This has seen the market investigated from a number of different angles as reliance on international development finance institutions falls away, allowing home-grown institutional capital to take up the slack.  

This latest episode sees Bowale Odumade Adeoye – founder and chief executive of SeedTree Capital – bring her experience to bear on this burgeoning market, tackling everything from bankability through to increasing flows of domestic institutional capital into African infrastructure and energy.  

Tune into this latest episode for an informed view on regional developments.  

Green Street News Infrastructure editorial director Angus Leslie Melville is joined by MorGen CFO Christos Kosmas and general counsel Christine Yassa to talk about the landmark West Wales Hydrogen Project.  

The MorGen duo take it in turns to talk the listener through everything from the financing through to regulatory support and then drill down into their other projects that are gathering pace in north England and Denmark.  

Tune into this latest episode for a revealing insight into the financing of hydrogen in the UK and MorGen’s plans to move beyond the FOAK banner and establish hydrogen in the mainstream.  

Sylvia Wisniwski, chief executive of Finance in Motion, joins Green Street Infrastructure (formerly IJGlobal) editorial director Angus Leslie Melville to talk about the 24MW Goldbeck Solar Project in western Ukraine – a landmark wartime investment.  

This transaction was chosen to win the Frontier Market Award at IJGlobal Awards 2025 and was presented at the London ceremony (which is rebranding this year to "Infra Globals" in line with the title’s broader rebrand).  

Sylvia drills down into this fascinating deal – hopefully the first of many to follow – before giving her perspective on the broader role that Finance in Motion and the Green for Growth Fund is playing across frontier and high-growth markets... and much more.    

Rebecca Sherlock – portfolio manager from First Sentier’s global listed infra team in Sydney – talks to Green Street Infrastructure (formerly IJGlobal) editorial director Angus Leslie Melville.  

Conversation ranges from Geopolitical volatility serving as a tailwind for listed infrastructure through to the evolution of US LNG as it becomes a strategic allocation; midstream assets proving to be more resilient than their energy label suggests; AI acting as the biggest demand inflection for US power since air conditioning; and stagflation fears reinforcing the case for the asset class.  

Anders Lindberg – chief executive of Wärtsilä Energy – talks to Green Street Infrastructure (formerly IJGlobal) editorial director Angus Leslie Melville in an engaging interview on alternative energy.  

This episode starts with a big picture view of energy, assessing the impact of geopolitics, drilling down into how this is reshaping national energy strategies, and what Anders refers to as “energy realism”.  

Tune in for this latest recording of Infra Dig for an informed view of the energy environment that ranges from big nuclear through to small modular reactors (SMRs), gas-fired and everything beyond.  

Clara Cutajar – global infrastructure leader at PwC – talks to IJ editorial director Angus Leslie Melville about the firm’s “Global Infrastructure Outlook” that identifies cumulative investment of $151.1 trillion from 2025 to 2050.  

This report will be discussed at IJGlobal’s IFF Europe conference that is being hosted on 12 & 13 May (2026) at the Novotel Madrid Center. To learn more about conference, CLICK HERE…  

In the meantime, tune into this latest episode of Infra Dig for a far-ranging discussion on international requirements to invest in infrastructure that forecasts annual global infra spend will climb from $4.4 trillion in 2024 to $6.9 trillion in 2050.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville sits down for a chat with Asif Ghafoor – founder and chief executive of Be.EV, the nationwide rapid and ultra-rapid charging network group.  

Be.EV launched in 2019 and is majority owned by Octopus Energy Generation, with the wider Octopus Energy group powering its network with wind and solar energy.  

Conversation flows freely with Asif talking about Be.EV’s recent acquisition of MER (which boosted its network by 1,600 charging points), and his anticipation that the UK EV charging sector will consolidate from roughly 1,500 players now to just 6.  

Tune in for an inciteful view of a burgeoning sector that needs to grow significantly to meet future demand.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville talks to Kai about Taaleri’s well established role in the market as a renewables fund manager investing in onshore wind, PV solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS) with a primary focus on Europe and some interests in the US. Taaleri has €1.3 billion of assets under management and 2.5GW under construction and operational capacity and 7GW in the development pipeline.  

Kai, who will be speaking at IJGlobal’s European conference – Infrastructure Finance Forum - Europe 2026 – on 12-13 May at the Novotel Madrid Center, takes the listener through Taaleri’s strategy to invest East.  

Taaleri has all the skills of an independent power producer (IPP), but operates under a fund manager management structure.

This podcast sees Kai run through the opportunity his firm sees across East Europe and how the fund manager is capitalising on that.

In an episode that runs for around 27 minutes, Simon talks to IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville about the burgeoning African infrastructure and energy market and how to make project bankable.  

 Conversation ranges from bringing domestic capital into financing African infra / energy through to gas-to-power discussion being framed as part of the energy transition story… rather than languishing as legacy infrastructure.

Anas Charafi – executive director at the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa (AGIA) which is managed by Africa50 – joins IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville for a fireside chat.  

With Africa50 entering its second decade of operations – and surpassing $1.4 billion in assets under management – Anas talks about AGIA’s strategy to meet the Africa’s $100 billion infrastructure funding gap.  

Anas takes the listener on a tour of his organisation’s activity, and shines a light on the impact it is having to deliver much-needed infrastructure on the ground.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville takes a break from the conference stage to talk to VEMO chief financial officer Nicolás Estrada to hear all about his company.  

Founded in Mexico City in 2021, VEMO accelerates the adoption of clean mobility technologies through an integrated solution that combines electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, and fleet management technology.  

Nico tells Infra Dig listeners all about its recent investment from Vision Ridge Partners and maps out VEMO’s plans, and its relationship with other infrastructure investors.  

Tune in for an insight into an exciting company as Nico talks on the sidelines of IJGlobal’s flagship Latin America conference that was hosted earlier this week in Miami.  

Philippe Valahu – chief executive of Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) – joins IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville to talk about his organisation’s involvement in InfraCredit Nigeria.  

Having last appeared on Infra Dig almost 1 year ago – in April 2025 – Philippe drills down into a fascinating development… PIDG’s exit from your preference share investment in InfraCredit Nigeria.  

Tune in to this latest episode to hear all about this positive signal for the Nigerian market and learn about PIDG is rolling out similar offerings in other markets around Africa.  

Adil Sener, partner at the New York-based, energy-focused investment bank PEI Global Partners, talks to IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville about a challenging sector going through challenging times.  

Conversation flows from how the industry is coping with changing weather patterns from a regulatory perspective through to financing risks, how the data centre revolution will be powered, transmission issues, right through to the role of private credit.  

Adil treats the listener to an expert round robin of the US energy sector, giving his view of this complex world.  

Mark Muldowney – managing director of the low carbon transition group at BNP Paribas – joins IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville for a chat about the role of lenders in achieving energy security.  

Mark, who has led the financing of more energy projects than he’d care to name, takes the listener on an informed tour on Sizewell C nuclear power plant through to plans for small modular reactors.  

Conversation flows and Mark talks about the risks involved in lending to such landmark transactions as SZC and then it switches to the Industrial Strategy Report that BNP Paribas has published in partnership with Oxford Economics.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville sits down with Yandisa – who is best known to the infrastructure community for his many years working as a PF banker at NordLB – to hear all about this new book.  

“Project Financing Energy Projects with Senior Debt: A Practical Guide” is published in May (2026) and provides a banker’s eye view of arranging debt against PF in the energy space.  

