Similarly, to most European countries, the United Kingdom has put a real emphasis on renewable energy development and supporting green infrastructure investments. The acceleration of growth can be seen in the private and public sectors. In 2022, the UK Government announced £37m of funding for biomass and hydrogen projects. Some of the leading European investors are based in the UK and in this article, we will discuss 3 of the most important investors of green infrastructure.
1) Cubico Sustainable Investments – Wind and solar investor based in London
Cubico has become one of the leading players in renewable energy development and investment, their portfolio consists of projects located across America, Europe, and Australia. Since its inception in 2015, the group has amassed a portfolio with an installed capacity in the excess of 5GW. Cubico has undergone rapid expansion in recent years and in 2021, the group increased its GRESB Infrastructure Assessment by 15% and thereby attaining a five-star rating. In 2021, the group announced a refinancing of its corporate facility which will raise commitments to $700m, which is a significant investment compared to the previous financing of $300m in 2017 and $400m in 2018.
2) Green Investment Group – Wind, solar, hydrogen, and storage investor based in Edinburgh
The Edinburgh-based group has acquired a portfolio with a project pipeline that when fully developed will have an installed capacity of over 85GW. The portfolio consists of projects located across 25 markets globally, by doing so Green Investment Group has committed or arranged to invest £26bn in green infrastructure projects. Green Investment Group was founded in 2012 by the UK Government and was acquired by Macquarie Group in 2017. Currently, the group is considered part of the world’s largest infrastructure managers and as a group, they have avoided 212 million tonnes of CO2.
3) Quercus Real Assets – Solar, wind, storage and biomass investor in London
Quercus is a London-based investment firm that focuses directly on the green energy transition and investment in green infrastructure. Since its establishment in 2010, the group has invested €1bn across five different funds. In August 2022, Quercus announced the completion of capital raising which met their €33m target. The capital will be used to invest in solar projects located across Southern Europe, mainly in Italy and Spain. The group aims to acquire a portfolio with an installed capacity of 1.5GW, if they manage to succeed it will double the installed capacity of their previous development portfolio.
Image Source: Jeroen van de Water via Unsplash (13.02.2023)
