Renewable Energy Asia Fund

Equity : December 2009

The Renewable Energy Asia Fund (REAF) invests into small hydro, wind, geothermal, solar, landfill gas and biomass projects in Asian developing markets.

Amount

€ 6,000,000.00

Type of investment

Equity

Development impacts

Local economic growth
Access to basic services & goods
Fight against climate change

Beneficiary locations

Asia: India, Philippines

Investment field

Investment Companies & Funds

Activity

Infrastructure Fund

Organisation

Renewable Energy Asia Fund

Website

https://www.berkeley-energy.com/renewable-energy-asia-fund/

Domicile

The target countries are India (remote areas) (40 to 50%) and Philippines (20 to 30%). Other Asian countries of interest include Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam. Common characteristics of these countries are local energy supply-demand gap, important un-tapped natural resources available for renewable energy, governments incentives, regulations and program related to renewable energy.

The fund aims at investing equity to construct a series of relatively small renewable energy power generating assets, aggregate these assets into larger operationally de-risked generating portfolios, and subsequently sell them to infrastructure funds seeking a yield or utilities.

The fund held its first close in December 2009 and its final close in April 2011. It is now fully invested.

Development impacts

Local economic growth
Mobilization of long-term capital for private equity in renewable energy.
Access to basic services & goods
Contribution to the reduction of the energy shortage. As primary access to energy is the base of future development, the Fund’s investments in energy capacity (300 to 600 MW new development foreseen) will have a direct impact on economic and social development.
Fight against climate change
The fund will invest an average amount of € 5 to 10 million in 10 to 15 renewable energy power projects. The Fund will only invest in proven technologies such as small hydro, wind, biomass wastes and methane recoveries.

Made possible through this investment

Thanks to the direct funding from BIO, the following second-line investments have been made possible.

PHESI

Philippines

Philippines Hybrid Energy Systems Inc (PHESI) is a wind power project located in the Philippines, Mindoro Island. PHESI will construct and operate 8 units of Gamesa G90 wind turbines, consisting of a three-bladed structure and wind-facing rotor type with a nominal power of 2.0MW per unit of wind turbine. The project includes an access road, a substation and a 69kV transmission line of approximately 7.5km

Montalban Methane Power Corporation

Philippines

Montalban Methane Power Corporation (MMPC) is an 8MW landfill gas generation project situated in Rizal, Philippines, a province that borders Metro Manila. The project extracts landfill gas from the Montalban landfill site to generate electricity for supply to the Luzon grid.

The project was the first of its kind in the Philippines and supplies clean and green energy to approximately 20,000 homes. MMPC recently completed a well drilling program to ensure a steady flow of gas to the generators in the plant.

Satara Wind

India

Satara Wind is a 72MW (70.4MW operational) wind power project developed by Berkeley Energy through its Indian portfolio entity Panama Wind Energy Private Limited in the Satara district in the state of Maharashtra, India. The project, operational since Q1 2013, is constructed on 480 hectares of land with most of the land cover comprising open agriculture across 8 villages in Patan Taluka.

Lake Mainit

Philippines

Lake Mainit is a 25MW hydroelectric power project located in the Province of Agusan del Norte Province, Mindanao, Philippines. Berkeley Energy, through its portfolio company Agusan Power Corporation, developed the project and is currently undertaking the late-stage construction of the project. The project is expected to reach commercial operations by the 3rd quarter of 2021.

Panama Mirkala

India

Mirkala Solar is a 10MW operational solar power project developed by Berkeley Energy through its Indian portfolio entity Panama Solar Energy Godawari Private Limited in the Beed District in the state of Maharashtra, India. The project is located adjacent to the 80 MW Mirkala Wind project, also developed by Berkeley Energy under REAF. The project, operational since Q4 2017, is constructed on 21 hectares of land. The project comprises Tier-1 Trina solar PV modules, 2km 33kv transmission line, and a 33kV feeder bay (including associated high voltage equipment at the already existing substation at the site).