Tune into this latest episode for the author’s view of this soon-to-be-released industry tome.  

To keep the head of steam building for what promises to be IJ’s biggest LatAm focused infra/energy conference to date, we have the latest in a series of podcasts highlighting developments across the region.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville speaks to Nicolás Eliaschev – partner at Buenos Aires-based law firm Tavarone – to hear how his home market is evolving.  

Nicolás, a veteran of the IJ LatAm conferences, gives a candid view of his home market, drilling down into how it’s evolving and opening up to international players.  

He also takes the listener through 2 key Argentine public tender launches: sale of Energía Argentina’s 50% stake in CITELEC; and the nation’s power transmission system expansion.  

To find out more about IJGlobal’s Miami Conference – IJ LatAm 2026 – CLICK HERE…  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville talks to Peter Halmø who leads the Latin American business for Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) about the market.  

Peter joined CIP from Orsted in 2021 and has a strong focus on renewable energy and the fund manager favours opportunities in Chile, Mexico and Brazil.  

This episode sees Peter run through the market and give a particular drill down into CIP’s investments into battery energy storage solutions (BESS).  

To find out more about IJGlobal’s Miami Conference – IJ LatAm 2026 – CLICK HERE…  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville speaks to Eduardo Farhat – managing director and head of infrastructure for Latin America at La Caisse (formerly CDPQ) – to hear his views on this vibrant market.  

Eduardo will be attending IJ’s Miami Conference which runs from 2-4 March at One Hotel South Beach and annually pulls in the entire infrastructure and energy community that focuses on LatAm.  

Tune in to this latest podcast for an informed view of some of the key developments on the ground and the perspective – including a couple of case studies – or a major investor.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville speaks to 2 guests from Ethiopian Airlines – chief executive Mesfin Tasew and CFO Adamu Tadele – as well as regular speaker Ravi Suri, global head of sustainable finance and impact investing at KPMG.  

There are few airlines that compare with Ethiopian Airlines when it comes to growth history and company performance – all this achieved with government support from an administration that understands how to step back and let the professionals get on with it.  

Tune in to this latest episode for a 360 on a fascinating company and to hear about its plans to project finance a magnificent airport hub for Africa.  

Ravi – who has recently had a shift in focus at KPMG and now is linked to the Kenya practice while still being global head of sustainable finance and impact investing – talks to IJ editorial director Angus Leslie Melville.  

In an episode that runs for almost 22 minutes, Ravi takes the listener through the intricacies of project finance in the challenging space of nuclear energy, how impactful the latest COP gathering was and how to save the planet.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville pulls up a seat for a far-ranging conversation on matters predominantly energy with Rahul Agrawal – managing director and head of Southeast Asia for Actis.  

Conversation flows around the key markets across APAC with most of the discussion focusing on data centres, renewable energy… and the need to keep investing in energy generation.  

For a well-informed, well-rounded view of the key markets and opportunities – as well as dipping into MTerra Solar and Levanta Renewables – tune in for this latest episode.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville took a break from the conference hall at The Westin Singapore to have a chat with Adrian Aw, managing director of PEI Global.  

In a shorter-than-normal episode, Adrian takes the listener through his take-aways from the conference up to that point and then discusses the regional market.  

Tune in for this latest episode…   

Angus Leslie Melville – editorial director of IJGlobal – talks to Meinna Gwet, group head of corporate finance at Ecobank, and the conversation centres on the African lending environment.  

As the African banking community steps up to become increasingly involved in infra / energy project finance and lending across the continent, Ecobank is playing a central role, working closely with development finance institutions (DFI) and sponsors.  

Tune in to this latest episode to hear all about it…  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville sits down for a chat with AIP Management co-heads of investment Greg Falzon and Domenico Tripodi for a far-reaching discussion on all matters infra.  

With a primary focus on energy transition, the listener is treated to an informative run through the levels of investment from Core all the way to – the often dubious – Value Add… which tends not to be infrastructure at all.  

Tune in for the latest episode with 2 AIP leaders who are long established in the infrastructure and energy community.  

Manju Dalal pulls up a seat to speak with HSBC’s Gregoire Bouzereau, head of infra finance for Asia Pacific, and Justo Alejandro Algaba, head of infra finance for the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey.  

In a far-ranging discussion, Manju talks to the HSBC duo about how the bank is positioning itself in a rapidly evolving landscape, expanding its infrastructure footprint, targeting the sectors and markets set to drive the next phase of growth through 2029.  

This episode is particularly well timed as IJ is hosting the IJGlobal Infrastructure Finance Forum – Asia on 18–19 November at The Westin Singapore.  

Singapore-based Achal Sondhi – chief investment officer at Aquila Clean Energy – speaks to IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville for this latest episode.  

With a strong leaning towards solar PV and battery energy storage systems (BESS) and a healthy sprinkling of onshore wind farms, this latest episode serves as an excellent intro for the APAC conference.  

IJGlobal is hosting the Infrastructure Finance Forum: Asia 2025 on 18 and 19 November (2025) at The Westin Singapore, followed after the second day with our awards night for regional ESG activity as well as M&A across infrastructure and energy.  

To learn more about the conference, CLICK HERE… 

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville talks to Iain Macaulay, director and head of project finance for Africa and Pakistan at British International Investment – the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor.  

The prompter for this latest episode is BII having worked alongside the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on an impactful project in Egypt.  

The three institutions were heavily involved in the financing of Scatec’s Obelisk Solar PV Plant in Nagaa Hammadi, Egypt – the $600 million, 1.1GW solar park with 200MWh associated BESS.  

Tune in for wide-ranging discussion on a hugely impactful transaction that will serve as a bellwether for future deals of this nature.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville pulls up a mic for the latest Infra Dig episode with Jake Jurewicz – chief executive at US-based nuclear developer Blue Energy.   

Blue Energy is a particularly interesting company that is rethinking the delivery of small modular reactors (SMR) with a view to bringing project finance to the table.  

Now there’s a reason to tune in if ever there was one…   

Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management (EDRAM) is famed for its Bridge infrastructure debt funds and JF gives an update on fundraising followed by his views on the market and a closer look at some of the manager’s recent deals.  

Tune in to this latest episode of the IJGlobal Podcast for a refreshingly candid view of the – primarily – European infrastructure scene.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville speaks to Justin DeAngelis – global head of sustainable infrastructure at Denham Capital – about all things power, and the vast majority of the discussion centres on DCs and hyperscalers.   

This subject will be a key focus for REFF North America which IJGlobal is hosting in the Metropolitan Club, New York, on 29 and 30 September.   

This episode runs for a little more than 26 minutes and sees Justin take the listener through the intricacies of a challenging sector that has more than its fair share of issues to contend with.   

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville speaks to Jonathan Maxwell, chief executive of Sustainable Development Capital (SDCL) about the substation fire that knocked out Heathrow Airport Terminal 3 and the power outage across Spain and Portugal.  

While this was headline news across Europe – and considerably further afield – earlier this year (2025), this episode focuses on the causes of each power outage and how this can be mitigated against.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville sits down for a fireside chat with Mark Gilligan, head of infrastructure at AXA IM Alts, to hear how it’s shaping up.  

Tune in for this latest episode and knowledge up about energy transition.  

IJGlobal is hosting the Infrastructure Finance Forum: Asia 2025 over 2 days – 18 and 19 November 2025 – in Singapore and to keep the kettle boiling in anticipation of this event, this latest episode has a strong regional flavour.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville sits down for a far-reaching conversation with Singapore-based Audra Low – chief executive of Clifford Capital Credit Solutions – to hear about developments on the ground.  

