Bruno Alves
The National Australian Bank and Industry Funds Management are in talks with several pension funds to lend money to help fund major infrastructure projects. IFM is reportedly setting up a debt fund to that effect.
Toll road developers Atlantia, ACS, Abertis, Belfi, Cintra, Global Via, Hochtief and ISA have all suffered damages to their Chilean road concessions in the aftermath of the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile over the weekend.
Senior Mexican government officials were in Madrid yesterday wooing Spanish firms and investors for the $50bn in infrastructure the authorities plan to tender this year. The standouts are a new airport in the Mayan Riviera and a multi-hundred million dollar highway package in the state of Jalisco.
Jim Evans has joined the board of directors for both the Australian Infrastructure Fund and its managing entity, Hastings Funds Management.
The veteran infrastructure investors both won in four categories, with GIP taking the much coveted Global Infrastructure Fund of the Year award. The awards are a first for InfrastructureInvestor and attracted votes from over 35,000 industry participants, with both established players and rising stars taking the honours.
The two firms are at odds on how to service debt for French toll road APRR, which they jointly own through vehicle Eiffarie. Eiffage wants to inject €80m in equity in the vehicle, through a capital increase, in order to preserve its credit rating. But Macquarie has so far not agreed to this solution.
The UK infrastructure group has been named preferred bidder for a £250m PPP to install and maintain some 33,000 street lights in Coventry, in the Midlands. The project is Balfour Beatty’s fourth street lighting contract in the UK.
The Spanish owner of BAA saw its case against the forced sale of more UK airports strengthened yesterday by a court decision that effectively allows it to keep all its UK airports for the foreseeable future. The UK regulator which recommended BAA’s breakup will appeal the decision to another court but could be forced to again review BAA’s position in the market.
EUROFIDEME 2, a greenfield fund sponsored by Natixis Evironnement & Infrastructures, has reached financial close for France’s biggest solar project. Caisse d’Epargne Provence-Alpes-Corse and Société Générale provided €90m in debt to help close the deal.
HSBC has started the sale of its UK rolling stock leasing company, for which it is seeking around £2bn. JP Morgan, Macquarie and UK-based investment firm Star Capital are all said to be interested in the sale. Teasers are already out with expressions of interest expected in late March.