Andy Thomson
Has the ‘refinancing wall’ lost some of its power to intimidate? Andy Thomson reports on strong bond and bank appetite for many infrastructure assets.
The John Laing Infrastructure Fund, which raised £270m through an initial public offering in London towards the end of last year, has seen steady growth in the opening quarter of this year, with portfolio value up 2.9%.
BBVA, Credit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank and Natixis have been mandated to arrange £236m in senior secured credit facilities associated with the SITA South Tyne & Wear waste-to-energy Private Finance Initiative.
The National Audit Office has issued a report calling in strident terms for alternatives to the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) to be considered. PFI, which is the UK’s standard method of procurement for infrastructure projects, has come under increasing fire for allegedly failing to provide value for money.
The airport, which is majority-owned by Australian superannuation funds, claims to have attracted A$1.4bn worth of investor interest. It will use proceeds to repay maturing bank facilities and fund capital expenditure.
Dexia Credit Local, the French arm of European bank Dexia, has hired Terry Sanabria in New York to lead its distribution of project and infrastructure financings.
GPs springing fund extensions on their investors should beware a cool reception, writes Andy Thomson.
Private sector participants in UK infrastructure projects want the government to provide greater clarity on the future of PFI – and what, if anything, might replace it. By Andy Thomson
The scheme to widen the UK’s M25 motorway has been attacked by a second Parliamentary body. While the National Audit Office said delays resulted in procurement being affected by the credit crunch, the Public Accounts Committee has focused on a ‘technical mistake’ in assessing the costs of different approaches.
Privately financed infrastructure projects in the UK may have been rated too conservatively according to an infrastructure investment analyst, who calls for a reassessment from the ratings agencies.