Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners is planning to launch a new bioenergy unit later this year, led by a former executive at compatriot Orsted, Infrastructure Investor understands.
The Danish renewables manager has hired Thomas Dalsgaard to establish what is believed to be a new investment team and management company to spearhead its efforts in bioenergy, district heating, water and wastewater.
Dalsgaard is set to begin his role in September and will be joined by Susanne Juhl, who began her tenure as a senior advisor at CIP in February, joining from her role as group chief executive at HMN Naturgas.
Dalsgaard stepped down from his role as chief executive of Orsted’s bioenergy business in July last year, having worked at the former oil and gas-turned-renewables developer since 2008. His work included converting the group’s coal-fired power stations into biomass units and leading Orsted’s early moves into solar and battery storage. Dalsgaard had also served as a senior economist at the Danish Ministry of Finance and was head of division for tax policy, responsible for the budgets of the tax ministry as well as the ministry of energy and environment.
CIP declined to comment on Dalsgaard’s arrival.
CIP’s investments in bioenergy to date have formed only a limited part of its investment process, which spans three funds. One of its deals, the 40MW Templeborough plant in the UK which CIP financed the construction of in 2015, was sold to Greencoat Capital in October.