What is Emerging Infrastructure Capital?
EMERGING INFRASTRUCTURE CAPITAL IS AN INVESTMENT AND OPERATING PLATFORM THAT BUILDS, OWNS, OPERATES, AND FINANCES INNOVATIVE ASSETS AT THE INTERSECTION OF CLEAN ENERGY, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND FINTECH. Focused on opportunities across Africa and U.S. Minority- And Women-Run Companies, the platform combines specialty financing, ingenious business models, world-class industry experience and best practice operational management to achieve superior risk-adjusted returns and sustainable, impactful outcomes in communities. It is a hub where clean energy, infrastructure, and technology converge to create projects with tangible, positive community effects… simply put, it’s a transformative player in the modern investment landscape.
Main Benefits: Key Figures & Facts
The project offers several key benefits which are highlighted by impressive figures and strategic initiatives:
- Secure, Clean Energy: Over the next five years, strong demand is expected to boost renewable energy in Sub-Sahara Africa, with cumulative capacity increasing by more than 70%.
- Efficient Transportation & Logistics: Inadequate transport infrastructure currently adds around 30-40% to the costs of goods traded among African countries.
- Innovative Fintech: In 2018, almost 40% of funding raised by African startups was in fintech, a critical sector where only 17% of the population owns a banking account.
- Financing and operational expertise has managed over USD $10 billion in energy project finance, underlining solid financial and advisory experience.
- Nigeria is recognized as the biggest off-grid opportunity in Africa, representing a $10 billion per year market for microgrids that can save up to $6 billion annually.
Clean Energy: Driving Secure and Sustainable Growth
Secure, clean energy is a cornerstone of the platform’s strategy. The team possesses excellent experience in energy development and commercial management, project finance and advisory. With extensive experience in solar and wind energy project finance and investor tax equity, the group believes that financing and developing renewable energy for Africa – using wind, sun, and natural gas – can have minimal impact on the environment. Projects include utility scale solar and wind farms that sell power to creditworthy parties under long-term, inflation-linked contracts, ensuring attractive total returns over the long term… it’s an exciting blend of environmental responsibility and smart finance.
Efficient Transportation and Infrastructure Solutions
Emerging Infrastructure Capital also targets inefficient transportation as a major area for improvement. Investments cover innovative segments across the transportation sector: mobility, ride-hailing, electric vehicle infrastructure, aviation, clean energy and electric powered bus rapid transit, and rail segments. In addition, significant resources are dedicated to leasing equipment related to aviation, offshore energy, and shipping containers. By addressing the high cost of inadequate transport infrastructure – which currently adds 30-40% to the cost of goods traded among African countries – the platform aims to streamline logistics and boost overall economic efficiency.
Innovative Fintech and Digital Disruption
The realm of innovative fintech forms another essential pillar of the strategy. Emerging African fintech holds the potential to disrupt several industries beyond mobile banking. The platform leverages fintech to drive impactful change in energy management, banking, ICT and related sectors. By converging energy and credit provision for distributed energy and solar home systems, it enhances how value is created amongst underbanked communities. Blockchain infrastructure and pre-paid applications bring about greater purchasing power, bypassing third-party fees and unlocking vibrant, instant network access and big data opportunities that are critical to today’s interconnected society… it’s about making financial systems work smarter.
Project Impact on Global SDGs
- Affordable and Clean Energy
- Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
- Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Climate Action
Utility Scale Investments and Future Outlook
Utility scale solar, wind, and battery storage projects underline the platform’s commitment to long-term, stable investments. The team’s experience in acting as both owners and operators means that projects not only secure reliable power sales under inflation-linked contracts but also capture increases in power prices over time. Equally noteworthy are investments in natural gas pipelines and gas-to-power facilities aimed at modernizing legacy systems and avoiding gas flaring. This strategy targets well-established infrastructure assets that span utilities and energy segments worldwide, providing diversified exposure to high-quality businesses with significant barriers to entry. Meanwhile, emerging solar hybrid microgrid projects are delivering 24/7 resilient power at the lowest cost, representing a capital efficient alternative to diesel generators and traditional public utilities. With Nigeria being the biggest off-grid opportunity on the continent, these innovative models help reduce diesel consumption and cut operational expenses significantly – enhancing plant uptime and reducing overall costs… all while contributing to broader societal goals.
