The DIF portfolio does just this and will allow us to leverage our continental expertise for the benefit of investors in our European Infrastructure Fund.”

DIF was advised on the transaction by Cantor Fitzgerald and PwC (financial), Allen & Overy (legal), PwC (tax & accounting), as well as Atkins and Arup (technical).

Equitix was advised by CMS (legal), Deloitte (tax and accounting) and Arcadis (technical).

Closing of the transaction is subject to the receipt of customary approvals and consents.

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:

  • Traditional DIF funds, of which DIF Infrastructure Fund VI is the latest vintage, target equity investments with long-term contracted or regulated income streams including public-private partnerships, 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 160 professionals, based in nine offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. For further information please visit www.dif.eu.

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.

17 July 2018  |  Toronto

DIF Infrastructure V acquires 100% of American Roads

DIF Infrastructure V is pleased to announce the acquisition from Syncora Holdings Ltd. of a 100% stake in American Roads LLC.

American Roads is an infrastructure holding company that owns and operates, through its subsidiaries, four toll bridges in Alabama and a concession-lease of the U.S. side of an international tunnel crossing connecting Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario.

DIF was advised by Allen & Overy (Legal), Agentis Capital (Financial), Buro Happold (Traffic), BTY (Technical) and Marsh (Insurance). Financing for the investment was provided by ING and National Australia Bank (NAB).

Paul Huebener, Partner and Head of Americas, said: ”DIF is pleased to invest in this high-quality portfolio of tolled crossings led by a strong management team.”

About DIF

DIF is an independent infrastructure fund manager, with €5.6 billion of assets under management across seven closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF invests in greenfield and brownfield infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, North America and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

  • DIF Infrastructure V targets equity investments in public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, regulated assets and renewable energy projects with long-term contracted or regulated income streams that generate stable and predictable cash flows.
  • DIF Core Infrastructure Fund I targets equity investments in small to mid-sized infrastructure assets in the energy, transportation and telecom sectors with mid-term contracted income streams that generate stable and predictable cash flows.

DIF has over 100 professionals in eight offices, located in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Sydney and Toronto. Please see www.dif.eu for further information.

For more information please contact:

Allard Ruijs
Partner, Head of Investor Relations and Business Development
Email: a.ruijs@dif.eu

Paul Huebener
Partner, Head of Americas
Email: p.huebener@difamericas.com

11 June 2018  |  London

DIF sells a stake in the A63 toll road project in France

DIF Infrastructure III and DIF Infrastructure IV are pleased to announce that they have jointly signed an agreement with HICL Infrastructure Company Limited, the listed infrastructure investment company advised by InfraRed Capital Partners Limited, to sell a 7.2% indirect stake in Atlandes, the project company which holds the A63 road concession project. The acquisition is not subject to any further conditions and will complete later this month.

The project is a 40-year toll concession to design, build, finance, operate and maintain an upgraded 104km section of the A63 highway between Salles and Saint-Geours-de-Maremne in southwest France. The project was fully commissioned in November 2013, seven months ahead of plan. In June 2015 the project’s senior debt was successfully refinanced with long term debt.

DIF Infrastructure IV will continue to hold a 9.22% stake in the A63 project.

Andrew Freeman, Head of Exits, said: “This is an attractive exit for DIF III and DIF IV, following the successful exit of the whole portfolio of DIF II and a number of DIF III assets which completed last September. In the next 12 months DIF is proactively targeting to sell further assets from its more mature funds taking advantage of strong demand for high quality core infrastructure projects in mature markets.”

DIF were advised by De Pardieu Brocas Maffei (Legal).

About DIF

DIF is an independent and specialist infrastructure investor and fund manager, with €5.6 billion assets under management across seven closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF invests in the global infrastructure market through two differentiated and complementary strategies:

  • DIF Infrastructure V targets equity investments in public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, regulated assets and renewable energy projects which have long-term contracted or regulated income streams that generate stable and predictable cash flows. The fund targets both greenfield and brownfield projects in primarily Europe, North America and Australasia.
  • DIF Core Infrastructure Fund I targets equity investments in small to mid-sized infrastructure assets in amongst others the energy, transportation and telecom sectors which generate stable and predictable cash flows that are protected through mid-term contracted income streams. The fund targets greenfield and brownfield investments in Europe, North America and Australasia.

DIF has a team of over 95 professionals in eight offices, located in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Sydney and Toronto, through which it covers its target markets with dedicated local teams. Please see www.dif.eu for further information.

For more information by press and investors, please contact:

Allard Ruijs
Partner, Head of Investor Relations and Business Development
Email: a.ruijs@dif.eu

For more information about further exits, please contact:

Andrew Freeman
Managing Director, Head of Exits
Email: a.freeman@dif.eu

22 May 2018  |  Paris

DIF Infrastructure V acquires a majority stake in the A150 toll road in France

Paris, 22 May 2018 – DIF Infrastructure V is pleased to announce the acquisition from Infravia and TIIC of a 66.7% stake in Albea SAS, a company which holds the concession to operate the A150 toll road in France.

