Nature Infrastructure Capital partners with Anesco and Ara Partners to accelerate renewable energy growth

  • Nature Infrastructure Capital (NIC) has invested in Anesco, a leading UK renewable energy company, with existing investors Ara Partners and the Anesco management team also participating
  • The partnership will deploy the capital needed to accelerate the development and construction of over 7GW of Anesco’s utility-scale solar and battery energy storage (BESS) portfolio in the UK and parts of Europe, including Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands
  • The investment builds on NIC’s growing portfolio of investments across the European energy transition and strengthens its exposure to utility-scale solar and battery storage

Nature Infrastructure Capital (NIC), a private equity firm dedicated to accelerating the global energy transition, today announced a significant strategic investment in Anesco, a leading UK-based developer, installer, operator and optimiser of utility-scale solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS). Ara Partners, a global private equity and infrastructure firm focused on industrial decarbonisation, will remain invested in the business, with NIC and Ara becoming co-investors.

Founded in 2010, Anesco develops, designs, constructs, maintains, operates and optimises grid-scale renewable energy assets. The company has delivered 1.3GW of solar and BESS projects across the UK, including building the country’s first subsidy-free solar farm and connecting the first utility-scale BESS system, and currently manages a portfolio of more than 1.3GW of assets on behalf of leading investors.

With this investment, the partners intend to deploy the capital required to accelerate the development and construction of Anesco’s 7GW+ solar and BESS pipeline, with a focus on the UK as well as selected geographies including Belgium and the Netherlands, where Anesco has a growing presence.

For NIC, the investment further expands its portfolio across the European energy transition and builds on its recent investments, including MaxSolar, one of Germany’s largest solar and BESS developers, ECO STOR, a leading German utility-scale BESS developer, and Canopy Infrastructure, the renewables development platform carved out of Greencells Group.

The partnership comes at a pivotal time for the UK electricity market, which represents a high potential segment for developers and investors alike. The UK government’s Clean Power 2030 targets require at least 45GW of solar and 23GW of battery storage capacity by 2030, representing a significant increase on today’s installed base. As part of its grid connection reform programme, the National Energy System Operator (NESO) has recently issued Gate 2 connection offers for projects expected to connect by 2030, with Anesco securing offers across several of its UK development pipeline projects. Positive structural trends are likewise underpinning the energy transition across Belgium and the Netherlands, where increasing demand for renewable generation, battery storage and grid flexibility is creating a compelling long-term investment opportunity.

Jérôme Turcotte Routhier, Managing Partner of the NIC Group said: “Anesco has built an impressive track record over more than a decade as one of the UK’s pioneers in solar and battery storage. Its fully integrated model, spanning development, construction and asset management, is highly attractive and differentiated. Together with Ara and the Anesco team, we look forward to deploying the capital needed to bring the company’s pipeline into construction and operation, in the UK and beyond.”

Myles O’Shaughnessy, Managing Director at Ara Partners said: “Anesco’s strong track record, broad suite of capabilities and advanced stage pipeline make the business one of the UK’s leading renewable energy platforms. We are pleased to welcome NIC as a co-investor, joining us in backing a highly capable management team as they convert a strong pipeline into a scaled portfolio of high performing operating assets”.

Hildagarde McCarville, CEO of Anesco said: “We are delighted to welcome NIC as a shareholder and strategic partner at a pivotal moment in our growth journey. Their investment, alongside the continued commitment of our existing shareholder Ara, provides a powerful platform from which to accelerate the delivery of our project pipeline. Together, we bring highly complementary capabilities, combining deep sector expertise, financial strength and a shared long-term vision. This partnership enables us to realise our ambitions at greater scale and pace as we continue to develop and safely deliver renewable energy projects that support the energy transition across our core markets.”

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