Berkeley Energy reaches first close for its second Asian renewable energy fund

On March 11th 2016, Berkeley Energy successfully reached a first close of its Renewable Energy Asia Fund II with US$112 million of committed capital for its 10 year closed end fund.

Investors in the first close included the Netherlands Development Finance Corporation (FMO), the International Finance Company (IFC) and the IFC Catalyst Fund, a private equity fund managed by the IFC Asset Management Company (AMC) (who together contributed US$60 million), the European Investment Bank (EIB) managed Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund (GEEREF) and Oikocredit.

FMO also provided an innovative warehousing facility to Berkeley Energy prior to the first close of REAF II enabling it to begin investing the fund early.

REAF II will shortly be completing a second close with a further group of investors to take the fund to US$150 million before targeting its final close at US$250 million later in the year. The new fund will invest in emerging markets in Asia, where Berkeley Energy has been active since its founding in 2007, with a principal focus on the Philippines, India and Indonesia.

Berkeley Energy is a dedicated renewable energy investor with more than 30 staff over 6 offices worldwide with a strong technical and engineering focus in-house, enabling it to develop projects in tandem with local sponsors or on its own, acting as a bankable sponsor of projects, sourcing equipment and managing the construction phase with the aim of aggregating a portfolio of operating renewable energy assets and maturing such projects for exit.

Berkeley Energy now manages a global emerging markets renewable energy portfolio of excess of 20 projects with 5 projects and more than 200MW now operating, and a further 4 projects in construction with the remainder in development. Berkeley Energy invests mainly in development stage projects, typically in wind, small hydro and geothermal but also in solar and biomass.

TC Kundi, Berkeley Energy’s Managing Partner and co-Founder said:

“We are particularly happy to have secured such a large combined investment from the IFC and the IFC Catalyst Fund given their expertise and knowledge of both the markets we operate in, and the competitive environment. We are also very pleased to welcome back our loyal investors FMO and GEEREF who have taken a prominent role in each of our funds, helping us to establish our investment ethos and of course, we are delighted to welcome Oikocredit to the fund, who have particular investment experience in the region.”

Berkeley Energy’s Partner and co-Founder Alastair Vere Nicoll said:

“We are excited to have reached this milestone of a first close of REAF II which demonstrates the benefit of controlling our project delivery from development to operation to ensure well developed and constructed assets are added to the clean generating mix of the power hungry economies in which we invest.”

Vivek Pathak, IFC’s Director for East Asia and the Pacific, said:

 “We expect REAF II’s investments to have direct and meaningful development impact that is consistent with IFC’s climate change agenda.” 

“Specifically, the Fund will support the promotion of renewable energy production, the improvement of environmental standards and the demonstration effect for renewable energy projects in the emerging markets.”

Reyaz Ahmad, Head of IFC Catalyst Fund, said: 

 “We are pleased that the IFC Catalyst Fund is investing in partnership with Berkeley Energy in REAF II, thereby helping to fulfil its mandate to address climate change while seeking to make commercial returns.”

FMO’s CIO Linda Broekhuizen said:

“We are very pleased to continue our successful partnership with Berkeley Energy and to contribute to the further development of much needed renewable energy projects. They will benefit not only local economic development and job creation, but also contribute to lower CO2 emissions.”

Dr. Gunter Fischer, Senior Investment Manager at GEEREF said:

“We are proud to continue and expand with our investment in REAF II, the partnership between GEEREF and Berkeley Energy. The Berkeley Energy team is clearly one of the most experienced in the market and with its in-house development capabilities is able to address interesting renewable energy opportunities not accessible to other market players. As such Berkeley Energy and REAF II help GEEREF deliver on its “People, Planet and Profit” mandate".

David ten Kroode, Oikocredit’s renewable energy manager, said:

“We are eager to work with the partners in the fund and especially appreciate Berkeley’s strong technical competence and sustainable investment approach.”