COP27: EIB Global and AllianzGI announce $100 million for renewable energy projects
Key takeaways
- The strategy Emerging Markets Climate Action invests $25 million and EIB Global invests $75 million in Alcazar Energy Partners II.
- The fund will finance renewable energy projects in the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
- This joint commitment of EMCA and EIB Global will support the development of onshore wind and solar photovoltaic, and potentially hydropower, biomass or battery-based electricity storage projects.
The Strategy Emerging Market Climate Action (“EMCA”) has announced a $25 million investment into Alcazar Energy Partners II, a fund strategy providing early-stage equity financing to develop, construct and operate renewable energy projects in the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. This commitment is in parallel to EIB Global, the dedicated arm for outside the EU of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group, which provides $75 million to the fund.
Alcazar Energy Partners II has a target size of $500 million and will invest in onshore wind and solar photovoltaic, with additional potential investments in hydropower, biomass or battery-based electricity storage or other low-carbon technologies. The Fund is expected to create 15.000 construction jobs and contribute to the installation of over 2 Gigawatt of new clean energy capacity. Thereby saving 3.2 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year, generating clean energy to power over one million households.
EMCA is an innovative blended finance strategy initiated jointly by the EIB and Allianz Global Investors (AllianzGI) to finance climate mitigation and adaptation as well as environmental projects in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. During its summit in Elmau (Germany) in June 2022, the Group of Seven (G7) endorsed EMCA as an example of a concrete innovative and market-led approach to mobilising private investments for climate-relevant infrastructure and to enhance multilateral finance and collaboration.
EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle commented: “To meet the Paris climate goals and strengthen global energy security, the world’s energy systems must decarbonise as soon as possible. To do this, the financial system needs to mobilise trillions of dollars from private sector green energy projects. I am delighted that we are announcing investments from EMCAF and EIB Global in the Alcazar Energy Partners II Fund today. This support will help crowd in further contributions from investors and ensure that the fund plays an important role in accelerating the green transition in its countries of operation.”
Tobias Pross, CEO of AllianzGI added: “Emerging markets are where the money for climate adaptation and mitigation is needed most and where it will have a much more immediate impact than in developed countries. I am proud that our EMCAF investments are now gaining traction on the ground in emerging markets– not just helping to fight climate change, but to support healthy economic growth in this region. We are grateful that EIB leveraged this investment, and we are keen to deploy more like these quickly in other countries as well.”
Launched during COP26 in November 2021 by the EIB and AllianzGI, EMCA is an innovative blended finance vehicle with a €600 million target. The governments of Germany and Luxembourg, the Nordic Development Fund, Allianz, Folksam Group and the EIB are its anchor investors. EMCA provides early-stage financing to greenfield climate transition infrastructure in emerging and developing markets and focuses on climate mitigation, climate adaptation, and environmental projects. EMCA has already made its first investment in the adaptation focused ARCH Cold Chain Solutions East Africa Fund, financing temperature-controlled storage and distribution infrastructure in East Africa that aims to generate emissions reductions from post-harvest food loss. The project comprises storage, distribution and related services and activities that maintain a given temperature range for a product or range of products.
Background information
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union and is owned by the EU Member States. The EIB Group has adopted a Climate Bank Roadmap to deliver on its ambitious agenda to support €1 trillion of climate action and environmental sustainability investments in the decade to 2030 and to deliver more than 50% of EIB finance for climate action and environmental sustainability by 2025. As part of the roadmap, all new EIB Group operations have been aligned with the goals and principles of the Paris Agreement since the start of 2021.
EIB Global is the EIB Group’s new specialised arm dedicated to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance. EIB Global is designed to foster strong, focused partnerships within Team Europe, alongside fellow development finance institutions and civil society. EIB Global brings the Group closer to local people, companies and institutions through our offices across the world.
Allianz Global Investors:
Allianz Global Investors is a leading active asset manager with over 600 investment professionals in 20 offices worldwide and managing €578 billion in assets. We invest for the long term and seek to generate value for clients every step of the way. We do this by being active – in how we partner with clients and anticipate their changing needs, and build solutions based on capabilities across public and private markets. Our focus on protecting and enhancing our clients’ assets leads naturally to a commitment to sustainability to drive positive change. Our goal is to elevate the investment experience for clients, whatever their location or objectives.
Data as at 30 June 2022
Press contact
Marion Leblanc-Wohrer +33 685157454 marion.leblancwohrer@allianzgi.com
Stefan Lutz +49 69 2443 14276 stefan.lutz@allianzgi.com