Ardian launches first open-ended fund dedicated to the energy transition

Paris-based private investment house Ardian has launched a new open-ended fund, Ardian Clean Energy Evergreen Fund (ACEEF), with a target of EUR1 billion (US$1.1 billion).

More than half of its EUR1 billion (US$$1.1 billion) target has already been invested in a seed portfolio of 12 wind and solar assets, totaling 1 GW of capacity in Europe and the Americas. The fund will continue to target mature renewable technologies including solar, wind, and hydroelectric, as well as emerging technologies such as biogas, biomass, storage, and energy efficiency. The strategy is focused on operational optimization to maximize value creation. The fund targets up to EUR150 million (US$163.3 million) per individual investment.

The AXA Group is the cornerstone investor of ACEEF, and this partnership perfectly aligns with AXA’s ambition to fight climate change by financing the energy transition. As an open-ended structure, the fund will provide a permanent solution to Ardian’s clients to support renewable energy as part of Ardian’s wider energy transition strategy. The launch of ACEEF follows the creation of Hy24, the world’s largest investment platform focused on clean hydrogen.

ACEEF portfolio will also benefit from Opta, Ardian Infrastructures' in-house digital tool which collects and analyses data from its renewable assets. The platform uses this data to better understand production patterns, identify areas for improvement and optimize asset performance, as well as monitor revenues at risk.