The A150 is a 18-km dual two-lane motorway located in Normandy, France. It connects the city of Rouen with the A29 running to Le Havre. The project reached financial close in 2011 and opened to traffic in February 2015, with the concession running until December 2066. The project was refinanced in November 2017 with €130m of long term financing provided by an institutional investor.

DIF was advised by Depardieu Broccas Maffei (Legal), Mazars (Financial and tax), Leigh Fischer (Traffic), Infrata (Technical) and Gras Savoye (Insurance).

Thomas Vieillescazes, Partner and Head of DIF France, said: ”DIF is pleased to invest in this high-quality asset with attractive traffic growth potential and to expand its footprint in the road sector in France.”

About DIF
DIF is an independent and specialist infrastructure investor and fund manager, with €5.6 billion assets under management across seven closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF invests in the global infrastructure market through two differentiated and complementary strategies:

  • DIF Infrastructure V targets equity investments in public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, regulated assets and renewable energy projects which have long-term contracted or regulated income streams that generate stable and predictable cash flows. The fund targets both greenfield and brownfield projects in primarily Europe, North America and Australasia.
  • DIF Core Infrastructure Fund I targets equity investments in small to mid-sized infrastructure assets in amongst others the energy, transportation and telecom sectors which generate stable and predictable cash flows that are protected through mid-term contracted income streams. The fund targets greenfield and brownfield investments in Europe, North America and Australasia.

DIF has a team of over 95 professionals in eight offices, located in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Sydney and Toronto, through which it covers its target markets with dedicated local teams.

For more information, please contact:

Paul Nash
Partner, Head of PPP/Infrastructure
Email: p.nash@dif.eu

Allard Ruijs
Partner, Head of Investor Relations and Business Development
Email: a.ruijs@dif.eu
Website: www.dif.eu

vehicles on a highway
8 May 2018  |  Toronto

DIF agreed to acquire US toll road portfolio

DIF Infrastructure V (“DIF”) is pleased to announce it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a 100% equity interest in American Roads LLC (“American Roads” or, the “Company”). The Company is being sold by an affiliate of Syncora Guarantee Inc., a wholly owned, New York financial guarantee insurance subsidiary of Syncora Holdings Ltd.

Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, American Roads operates a diversified portfolio of five toll road assets, comprising four owned toll bridges in Alabama and, pursuant to a long-term lease agreement, the U.S. side of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, a subaqueous international tolled tunnel between Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario.

American Roads is led by a highly qualified management team with more than 100 years of combined management experience in infrastructure and transportation. The management team provides comprehensive management services for American Roads including operations, maintenance, engineering and administrative services.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2018.

DIF Profile

DIF, an independent and specialist fund management company, manages approximately €5.1 billion across seven closed-end investment funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF invests in the global infrastructure market through two differentiated and complementary strategies.

The majority of DIF’s funds, including DIF Infrastructure V, target PPP / PFI / P3, regulated infrastructure assets and renewable energy projects.

DIF CIF I targets small to mid-sized infrastructure assets in the telecom infrastructure, rail, energy and utility sectors that generate stable and predictable cash flows that are contracted over the mid-term with highly rated entities.

DIF has offices in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Paris, Luxembourg, Madrid, Toronto and Sydney.

For more information, please contact:

Paul Huebener, Partner
Email: p.huebener@dif.eu

Allard Ruijs, Partner
Email: a.ruijs@dif.eu

1 August 2017  |  

Allianz, EDF Invest and DIF acquire 6.94% in Autostrade per I’Italia

A consortium made up of Allianz, EDF Invest and DIF have completed the acquisition of a 6.94% stake in Autostrade per I’Italia, the largest Italian toll road network which is majority owned by Atlantia, the listed global operator of motorway and airport infrastructure. This is an increase from the binding agreement to acquire a 5% shareholding announced in April 2017 by use of a call option to acquire additional shares.

The consortium is comprised of long-term infrastructure investors Allianz Capital Partners on behalf of the Allianz Group (60%), EDF Invest (20%) and DIF (20%).

Autostrade per I’Italia is the largest toll motorway concession asset in Europe representing more than 50 percent of Italy’s toll motorway network, stretching some 3,000 km stretches across 16 Italian regions comprising 21 toll motorways which cover essential transport links mainly in the Northern part of Italy around the major economic urban areas as well as the two principal north-south routes, the A1 Milan-Naples and the A14 Bologna-Taranto.

