Quercus Delivers 26% Return to Bondholders through a Permitting Development Green Bond
__

Quercus pays profit participation coupon, following two early capital repayments, for the market first permitting development green bond. 

LONDON, 01 February 2024. Quercus Real Assets Limited (Quercus), the London-based renewable specialist focused on international investments within the Energy Transition, issued the first permitting development green bond in 2021 through one of its Luxembourg affiliates. The bond reached its expiry date on January 13 when Quercus paid the profit participation coupon following two early capital repayments in the second semester of 2023.

The bond was issued with a view to invest in the permitting process of solar photovoltaic projects in Southern Europe. Quercus, amongst other activities, concentrated mainly on the Spanish market and accomplished one of the largest transactions in the European solar industry since 2020 through the development and sale of a portfolio totalling more than 800 Mw of projects, which, at current prices, requires an investment of roughly 700 million euros in total capital expenditure to reach operational stage.

Diego Biasi, the Co-Founder and Chairman of Quercus, comments: “In a challenging climate both during and after COVID we successfully launched this Permitting Development Green Bond – which we consider to be a landmark transaction – and redeemed it ahead of schedule, in a comparatively short amount of time. Only those acquainted with both the renewables permitting development activity and the bond market can truly appreciate what a challenge we faced. We enjoy a challenge, and we managed to overcome all the obstacles of a peculiar economic period, particularly in our sector, to make this project a success. These obstacles ranged from long and unforeseen delays in the administrative process to an overcrowded renewable energy market where good quality investment opportunities are a scarce resource.”

The bond was launched during a period when interest rates were negative or close to zero, and a total return of 26% in less than three years shows a remarkable achievement for the English renewable energy house.

Quercus is expanding its permitting development activities in several regions of Southern Europe as a first step into the build-up of a new portfolio of solar plants operating at grid parity.

“We don’t know exactly how many gigawatts we will build and operate between Italy, Spain and Greece in the foreseeable future, we have an initial target of three. It depends on how the market develops and whether the regulatory framework will further change to facilitate investments.” Diego Biasi explains.

In addition to solar energy, Quercus is examining additional renewable energy market segments. Recently the company added two senior managers with experience in the fund investment and renewable infrastructure construction industry to its team in Europe.

About Quercus Real Assets:

Quercus Real Assets Limited is a renewable energy specialist focused on energy transition investments, with offices in London and Dubai.

Diego Biasi and Simone Borla founded Quercus by establishing a Luxembourg-based fund which successfully completed over €1bn in gross investments from inception in five different successful strategies. In January 2020, Diego Biasi started to steer Quercus’s business in response to the evolution of the energy sector into a more diversified strategic investment approach. Quercus has successfully completed over 40 deals up to date.

Since creation of Quercus over a decade ago, the strategy of the company has been founded on the belief that the creation of long-term environmental and social capital underpins and strengthens investors’ and shareholders’ returns. Quercus is committed to developing business opportunities and supporting responsible investments for sustainable income and capital returns while contributing to a carbon-neutral future.