22.12.2023
TAALERI ENERGIA PRESS RELEASE 22 DECEMBER 2023 AT 11:00 (EET)
Taaleri SolarWind III Fund announces second close at EUR 430 million
The Taaleri SolarWind III Fund, Taaleri Energia’s sixth renewable energy fund, has held a second closing, with EUR 430 million in commitments. The Fund has a target size of EUR 600 million and a hard cap of EUR 900 million. The Fund will remain open for new commitments until at least December 2024.
The Fund’s investors include the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Fund, KBC Verzekeringen (in partnership with EIF), Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company, Taaleri and the Taaleri Energia team. Finnish pension funds, foundations, endowments, family offices and individual investors are also strong supporters of the Fund, investing through a fund managed by Aktia Bank.
The Taaleri SolarWind III Fund is classified as an Article 9 “Dark Green” Fund, the highest sustainability category under the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation.
The Fund’s investment strategy is to acquire, develop, contract, construct, operate and exit a portfolio of utility scale onshore wind farms, photovoltaic solar parks and battery energy storage assets across the Fund’s target markets - the Nordics & Baltics (c.50%), Poland & Southeast Europe (c.25%), Spain (c.15%) and Texas (c.10%). The Fund is targeting a conservative base case net IRR return of 10%, with an upside case of 14%+, over its 10-year term. It is expected that the Fund will offer substantial co-investment opportunities to Fund investors.
The Fund was seeded with a portfolio of 50 renewable energy development projects, which was assembled by the Taaleri Energia team during the 18 months prior to the Fund’s first close. The Fund has continued to selectively acquire additional development projects across its target markets. The Fund now owns 61 development projects, representing 5.9 GW in net generation capacity, and approximately four times as many projects as the Fund needs to construct to be fully deployed. The team, together with its development partners, will manage the development of these projects and prepare them for construction whilst maximising their value. The Fund has already started construction on a battery energy storage asset in Finland, and it is expected that the Fund will proceed to construction on another three to four investments during 2024.
“The SolarWind III Fund strategy follows on from the success of the SolarWind II Fund. We are operating in the same target markets, working together with the same strategic partners, but starting with a large portfolio of development projects. The demand for renewable energy projects across our target markets has increased significantly over recent years. By securing development projects early, we have been able to capture considerable potential future value for the SolarWind III Fund and its investors,” comments Kai Rintala, Managing Director, Taaleri Energia.
“The SolarWind III Fund’s investments will have significant and sustainable positive impacts in the communities and countries where they are located. The renewable energy power and storage plants that the Fund will construct will generate green electricity for around 1.3 million households, offset an estimated 2.3 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, reduce air pollution, improve grid infrastructure, create local employment, generate local and state tax revenues and increase energy security,” said Stephen Ross, Head of Investor Relations, Taaleri Energia.
This operation benefits from support from the European Union under the InvestEU Fund.
About Taaleri Energia
Taaleri Energia is a renewable energy fund manager with one of the largest dedicated renewables investment teams in Europe. The team manages a 9.6 GW wind, solar and battery storage portfolio in Europe, the US, and the Middle East.
Taaleri Energia was ranked as a “Consistent Top Performing Infrastructure Manager” by Preqin in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Taaleri Energia is part of the Taaleri Group, which is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki stock exchange.
For more information, please contact:
Kai Rintala, Managing Director, Taaleri Energia, +358 40 162 5711, kai.rintala@taaleri.com
Stephen Ross, Head of Investor Relations, Taaleri Energia, +358 40 733 7789, stephen.ross@taaleri.com