Commenting on the closing of this deal, Christian Fingerle, Chief Investment Officer, at Allianz Capital Partners said, “This investment matches our strategy to deliver long-term benefits to our customers at Allianz. In addition to this, Autostrade per I’Italia has delivered outstanding economic benefits in Italy. We now look forward to working with Atlantia and our consortium partners to facilitate the continued delivery of high-quality service for motorists and commuters.”

Guillaume d’Engremont, Managing Director of EDF Invest said: “EDF Invest is very pleased to complement its portfolio through this investment in ASPI, alongside Tier 1 international investors, and under the continued management of our partner Atlantia.”

Wim Blaasse, Managing Partner of DIF said: “DIF is pleased to invest in this high quality and well diversified road network alongside our consortium partners and to establish this long-term relationship with Atlantia.”

For further information please contact:

DIF
Allard Ruijs
E
mail: a.ruijs@dif.eu

Allianz Capital Partners
Stefanie Rupp-Menedetter
Tel: +49 89 3800 2743

EDF Invest
Mail: service-de-presse@edf.fr
Tel: +33 1 40 42 46 37

About DIF

DIF is an independent and specialist fund management company, managing funds of approximately €4.2 billion across seven closed-end investment funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF’s main funds target PPP / PFI / P3, regulated infrastructure assets and renewable energy projects in Europe, North America and Australasia. DIF has offices in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Paris, Luxembourg, Madrid, Toronto and Sydney. See also: www.dif.eu

About Allianz Capital Partners

Allianz Capital Partners is the Allianz Group’s in-house investment manager for alternative equity investments. With offices in Munich, London, New York and Singapore Allianz Capital Partners manages approximately EUR 18 billion of alternative assets. The investment focus is on infrastructure, renewables as well as private equity funds. ACP’s investment strategy is targeted to generate attractive, long-term and stable returns while diversifying the overall investment portfolio for the Allianz Group insurance companies. Allianz represents one of the world’s strongest financial communities, offering a broad range of insurance and asset management services. In 2016, Allianz employed around 140,000 staff in some 70 countries and achieved total revenues of 122.4 billion euros and an operating profit of 10.8 billion euros. Allianz Group managed an investment portfolio of around 653 billion euros. Additionally our asset managers Allianz GI and PIMCO managed 1.3 trillion euros of third party money. Allianz is active in a wide variety of sectors including real estate, infrastructure, renewable energy and equity and debt. Allianz’s long-term value strategies maximize risk-adjusted returns. See also: www.allianzcapitalpartners.com

About EDF Invest

EDF Invest is the unlisted investment arm of EDF’s Dedicated Assets, the asset portfolio which covers its long-term nuclear decommissioning commitments in France. EDF Invest manages a portfolio of over €4bn equity investments through three asset classes: infrastructure, real estate and private equity. The existing infrastructure portfolio includes stakes in RTE (the French electricity transmission company), Géosel (an oil storage company based in Manosque), Thyssengas (the third largest gas TSO in Germany), Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur (the second largest French airport operator, in joint control with Atlantia), TIGF (a gas transport and storage company operating in the South-West of France), Madrileña Red de Gas (the operator of the main gas distribution network in the region of Madrid) and Porterbrook (one of the three main rolling stock owning companies in the UK). See also: www.edfinvest.com

2 May 2017  |  Schiphol

Allianz, EDF Invest and DIF to acquire 5% in Autostrade per l’Italia

The Board of Directors of Atlantia, the listed global operator of motorway and airport infrastructure, has accepted a binding offer by Allianz, EDF Invest and DIF to acquire a 5 percent stake in Autostrade per l’Italia, the largest Italian toll road network. The transaction is subject to signing of final contracts over the next days and fulfilment of the conditions precedent therein.

Autostrade per l’Italia is the largest toll motorway concession asset in Europe representing more than 50 percent of Italy’s toll motorway network and 61 percent of kilometers travelled. Autostrade per l’Italia Group’s network of around 3,000 km stretches across 16 Italian regions comprising 21 toll motorways, covering essential transport links mainly in the Northern part of Italy around the major economic urban areas as well as the two principal north-south routes, the A1 Milan-Naples and the A14 Bologna-Taranto.

The consortium is comprised of long-term infrastructure investors Allianz Capital Partners on behalf of the Allianz Group (74%), EDF Invest (20%) and DIF Infrastructure IV (6%) and it will also have a call option on a further 2.5% interest in Autostrade per l’Italia.

“”By investing in a prime core infrastructure in the European toll road sector we will further diversify our infrastructure portfolio across sectors and regions””, said Christian Fingerle, Chief Investment Officer, at Allianz Capital Partners. “We are very pleased to set up a new partnership amongst Allianz and Atlantia as leading international infrastructure operator and to work with them and other investors on the success of this company.””

EDF Invest’s Managing Director, Guillaume d’Engremont said: “Autostrade per l’Italia stands out by the quality of its installations as well as its management. Besides, the network has potential for expansion through projects which are essential for the country. Our stake in Autostrade per l’Italia will ideally complement our core infrastructure portfolio. We are very pleased to further strengthen our relationship with Atlantia, following our joint investment in Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur last year.”

