SUSI Partners (SUSI) and South Pole Group (South Pole) are set to launch an infrastructure fund together. The vehicle will combine SUSI’s core competencies in the financing and structuring of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects with South Pole Group’s track record of over 500 sustainable energy projects and a close-knit network of project developers in Asia.
The Fund marks SUSI’s first investment vehicle for institutional investors, dedicated exclusively to the Southeast Asian energy transition market. The Fund will respond to the region’s massive deployment of renewable energy infrastructure and the fast-growing demand for energy efficiency measures, bearing an investment potential comparable to the investment landscape in Europe a decade ago.
As a partner, South Pole Group brings strong regional expertise and a solid track record in sustainability projects for both public and private organizations. The company is active in Asia for over ten years and currently holds four offices in the region. The fund will be attractive for forward-looking institutional investors, including Family Offices and Development Finance Institutions, who wish to combine stable financial returns with sustainability impact at scale.
The Fund is set out to have a volume of EUR250 million (US$274.73 million) and a fund life of ten years. The target portfolio will include solar PV and wind farms, hydropower plants, behind-the-meter solar PV and energy efficiency retrofits on public and private large-scale infrastructure. The targeted project portfolio will be diversified across 10-15 renewable energy and 10-15 energy efficiency projects. Considering both power purchase agreements (PPA) at fixed prices per kWh and guaranteed savings from energy efficiency projects, the Fund will be able to generate stable annual distributions.
The geographical focus will be on Southeast Asia, with a special focus on Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Given an attractive risk-return profile, the Fund will be able to realize lucrative investments in further Southeast Asian countries.