IJGlobal senior editor Ila Patel talks to Richard Lum, one of the founders of Victory Hill Capital Partners, about energy demand not abating anytime soon. As he says: “It's increasing obviously, but it's increasing in a way that is also changing the behaviour of how energy is consumed.”  

In a podcast that runs for 21 minutes, Richard talks about how renewable energy alone cannot enable the transition within the context of the US: “You still need the predominance of dependable energy sources that aren't constrained by intermittency.”  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville sits down to record a podcast with 2 Norton Rose Fulbright partners for a round-robin of the hottest markets across Asia, with a particular focus on those with greatest potential.  

NRF partners Nick Merrit and Ben Carrozzi are the guests for this latest episode, bringing a wealth of experience from across the global – particularly Asian – renewable energy arena.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville sits down (in person for this latest podcast) with 2 Foresight partners – fund managers of Foresight Energy Infrastructure Partners (FEIP) – primarily to discuss MaresConnect.  

The Infra Dig guests are Richard Thompson and Dan Wells and they are both deeply experienced infrastructure investors who have been building out the FEIP platforms for many years.  

While conversation ranges across the fund manager’s strategy, the podcast is centred on the interconnector is being developed by MaresConnect Limited – which is owned by Foresight Energy Infrastructure Partners and Etchea Energy Nominees Limited.  

MaresConnect is an electricity interconnector that will run between Dublin and Bodelwyddan, Wales, and will link Irish and British electricity markets by 2030. The 750MW project will be around 245km.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville is joined by Naomi Wagura, a director at the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) and Nicole Poindexter, founder and chief executive of Energicity Corporation.  

Naomi and Nicole talk about Mission 300 – a joint initiative by the World Bank, African Development Bank and GEAPP – that has set itself a goal to mobilise unprecedented financing to connect 300 million people to electricity grids across Africa by 2030.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville sits down with Philippe Valahu – chief executive of Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) – for a tell-all interview on the investment environment.  

Philippe takes the listener through the reality of investing across African and APAC infra/energy where there’s an historically lower default rate than in many developed market regions… and a considerably lower default rate than other emerging market regions.  

He explains why sponsors should have more confidence to get involved in infrastructure and energy across both Africa and Asia and not be deterred by headline risk, building understanding of the strong financial performance of infrastructure assets across these regions.  

Fola Fagbule – head of financial advisory at the AFC – speaks to IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville about the organisation’s role in driving private sector involvement in the financing of infrastructure and energy across Africa.

In a podcast that runs for almost 36 minutes, Fola runs the listener through the role AFC’s financial advisory team plays in leveraging cross-divisional expertise to mobilise more than $14 billion for critical infrastructure projects, and through that effort creating tens of thousands of jobs across Africa.

Izalia Lopez, promotion deputy director at the PPP unit of the Dominican Republic, speaks to IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville about plans to invest in national infrastructure.

In an interview that runs for 7-and-a-half minutes, Lopez takes viewers through plans to invest across infrastructure and energy in the Dominican Republic.

In this latest episode of the Infra Dig podcast, IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville speaks to Javier Cavada – president and chief executive of Mitsubishi Power Europe – to hear how the market is shifting.  

In a slightly-longer-than-normal podcast, Javier takes the listener through the evolution of methane-fuelled power plants into blended facilities with hydrogen co-firing large frame gas turbines.  

The technology is now tried-and-tested and there is capacity for gas turbines to run on 100% hydrogen.  

The future’s electric. The future’s hydrogen.  

The future’s coming a lot faster than many people anticipate.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville sits down with Pablo Cevallos – Ecuador’s secretary for public-private partnerships – to hear about plans to drive investments into infrastructure and energy.

Pablo speaks openly about the government's intentions to drive a pipeline of investments with support from international developers and the lending community for a range of ambitious plans.

Tune in to this latest episode to hear about everything from hydropower through to transport, hydrogen, geothermal and recently announced aspirations to champion nuclear energy.

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville talks to James Humfrey who has been chief executive of Xlinks for the last year, since taking the role from founder Simon Morrish.   

This is the second time that Xlinks has featured on Infra Dig – following on from Simon Morrish taking listeners through the full scope of the project back in the summer of 2022.  

This latest episode sees James bring the listener right up to date with progress on the ambition renewable energy projects – solar PV and onshore wind in Morocco – and the transmission line to the UK.   

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville talks to Aitor Alava – managing director and LatAm head of infrastructure and energy finance at Natixis – about the regional lending environment.  

Aitor talks openly about the LatAm market, identifying opportunity as this market ticks up in activity and everyone braces for the Miami Conference which is being hosted at 1 Hotel Sout Beach from 10-12 March.

In this latest episode, CEO of Bluestar Energy Capital, Declan Flanagan talks about how the company is structuring investments to address critical storage and transmission needs and Bluestar’s approach to institutional investment in renewables. 

Running from 10-12 March at 1 Hotel South Beach, Miami, IJ LatAm 2025 has been running for more than 2 decades and is IJGlobal’s premier event, attracting around 700 delegates from across the region.   

In preparation for this landmark event, IJGlobal has hosted a number of podcasts focused on the region and this latest one sees Nieves Polanco – project finance legal counsel at Sacyr – join IJ editorial director Angus Leslie Melville to talk about the market.   

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville talks to Susana Lopez, an investment director at Climate Fund Managers (CFM), about the regional market.  

Susana – who will be speaking on a panel at IJ LatAm which runs from 10-12 March (2025) and is being staged at 1 Hotel South Beach, Miami – gives her view of the market in a far-reaching conversation.

Martin Bennet – managing director for infrastructure and energy as well as private equity and M&A at Marsh – joins IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville to talk about the role played by insurance in the financing of infrastructure.  

This latest episode focuses on mitigating key infrastructure investment risks, the current state of the market, the use of insurance as an enabler of infra M&A, and much more.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville mulls the ever-stretching definition of infrastructure and talks to William Barrett – managing partner of Reach Capital – about forestry… which looks set (one day) to be included in the infra asset class.  

William takes the listener through forestry as an investment sector, how it is evolving and whether one day it will feature more significantly in the pages of an established infrastructure publication like IJGlobal.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville talks to Olivier Mussat – chief executive of ATOME – about a pathfinder project in a Core+ infrastructure sector that’s going to be Core in the blink of an eye.  

ATOME, with its Villeta Project in Paraguay, has set its stall at decarbonising the agriculture and food industries at the grass-roots level (pun intended) by creating green fertiliser.  

Tune in to this latest episode of Infra Dig – the IJGlobal podcast service – to learn all about a fascinating project that is sure to be replicated across the planet as the $200 billion fertiliser industry seeks to reduce its carbon impact.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville talks to regular Masterclass guest Ravi Suri – global head of sustainable finance and impact investing at KPMG – for an enlightening podcast on the international impact of this financing mechanism.  

This podcast will be of greatest value to people in the early stages of their infrastructure / energy careers as they build knowledge, seeking to understand the full impact of the sector they have joined.  

Ravi takes the listener through the role that project finance is having across the globe in creating peaceful regimes, healing former war zones and the part it is playing on the international agenda to halt climate change.  

Well, to be fair, it’s not an actual “cracker”, this is an interview with Richard Butland, co-founder and chief executive of Highview Power, where we are discussing the UK’s first commercial-scale liquid air energy storage plant in Carrington, Manchester.  