Wim Blaasse, Managing Partner of DIF, said: ”DIF is very pleased to establish this long term relationship with Atlantia and to invest in this high quality and diversified operating toll road network, which is a very good complement to DIF’s infrastructure portfolio”.

The closing of the transaction is expected to occur by the end of July.

For further information please contact:

Allianz Capital Partners
Stefanie Rupp-Menedetter
Tel: +49.89.3800-2743

EDF Invest
Mail: service-de-presse@edf.fr
Tel: +33 1 40 42 46 37

DIF
Allard Ruijs
Mail: a.ruijs@dif.eu

About DIF

DIF is an independent and specialist fund management company, managing funds of approximately €3.7 billion. DIF invests in infrastructure assets that generate long term stable cash flows, including PPP / PFI / P3, regulated infrastructure assets and renewable energy projects in Europe, North America and Australia. DIF has offices in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Paris, Luxembourg, Madrid, Toronto and Sydney.

www.dif.eu

About Allianz Capital Partners

Allianz Capital Partners is the Allianz Group’s in-house investment manager for alternative equity investments. With offices in Munich, London, New York and Singapore Allianz Capital Partners manages approximately EUR 18 billion of alternative assets. The investment focus is on infrastructure, renewables as well as private equity funds. ACP’s investment strategy is targeted to generate attractive, long-term and stable returns while diversifying the overall investment portfolio for the Allianz Group insurance companies.

Allianz represents one of the world’s strongest financial communities, offering a broad range of insurance and asset management services. In 2016, Allianz employed around 140,000 staff in some 70 countries and achieved total revenues of 122.4 billion euros and an operating profit of 10.8 billion euros. Allianz Group managed an investment portfolio of around 653 billion euros. Additionally our asset managers Allianz GI and PIMCO managed 1.3 trillion euros of third party money. Allianz is active in a wide variety of sectors including real estate, infrastructure, renewable energy and equity and debt. Allianz’s long-term value strategies maximize risk-adjusted returns.

www.allianzcapitalpartners.com

About EDF Invest

EDF Invest is the unlisted investment arm of EDF’s Dedicated Assets, the asset portfolio which covers its long-term nuclear decommissioning commitments in France. EDF Invest manages a portfolio of over €4bn equity investments through three asset classes: infrastructure, real estate and private equity.

The existing infrastructure portfolio includes stakes in RTE (the French electricity transmission company), Géosel (an oil storage company based in Manosque), Thyssengas (the third largest gas TSO in Germany), Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur (the second largest French airport operator, in joint control with Atlantia), TIGF (a gas transport and storage company operating in the South-West of France), Madrileña Red de Gas (the operator of the main gas distribution network in the region of Madrid) and Porterbrook (one of the three main rolling stock owning companies in the UK).

www.edfinvest.com

10 March 2017  |  Toronto

DIF reaches financial close on US toll road

DIF Infrastructure IV (“DIF”) is pleased to announce that it has reached financial close on a 33.3% equity interest in Northwest Parkway (NWP), a toll-road located in the Denver metropolitan area of Colorado, U.S.A. (the “Project”). DIF is part of a consortium alongside Northleaf Capital Partners and HICL Infrastructure Company Limited, which acquired a 100% equity interest in the Project from Brisa, a Portuguese toll-road operator.

NWP is DIF’s first transportation infrastructure investment in North America, a sector in which DIF expects considerable growth for the years ahead. The road, which started operations in 2003, has strong traffic history and connects with several toll and non-toll highways, including E-470, I-25, US 36 and US 287, providing convenient access to residential and commercial centres in the region.

Northwest Parkway has 90 years remaining on its 99-year concession to operate and maintain a 14km section of the beltway system extending around Denver. Revenues are generated by tolls through an all-electronic tolling system. The counterparty to the concession is the Northwest Parkway Public Highway Authority.

“”We are excited to add Northwest Parkway to DIF’s portfolio of investments. Northwest Parkway provides DIF’s investors with an attractive North American infrastructure investment underpinned by the dynamic growth in the greater Denver metropolitan area” said Paul Huebener, Partner and Head of DIF Americas.

DIF Profile

DIF is an independent and specialist infrastructure fund management company, managing funds of approximately €3.5 billion. DIF invests in infrastructure assets that generate long term stable cash flows, including PPP / PFI / P3, renewable energy assets and other core infrastructure assets in Europe, North America and Australia.

DIF has offices in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Paris, Luxembourg, Madrid, Toronto and Sydney.

For more information, please contact:

Paul Nash, Partner
Email: p.nash@dif.eu

Allard Ruijs, Partner
Email: a.ruijs@dif.eu

Northwest parkway roads