Kohlberg Kravis Roberts global head of energy and infrastructure Marc Lipschultz (pictured) might be bullish on renewable energy, but his firm is choosy about its definition of infrastructure.
The French fund manager has entered into exclusive negotiations with Bouygues to buy over 2,000 telecommunication towers.
Brett Himbury, head of Australia’s Industry Funds Management, warns pensions that while investing directly in infrastructure might save money on fees, it can end up costing them more money through lower returns.
A Foresight-managed government-backed renewable energy fund has completed its first investment in a £21m food and green waste processing plant in Dagenham. The fund is investing in the run-up to the £3bn Green Investment Bank, expected to open for business later this year.
Infrastructure Investor recently gathered six leading infrastructure asset class professionals together in London for a discussion of the investment climate in the UK. For all the government’s apparent best intentions, those present were frustrated by a lack of opportunity.
The GCP Infrastructure Fund is offering credit protection on a portfolio of 20 UK PFI loans worth £307m. The structured deal allows the bank to free up capital to grant new loans.
The state-owned infrastructure financier plans to issue a 25- to 30-year, $1bn bond partially guaranteed by the government.
The consortium has secured an £88m loan from Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi, KfW and DZ Bank to help fund an initial £100m of works to refurbish and maintain several hundred kilometres of roads and pavement across the London Borough of Hounslow. The total contract is worth £650m.
The Virginia Retirement System has invested $450m with Industry Funds Management and Global Infrastructure Partners. The commitment is the second-largest by a US pension fund in 2012.
The John Laing Infrastructure Fund has posted solid results for the first six months of the year, growing its portfolio value by 4.5%. Other highlights of the half year include raising £31m of new equity and six new investments.