Having this summer concluded the financing of its demonstrator in the north of England and with plans for another one in the UK progressing nicely, Highview has big plans… on an international level.  

Tune in for the latest Infra Dig podcast on an exciting energy storage innovation that's been a long time in the brewing, but is now going places.  

This latest episode seen IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville sit down for a fireside with Yash Tripathy – head of product at battery software company About:Energy.  

Conversation centres on battery technology with a primary focus on its deployment in electric vertical take-off and landing – eVTOL – flying machines.  

This is a sector that is ripe for investment and has an interesting future… and it’s one that IJ is keeping a close eye on as a future transport / delivery solution.  

Social infrastructure has been a rising investment focus due to impact it has on the local community and members of the scheme.   

Lisa Botter, Editor of IJInvestor (a service of IJGlobal, which is a Green Street company), speaks with Jack Burnham, head of affordable housing at Octopus Investments, which recently did a survey on the subject.  

In a survey of 27 LGPS, Octopus Investments and its research partner found that schemes are familiar with and are investing in a range of social infrastructure themes, but investment returns outweigh impact.   

Despite the interest from schemes, it is up to social infrastructure managers to prove their social and climate credentials to prevent greenwashing and so-called, social washing.   

In this latest episode of Infra Dig, Angus Leslie Melville – editorial director of IJGlobal (a Green Street company) – talked to US-based Chet Benham, president and chief operating officer of Viridi Energy, to find out all about RNG.  

This podcast was prompted by news earlier this summer that Viridi had signed a 20-year offtake agreement with Quebec-based Énergir for pipeline-quality RNG from its waste-to-energy facilities in Brunswick, Maine; Marathon County, Wisconsin; and Bethlehem, New Hampshire.  

This is a fascinating discussion that will be of interest to anyone who has an eye on the evolving energy mix.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville sits down for a fireside chat with 2 of Helios Towers’ leading figures – group CFO Manjit Dhillon and operations and engineering director Lara Coady.  

In the first Infra Dig podcast to have been published since IJGlobal was acquired by Green Street, this episode is firmly targeted at the “real assets” space.  

Manjit and Lara tag team the discussion that starts off on the broader scene for the independent telecommunications infrastructure company that has established one of the most extensive tower portfolios across Africa and the Middle East.  

It builds, owns and operates telecom passive infrastructure, providing services to mobile network operators… and it has interesting plans.  

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville settles in for a fireside chat with David Ward, chief executive of Oxford PV, to hear how his company’s product is set to transform solar panel efficiency.  

In an episode that runs for almost 30 minutes, David takes the listener through the solar industry with a primary focus on how perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cells look set to revolutionise the industry.  

For anyone with an interest in renewable energy, this podcast is a must-listen.   

Lisa Botter, head of content for M&A and funds at IJInvestor (an IJGlobal service), speaks with CapMan’s Pia Kall, chief executive, and Ville Poukka, managing partner. 

The Nordic infrastructure investor in April reached final close on its second infrastructure fund. In this 29 minute podcast Pia and Ville take the listener through the success of the fund and their outlook for infrastructure investing across the region. 

Tune in for a compelling podcast on infrastructure fund management in an exciting region.  

In this episode, IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville sits down to chat for a second time with old friend Ravi Suri, global head of sustainable finance and impact investing at KPMG.

A far-ranging discussion that covers all the key points of how projects go wrong across (pretty much) every single sector in the infra and energy asset class takes the listener through what must not be done (citing examples) and then how to do it right.

IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville talks to Dr Charlotte Adams, a director at the newly established National Geothermal Centre (NGC) which is championing the proliferation of geothermal energy around the UK.  

In a podcast that runs for almost 27 minutes, the listener is taken from zero to hero on ambitions to drive a geothermal agenda to support the UK’s bid to achieve Net Zero.  

Tune in for a compelling podcast on a clean energy technology that is just about to receive a shot in the arm in the UK.  

IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville sits down for an enlightening interview with Ravi Suri, global head of sustainable finance and impact investing at KPMG.  

In a podcast that lends itself to the “masterclass” category, Ravi takes the listener through the evolution of project finance from its early years, bringing it right up to date showcasing its evolution over the years.  

IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville sits down for a chat with David Thomas – director for infrastructure engagement at GRESB – and conversation centres squarely on ESG in the infra arena.  

A primary focus of this podcast is delving into what sustainability and ESG factors investors look for these days; and the emerging factors that are front of mind around on pre-operational assets.  

Here IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville pulls up a chair for the latest Infra Dig episode, speaking to Dr Sherif Gebaly, investment director for renewables and decommissioning at investment advisory firm Arcadis, about this challenging sector. 

Primarily focusing on fixed foundation offshore wind farms (OWF) in Europe, conversation flows from a helicopter view of who does what during the financing and subsequent installation, supply chains and logistics – from harbour facilities through to support vessels. 

Basically, this is the episode you need to tune into… if you want a full understanding of the process of delivering an offshore wind farm… oh, and a bonus focus on floating offshore. 

IJGlobal head of content Angus Leslie Melville is joined by Natixis CIB energy transition specialists Ivan Pavlovic and Eric Benoist for an episode that drills down into nuclear energy. 

The key theme of the discussion is small modular reactors – SMRs – with the listener treated to an informed overview of the nuclear sector, and then drills down into the small-scale (1MW one the smallest being discussed) option that is increasingly hitting the headlines. 

To skill up on a sector that is growing in importance, listen in to this latest episode… and if it’s on message for your interests, run through the podcast archive for an episode with NuScale and others that are centred on the big nuclear question.

IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville talks to Adrian Del Maestro, vice-president of global energy advisory at AECOM, in a (very) far-ranging discussion that covers all matters energy transition.

This episode spans pretty much everything from climate change through to electric vehicle charging, offshore wind and the need to drive agendas, cabling constraints, the dream of nuclear fusion, the potential for small modular reactors… and so much more.

For an informed view of the market and an interesting romp through energy transition on a global scale, this latest episode is a must listen.

The focus of this podcast turns to Africa and sees IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville sit down for a chat with Roland Janssens – managing director of the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EIF).

The Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund was established as the first company within the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), a multi-donor organisation with members from 7 countries and World Bank Group.

EIF is managed by Ninety One, and it provides long-term debt to deliver infrastructure projects across Africa. It operates across 10 sectors in 20 African countries and typically lends between $10 million and $65 million over tenors of up to 15 years, with an option to extend up to 20 years.

Conversation with Roland spans a number of projects across Africa that the EIF has supported, as well as an insight on fundraising which, earlier this year, reached $294 million of debt facilities, more than half of its $500 million target to be achieved in 2025.

IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville sits down for a chat with Edward Wilkinson, strategic corporate development lead at GScan, a company that wields a technology that has numerous applications across the infrastructure and energy sectors.

GScan – founded in Estonia, but now headquartered in the UK – is involved in everything from artificial intelligence through to 3D reconstruction and machine learning.

Edward gives a fascinating insight into GScan’s Muon Flux Technology (MFT) which is has been used for everything from scanning a concrete-filled nuclear submarine through to inspecting bridges for flaws and assessing the integrity of pipes.

GScan’s MFT is equipped with reconstruction algorithms and advanced machine learning-based 3D modelling tools, enabling the accurate distinction of materials and defects combined with high penetration.

It provides an alternative to ground penetrating radar and X-Ray that Edward believes provides an infinitely clearer view of an asset’s integrity.

IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville speaks with Hamish Lea-Wilson, a partner at Igneo Infrastructure Partners, who plays a key role in the fund manager’s origination and execution of European infra investment opportunities.

Conversation ranges from an insightful run-through how a long-term approach to infrastructure investments achieves value and virtue, before running through a slew of Igneo managed assets.

A good bit of the podcast is dedicated to German utilities company MVV which won the excellence trophy at the IJGlobal ESG Awards 2023 for its plan to be “climate positive” by 2035. Judges described the Mannheim company as “a poster child for energy transition in a utility”.

Another winner that discussed is Nordion Energi – this one picking up a trophy at the IJGlobal ESG Awards 2022 – which involved the transition a traditional, natural gas distribution operator to become what some people have described as “the go-to partner” in Sweden’s energy transition.

Conversation moves on to a focus on Igneo IP’s Finerge renewables platform in the Iberian peninsula which, since 2015, has grown that portfolio from 642MW of attributable capacity to almost 2GW.

The podcast rounds off with a closer look at Enfinium which recently announced that it was investing in CCS technology to decarbonise unrecyclable waste and generate more than 90MW of baseload, carbon-negative power.

IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville speaks with Toronto-based Robert Shaw, managing director with CBRE IM's private infrastructure business who is focused exclusively on the direct infrastructure investment programme.

In a 26-minute podcast, Robert takes listeners through Forum Mobility, a project in California that won an IJGlobal ESG Award on numerous levels and an IJInvestor Award for North American transport investment.

Robert takes the listener through Forum Mobility, explaining how it serves as “electrification as a service” supporting the drayage industry from Californian ports to distribution centres.

Forum Mobility was founded in 2021 and is focused on electrifying trucking of freight from ports, forming a $400 million JV in January 2023 with CBRE IM and minority shareholder Homecoming Capital to develop and operate charging depots and a fleet of electric trucks to service the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland.

Tune in to hear more...

IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville takes the podcast service across The Pond once again, this time to talk to Álvaro Ortega who recently started at Gazelle as CFO.

In a podcast that is rooted firmly in the Atlantic – but with ambitions to appear in deep water somewhere near you – Álvaro talks about his new role at Gazelle and its floating offshore wind design.

However, given that he played a central role in the financing of Vineyard Wind I… conversation is easily led into fixed foundation territory to create a compelling listen that is ideal for everyone with an interest in utility-scale developments.

The guest on this podcast is Henri Yoki – founder and chief executive of Exaum Ltd – an interesting organisation that recently announced the launch of its 1MW AI-optimised grid balancing pilot, the latest step in scaling its heat-generation-based power demand response technology.

The pilot has been installed at Karhulan Industrial Park, 130km east of Helsinki. 

This first-of-its-kind system aims to help enable the green energy transition by providing near-instantaneous grid balancing of power as more wind, solar, and other green but unpredictable sources are added to the transmission system operator’s supply choices.

In this podcast, Henri fields question on this pilot project in Finland as well as a host of question on the impact of AI on the broader infrastructure / energy community.

In a far-reaching discussion that is a must-listen for everyone who has an eye on renewable energy across the US, Chris talks openly about the role that is being played by the LPO to drive investments in support of the Inflation Reduction Act.

With more than $300 billion in the kitty – a good amount of which has already been deployed – Chris shines the light on how it is deploying capital, the bridge-to-bankability model the LPO is adopting and how it is playing a pioneering role with emerging technologies.

IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville pulls up a chair for a fireside chat with UK head of banking and investments Ian Brown who is responsible for the institution’s origination and execution of lending and investing activities. 

IJGlobal has been tracking UKIB’s performance as it builds a team in the north of England – Leeds – and seeks to achieve its mandate of crowding in lending activity and stepping up where other lenders fear to tread.

In this episode, Ian talks frankly about the bank's ambitions, building up the team and how it plans to drive investments into the parts of infrastructure that your average lender can't reach.

IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville sits down for a chat on all matters PPP with Denise Arana, general manager of public private partnerships and privatisation at the Development Bank of Jamaica.

Having been involved with the development of PPP in Jamaica since its inception, Denise is perfectly placed to talk about the national strategy for private sector involvement in the financing of national infrastructure.

Tune in for a far-ranging chat about Jamaica’s infrastructure ambitions…

IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville sits down with Jonathan Bernal, vice president for structuring at the National Infrastructure Agency for Colombia, to hear about its ambitions to drive the PPP agenda.

In an interview with Jonathan – translated by IJGlobal LatAm infrastructure reporter Adrian Ganic – Jonathan runs through priorities for the Colombian PPP sector which featured heavily in the IJ regional focus (published early June 2023) for having closed the Bogota-Girardot Highway PPP, the largest deal to make it to FC in the region this year.

Conversation moves on to the procurement pipeline which – at the IDB conference – centred on the $1.3 billion Villeta-Guadas road PPP that will progress this year and be awarded next (2024). He also talks about the $1.5 billion 270km Pasto-Popayan Toll Road PPP, an essential connector to Ecuador, and the largest concession in Colombia’s history.

This podcast gives a 360 view of the Colombian PPP market and is a must listen for all people with an interest in LatAm infrastructure…

IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville welcomes 2 guests to this latest podcast, discussing the state PPP market with:

• Ana Paula da Silva (Paulinha) – representative at the Santa Catarina State House of Representatives
• Renato Lacerda – director of the PPP unit (also acting as translator)

Paulinha – speaking a couple of weeks ago (19 July 2023) at the Inter American Development Bank conference PPP Americas in Panama – talked about plans for PPPs in prisons, health, education and sanitation.

She outlines a pipeline that will be of a great deal of interest to the international community…

IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville sets up stall at the Inter American Development Bank conference – PPP Americas last month in Panama – and records (with translation support from IJ colleague Albert Negron) the latest LatAm Uncovered podcast for Infra Dig.

The guests on this podcast are:

• Paulo Henrique Dalago Müller – mayor of Bombinhas, also rotating president for AMFRI (Associação dos Municípios da Região da Foz do Rio Itajaí)
• Aquilles da Costa – mayor of Penha
• Erico de Oliveira – major of Ilhota

Conversation centres on all matters PPP, giving the listener a 360 view of the municipal market.

In an impromptu podcast, IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville talks to 4 mayors from around the state… all of whom have plans to deploy PPP. Thanks once again to IJ colleague Albert Negron for his invaluable translation services.

The podcast was recorded at PPP Americas – the Inter American Development Bank conference staged last week in Panama – that focuses on infrastructure investment across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The 4 mayors a-speaking are:

• Aquilles da Costa – mayor of the city of Peňa
• Marcos Pedro Veber – mayor of Luiz Alves
• Elcio Rogério Kuhnen – mayor of Camboriú
• Paulo Henrique Dalago Muller – mayor of Bombinhas, also rotating president for AMFRI (Associação dos Municípios da Região da Foz do Rio Itajaí (AMFRI)

To hear all about the plans, tune into the first of 3 podcasts for the state of Santa Catarina.

This latest recording focuses on the PPP scene in Ecuador and it sees IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville sit down with Gustavo Camacho, under secretary of fiscal policy in the economy and finance ministry, and Israel Berrezueta who works in the IDB programme to support the ministry of finance from a legal perspective.

To help with translation, the splendid David Alvarez – resident adviser on debt and infrastructure finance to the US Department of the Treasury – kindly stepped in and did the needful.

With PPP legislation having been in place since 2015 and recent updates approved by government, Ecuador is in a good place to drive a pipeline of PPP transactions… which has reached an “inflection point”.

To hear more about Ecuador’s PPP ambitions, tune into the latest LatAm Uncovered podcast…

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville sits down to chat all things infra with Izalia López – promotion deputy director for PPP in DR… and the results are unrehearsed and interesting.

Playing an active role in promoting PPP in the country, Izalia is charged with driving international focus to the pipeline of projects… something that’s always of interest to IJGlobal subscribers.

Conversation covers off everything from DR’s PPP legislation through to the procurement process (they plan to keep it pacey), the DBFOM port project, Amber Highway… and a lot more beyond.

IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville talks to Luis Felipe Elton, head of the projects division at the Chilean PPP Unit, about the national infrastructure market in a side room at the IDB event.

With an established PPP sector, Chile is lauded as one of the mainstays of the Latin American infrastructure market and has long been held up as a bellwether for countries across the region looking to drive private sector involvement in the delivery and operation of national infra.

In a 17-minute interview with Luis, the listener is treated to an overview of the last 30 years of infrastructure procurement which has seen more than 100 concession-based contracts awarded, 77 of which are currently under construction or operational.

The Chilean PPP sector has attracted local and international investment… and it’s not stopping there.

Tune into the latest in the LatAm Uncovered series for an in-depth view of the market from one of the key players on the ground.

IJGlobal content director Angus Leslie Melville sat down with IDB PPP team leader Gaston Astesiano and PPP senior specialist Carolina Lembo for a regional fireside that is a must-listen for anyone interested in the LatAm infrastructure sector.

 Conversation starts off with and overview of the challenges and opportunities for PPP across Latin America with Gaston recognising that the region has its hurdles to overcome… not least due to the Covid pandemic.

 This latest episode is an engaging insight into the regional market and a must-listen for all who have an interest in Latin American PPP.

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville is joined by Saleh Asvat, PPP national secretary for the government of Panama, to discuss the future of infrastructure investment in the Central American country.

Saleh starts by taking the listener through the PPP procurement legislation and the role his department plays in bringing them to market before turning the focus on the 2 highway projects currently in procurement – the $300 million Panamericana Este (advised by the IFC) and the $310 million Panamericana Oeste (advised by the IDB).

Both roads are being procured on an availability basis with Panamericana Este having (during the conference) shortlisted down to 4 bidders, while bidders are submitting their prequalification requirements for Panamericana Oeste in September.

Conversation moves inevitably on to the 230km, $700 million Panama Transmission Line 4 – the other PPP project currently in procurement – the first 500kV project down the Atlantic side of the country, balancing the national grid.

The rest of the podcast centres on the pipeline of projects that the market can expect to see rolled out in Panama over the short term.

Here, IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville sits down with Marcus Cavalcanti – special secretary for the investment partnerships programme for the federal government of Brazil.

In a high-level interview (15 minutes, ably translated by IJ colleague Albert Negron) with Mr Cavalcanti lifts the veil on a range of infrastructure investments that are shortly coming to market in Brazil.

A must-listen for all infrastructure professionals with an interest in Latin America, Mr Cavalcanti drills down into individual projects across transport, water and wastewater treatment (which has undergone some changes of late to open up the market to private and public investment), energy transition, smart cities, forestry PPPs… and so much more including the role of BNDES.

A podcast with a sunny disposition… this latest Infra Dig episode sees IJGlobal editorial director pull up a chair to the fireside to talk all things renewable with a luminary (geddit?) in the solar space. 

Axel Thiemann – Miami-based chief executive of Sonnedix, the solar PV developer / operator with an international footprint – speaks openly about the global renewable energy market and his company’s ambitions. 

From solar PV – the bulk of Sonnedix’s exposure and the sector it is famed for having carved its niche – through to wind power and energy storage, there is something in this podcast for everyone interested in the alternative space. 

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville (with a bit of a head cold) pulls up a chair to the trans-Atlantic fireside (east coast Scotland to Miami) to chat with Alan Cooper, founder and chief executive of On.Energy.

Alan takes the listener through the transformation of On.Energy from a behind-the-meter company to a front-of-the meter player in Texas and tells all about the recent $20 million equity financing that was led by Ultra Capital.

Conversation ranges from the Biden / Harris administration and its famed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), how this impacts Investment Tax Credits (ITC), plans to evolve beyond the ERCOT region and partnering with commercial and industrial (C&I) solar developers.

One Search chief executive Dan McCarthy – a head hunter of international fame – talks to IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville about the changing landscape for recruitment in the swiftly evolving infra and energy sectors.

Dan speaks openly about challenges being faced across the industry as the market copes with a hiring bubble alongside job title inflation and unsustainable high compensation levels.

Sometimes veering towards the dreaded old-fart territory, conversation remains realistic and a must listen for those seeking to drive their careers in this sector.

Damilola Agbaje, investment director at African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM), speaks to IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville to talk through the potential for investment across the continent.

In a far-ranging discussion, Damilola takes the listener through the investment potential across telecoms towers as Africa leapfrogs fixed line, through to fibre optic networks and data centres.

In the latest fireside chat style Infra Dig podcast, Angus Leslie Melville – editorial director of IJGlobal – talks to UKIB chief executive John Flint about the role the bank is currently playing and the one it plans to play in years to come.

Drawing parallels to the EIB, the Treasury Infrastructure Finance Unit (TIFU) that was launched in the wastelands of the Global Financial Crisis, and the Green Infrastructure Bank – which was flogged off to Macquarie – John speaks openly about UKIB plans.

While not asking the questions most bankers want asked – mostly because they were rude – John speaks candidly about staffing up and how UKIB plans to “crowd in” lending capabilities in a challenging market.

Angus Leslie Melville – editorial director of IJGlobal – speaks to a lawyer who is particularly renowned in the world of renewables and, especially, is famed for the role she has played in the PPA space.

Natasha Luther-Jones – DLA Piper international head of sustainability and ESG and global co-chair of the energy and natural resources practice – joins Infra Dig fresh from picking up 2 IJGlobal ESG awards to run listeners through the mechanisms in as jargon-free a manner as possible.

Starting off with Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) and running through to Contracts for Difference (CfDs) and then on to a slew of other contracts, this podcast answers all the questions you were too scared to ask about how energy companies are paid.

Speaking to IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville, Lars runs through plans to build 2 Gigafactories – one in north Italy and the other in California – to serve the automotive industry.

In a far-ranging conversation, Lars takes the listener through his definition of Gigafactory, supply chain issues, the rationale behind the location of his 2 facilities and broader discussion on technology and the future of electric vehicles.

Speaking to IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville, Paul speaks candidly about the Ireland-headquartered company that was established in 2008 by industry stalwarts Eddie O’Connor and Fintan Whelan.

Having been there since Mainstream’s inception, Paul has an unrivalled view of the company’s progress over the years and the discussion tracks the renewable energy developer’s international expansion and its more recent return to operations closer to home.

From Mainstream’s involvement in the Chilean market through to the more recent announcement of Aker Horizons and Mitsui joining as majority shareholders and ambitions in the hydrogen space… this podcast covers a lot of territory!

It is refreshing to come across an organisation that “really gets” ESG and has embedded it into the organisation to the extent that Atrato has done through its alternative asset management platform.

In this week’s Infra Dig podcast, IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville speaks to Atrato co-founder Steve Windsor to hear all about his organisation’s innovation in forwarding increased gender diversity in the renewable energy engineering space, coupled with its impressive charitable contributions 

Pierre-Etienne Franc – chief executive of Hy24 and a founding force behind the Hydrogen Council – talks to IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville about plans for the company and the fund it is creating.

Hy24 launched its equity vehicle – Clean H2 Infrastructure Fund – last October (2021) and looks set to hit final close next month at considerably more than its €1.8 billion hard cap, having already pulled in €1.6 billion with clearly some fresh announcements on the (very short) horizon.

In a far-ranging discussion that covers everything from LPs on the fund through to plans to deliver massive investments into the hydrogen space, Pierre-Etienne speaks candidly about the sector and its potential in the years to come.

In traditional Infra Dig style, the IJGlobal podcast turns the spotlight on the Southern Corridor Development Initiative in Namibia to find out what it’s all about.

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville speaks to Marco Raffinetti, chief executive of Hyphen Hydrogen Energy, the company hoping to pioneer the scale-up of hydrogen production in Namibia.

This is a magnificent plan being driven by the Namibian government that aims to deliver the $9.4 billion project (roughly Namibia’s entire GDP), creating 15,000 jobs , and that – at full development – targets 300,000 metric tons of green hydrogen production per annum.

These hydrogen ambitions will be powered by 5GW of renewable energy generating capacity and 3GW of electrolyser capacity on land owned by the government… and the option to scale up dramatically.

This latest podcast runs for around 30 minutes and delves into everything from an update on the procurement process through to its financing, multilateral support… and so much more.

Angus Leslie Melville – editorial director of IJGlobal, Infrastructure Journal – talks to Anne Foster, global head of ESG and senior director of investments at Quinbrook about the deployment of technology across their platforms and how it improves the fund manager’s standing.

Without so much as a flicker of shame, IJGlobal bangs the drum for the second time to clarion the ESG Awards 2022 (submissions portal closes 17 August) as Anne is given a platform to run through the reasons her firm won the award last year.

Anne, of course, is a well-known figure in ESG circles and last year won the IJGlobal ESG Outstanding Contribution Award having greatly impressed the independent panel of judges.

In a far-ranging podcast – running time around 45 minutes – Anne takes the listener through how Quinbrook has deployed a range of technologies from blockchain through to artificial intelligence in a bid to improve the fund manager’s ESG credentials and achieve efficiencies.

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville speaks to Nicholas Beatty, founding director of Zenobē Energy Limited, about their success as winner of the ESG Infrastructure Deal of the Year 2021.

Zenobē Energy won the award for Project Blaise – a landmark £150 million equity raise from Infracapital to accelerate investment into battery storage and bus fleet electrification in the UK and international markets where it operates.

Conversation evolves beyond rank self promotion for the IJGlobal ESG Awards and turns to how Zenobē is evolving its business as it builds a presence – beyond its home market of the UK – in Benelux, Australia and New Zealand.

Angus Leslie Melville – editorial director of IJGlobal (Infrastructure Journal) – sits down for a fireside chat with Carlos Vitoria, investment manager and early investor at Spanish crowdfunding platform Fundeen, to hear all about this European endeavour.

In a far-ranging discussion, Carlos runs through the service Fundeen is providing and how it is giving people the opportunity to invest in renewable energy while also taking on projects that may otherwise struggle to attract equity and debt.

Carlos talks at length about a development that he believes to be the smallest project finance transaction of all time as Fundeen leads the field with an innovative solution for developers and investors that brings Net Zero one (albeit small) step closer to being achieved.

In this week’s Infra Dig podcast, IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville talks to return guest Mike Flynn of Michael Flynn Associates about this disastrous, directly-procured light rail project.

Mike – known widely as an itinerant builder of railways – delves into his knowledge of the Scottish capital’s plans to build a tram system and looks at what went wrong.

Some 45 minutes later and there’s a lot more to say… and Mike never even touched on the inquiry that has been running since 2008, racking up a cost (so far) of £12.5 million, with no end in sight.

To put that into context, the Iraq Inquiry was announced in 2009 and published in 2016.

This podcast gives a railway-builder’s view of a disaster project that brought the centre of Edinburgh to a grinding halt for years, set the public side to war with the private, but now provides a valued mass transit solution… with plans afoot for an extension.

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville is joined by Maxine Ghavi, senior vice president and head of the grid edge solutions business at Hitachi Energy, who has some 30 years’ experience in the sector.

Maxine has held a number of senior roles around Hitachi Energy – and ABB prior to that – and her specialist knowledge spans the breath of the power industry… including grid edge technologies, microgrids, storage, renewable energy in general, software and semiconductors.

This podcast falls into the category of How It Works and is designed to increase understanding across the industry as she delves into just what “grid edge” means and how that sits alongside battery storage and microgrids.

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville talks to Mike Flynn of Michael Flynn Associates about Ireland’s ambitions to – finally – deliver the metro system it has long aspired to.

Mike, who has been described as an “itinerant builder of railways” and led one of the teams on the first procurement process, speaks openly about the challenging project, his experience in the last process and its return at Metrolink.

He swiftly refutes claims that it is a “monumental stinker of a project” defending the Metrolink as an essential piece of infrastructure that Dublin sorely needs… which is confirmed by its having made it back to the table.

This week’s podcast focuses primarily on Dublin’s mass-transit solution, but also takes a broader look at light rail projects, with Mike giving an expert view having worked on projects across Continental Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Australia, as well as North and South America.

Mike has also been involved in almost all of the UK’s tramways and metros in some way shape or form over the years… and he even went through the baptism of fire that was Edinburgh Tram.

Simon Morrish, founder and chief executive of Xlinks, talks to IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville about his company’s plans for a truly ambitious project that reaches a landmark stage this month.

He runs the through Xlink’s strategy for solar plants and wind farms in southern Morocco (with associated battery energy storage systems) before discussing XLCC – the company that will be creating the 15,200km of HVDC cable in the UK. 

And then there is the cable-laying ship which will be fuelled by hydrogen to maintain green credentials throughout and will be the biggest such vessel in the world.

Then discussion moves on to plans to project finance the £18 billion transaction… and so much more.

In a longer than normal podcast – at around 45 minutes – Agnes delves into the finance model to give a masterclass on how project finance transactions are put together.

This podcast sees Infra Dig return to one of its stated missions: to explain how things in the Infrastructure and Energy world actually work, interviewing established professionals who can explain… without leaning too heavily on jargon to allow for the proliferation of understanding of this growing asset class.

Far-ranging discussion runs through the procurement process, bidding, creation of Special Purpose Vehicles, the role of equity on project finance deals, and arranging debt, leading on to operations.

Fiona is an established player in the energy sector and has a CV that includes a long spell as Norton Rose Fulbright head of nuclear services, followed by serving as PwC global lead for nuclear capital projects and infrastructure. 

More recently, she set up her own company – FiRe Energy Ltd – and works a heck of a lot with the UK government… among many other things.

In this podcast, Fiona shares her wisdom on the UK nuclear scene as well as delving into £16 billion Xlinks project between Morocco and the UK.

IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville sits down to chew the electrons with Toddington who runs the UK’s most innovative EV charging company which has already established its Electric Forecourts in Braintree (Essex) and Norwich (Norfolk).

In a longer-than-normal (about 45 minutes) podcast, Toddington speaks frankly about his own plans for the UK and partnering in other markets and gives a thorough run-through of a fascinating infrastructure sub sector.

In a new style of podcast – presented by IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville – the mission is to explain “how it works”… and to that end we introduce Niklas Persson, managing director of the Hitachi Energy unit grid integration business, who has deep history in the interconnector space.

This style of podcast – explaining how things work before looking at the wider market – is driven by an established belief that many people who lend to projects or acquire assets often have paper-thin understanding of how the underlying asset actually works.

To this end, Niklas runs through his sector, explaining what interconnectors are and how they work, before moving on to HVDC and the key role it plays in transmitting energy over long distances. Conversation then moves on to the wider market, briefly discussing some projects that Hitachi Energy is delivering.

Before delving into the UK’s ambition to deliver 24GW of new nuclear energy by 2050, Tim gives a brief update on the 4 Ukrainian nuclear power plants and then it’s all about British nuclear and cross-party support to deliver an ambitious programme.

Tim – who currently serves as chair of both the Nuclear Risk Insurers and the UK's Nuclear Industry Association – talks candidly about the challenges being faced and the massive investment programme that finally looks to have the support that will catapult it off the drawing board.

The latest in the Infra Dig podcast series, sees discussion centre on small modular reactors – SMRs – a subject that NuScale Power is more than qualified to discuss given it will have its first unit operational before the end of this decade… and if you want one sooner, Chris reckons he could line you up with one before then!

As things stand, the first NuScale SMR power plant will be in Idaho Falls as a front-runner for the Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP), an initiative spearheaded by the public power consortium Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS). 

The NuScale Power Module will start generating power in Utah in 2029, with the remaining modules coming online for full plant operation by 2030.

This is an exciting company at the forefront of a revolution in baseload, low-carbon energy generation and Chris has a lot to say on the matter…

Staying true to the Infra Dig mission to host podcasts with infrastructure and energy experts, this one sees IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville share airspace with a PPP insurance specialist of considerable renown.

Warren’s career started in the mid-90s and he has been active in PPP insurance since the turn of the millennium at JLT and then Aon, until leaving in 2018 when he returned to studies and re-branded as a consultant.

Today’s discussion ranges from the fundamental product of insurance and the role it plays in the procurement of PPP projects through to projects that go wrong – Edinburgh Sick Kids and Cornwall Schools, being 2 examples – and what we can learn from these projects.

In this latest Infra Dig podcast where we interview infrastructure and energy specialists from around the globe, the spotlight turns on the Australia-headquartered GI Hub to learn more about its plans to increase private sector involvement in the delivery of infra investments in lower-to-middle income markets.

The G20-backed organisation is a not-for-profit organisation – formed by the G20 and majority financed by it – that “advances the delivery of sustainable, resilient, and inclusive infrastructure”.

In this 30-minute podcast, Marie talks listeners through the Hub’s strategy and involvement in markets – as diverse as Indonesia, Mexico and Saudi Arabia – as it rolls out its mission to support transformative investment where it is needed most.

There are few people in the market with as all-encompassing a view on nuclear and the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, given Tim’s role as chair of the Nuclear Risk Insurers. He is also chair of the UK's Nuclear Industry Association.

In the podcast Tim says that: “The 4 nuclear sites that provide 50% of Ukraine’s power are still operating and they are currently… operating safely and sensibly.”

The invasion of Ukraine, Tim says, has added another “bolt of lightning” to the question over energy security which now centres on the “Russian hegemony of gas and oil” which “cannot continue”.

Tim says: “It has rattled cages all around the world in terms of thinking about energy security and sovereignty of energy and it has added more fire to the conversation over what should a sensible energy system in a country look like.”

The conversation moves on to the deployment of Advanced Modular Reactors (AMR), role that is to be played by hydrogen and – the holy grail for nuclear – fusion.

Ian retired recently and is a well-known figure in the infrastructure financing community having worked in banking, at a monoline insurer, as an investment banker, as well as having had a stint at a credit rater.

This latest podcast continues the theme of energy investment, delving into international renewable energy agendas, the ambition to hit Net Zero and whether it’s realistic to anticipate a world in the foreseeable future where all energy is derived from alternative sources.

Tim – who was appointed chair of the UK's Nuclear Industry Association in October 2018 and has been chair of the Nuclear Risk Insurers for more than 6 years – is an internationally-renowned champion of nuclear energy as a primary solution to a low-carbon future and a well-known figure in the infrastructure finance community.

In this podcast, Tim focuses on how the UK will finance a massive investment programme in the nuclear space which is poised – not without its issues – to deliver billions of pounds worth of investment over the coming years.

Tim – who was appointed chair of the UK's Nuclear Industry Association in October 2018 and has been chair of the Nuclear Risk Insurers for more than 6 years – is an internationally-renowned champion of nuclear energy as a primary solution to a low-carbon future and a well-known figure in the infrastructure finance community.

In this podcast, hosted by IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville, Tim delves into the UK nuclear industry, identifying a massive requirement to build new capacity in the coming years before spotting trends across the international scene, comparing it with large-scale alternatives like offshore wind and the burgeoning hydrogen market.

So why is IJGlobal covering infrafintech? 

Our primary focus is covering infrastructure finance at the project level, perhaps uncovering the debt pricing on an 18-year non-recourse loan for a Taiwan offshore wind farm. Or maybe disclosing the short-listed bidders on an M&A transaction concerning the equity interest of a road project company in India.

This first podcast season doesn't share any project-level details nor does it offer particular insights for sector specialists. Rather, it tells a story about an industry-wide issue – the nexus between infrastructure, finance, and technology.

The word infrafintech, which we coined in a feature in 2021, only appears on the IJGlobal website 4 times. Out of nearly 150,000 news articles and features, infrafintech really doesn’t appear on anyone’s radar.

Talking about the why not to cover infrafintech reveals exactly why we should cover it on our first podcast season ... because it’s not on anyone’s radar.

Even well-known business analytics platforms and global fintech databases don’t categorise infrafintech within the fintech industry. The market is undoubtedly small. But that’s today. What about tomorrow? ... What about developing a future worth creating?

Infrafintech – Infrastructure finance reimagined puts a stark question to the infrastructure finance industry ... Why are we practically the last area of financial services to adopt fintech solutions? 

Fintech has significantly enabled and disrupted nearly all aspects of financial services. Yet to date infrastructure finance is the black sheep in the fintech family.

Infrafintech may have its greatest impact in developing markets including those in Asia Pacific, where the need to increase technology investment, lower impact costs, and enhance policy measures is abundantly clear.

This first season targets three audiences – daily users of infrafintech, infrafintech solution providers, and financial backers of infrafintech, whether in the venture capital or corporate venture communities. This triumvirate represents the demand, supply, and financing of the inchoate infrafintech industry. 

Episode 1 – The almost right word – focuses on unpacking infrastructure as an asset class and the contours of infrastructure finance. 

It is critical that our three audiences share a common foundation of understanding. The venture capital industry, in particular, has tended not to have infrastructure finance in its opportunity set.  That's why we examine what infrastructure is and how the private sector has taken an increasingly expansive view of the asset class. 

Entrepreneurs and financiers of infrafintech solutions will need to pick and choose where along the financial value chain to concentrate. Therefore, we also explore infrastructure finance and ways founders can bucket their infrafintech solutions.

It’s easy to lose sight of what is at stake in the financing of large, complex infrastructure assets. We can become disconnected from the human element. In their pitches, founders of infrafintech solutions need to weave in what is at stake – the human element – to capture the imagination of the venture capital and corporate venture communities.

In episode 2, we delve into the challenges facing infrastructure finance to lay the groundwork for what infrafintech startups may pr