Lazard Sustainable Private Infrastructure team completes inaugural investment in DBE Energy
NEW YORK, December 19, 2022 – Lazard Asset Management (LAM) today announced that the Lazard Sustainable Private Infrastructure team completedits inaugural investment in DBE Energy, owner and operator of an anaerobic digestion (AD) plant in Surrey, England.
The investment has been made in partnership with DBE’s experienced management team who will continue operating the plant with LAM as a majority shareholder. The DBE Energy plant contributes to both the decarbonisation and circular economy ambitions of the U.K. by producing green, renewable gas from organic waste and supplying it to the National Grid for commercial and domestic use as a carbon neutral alternative to fossil gas.
“The Lazard Global Sustainable Private Infrastructure strategy focuses on making investments in infrastructure companies that we believe are well-positioned to achieve strong investment performance while delivering positive and measurable improvements in ESG and sustainability outcomes,” said Robert Wall, Head of Sustainable Private Infrastructure at LAM. “The AD market in the U.K., despite being one of the most advanced in Europe, is fragmented and thus creates significant potential for consolidation and growth. We are delighted to have completed this investment in DBE Energy, and together with its management team are looking forward to growing this partnership further.”
DBE Energy’s state-of-the-art AD plant began receiving local food waste in January 2020 and has the capacity to process 25,000 tonnes of waste each year to produce up to 2.3 million cubic metres of clean, green, renewable biomethane, providing energy for around 700 average sized family homes per year.
The Sustainable Private Infrastructure team, led by Robert Wall and based in London, comprises John Cresswell as Operating Advisor alongside Vitaly Filipskiy, Xenia Bredima and Alexis Agabriel. The team has extensive experience in private investment and asset ownership.
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About Lazard Asset Management
A subsidiary of Lazard Ltd (NYSE: LAZ), Lazard Asset Management offers a range of equity, fixed-income, and alternative investment products worldwide. As of November 30, 2022, Lazard’s asset management businesses managed approximately $221 billion of client assets. For more information about LAM, please visit www.LazardAssetManagement.com.Follow LAM at @LazardAsset.
About the Sustainable Private Infrastructure Team
Robert Wall
Robert has more than 20 years of experience in growing private market investment portfolios, investing in infrastructure companies, and delivering engineering projects. Robert began working in the investment field in 2007, and prior to joining Lazard in 2021, he was a partner and member of the infrastructure investment committee in private markets at Federated Hermes. Previously, he was a founding member of the infrastructure investments team at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.
John Cresswell
John has over 30 years of executive experience, has served as a CEO of listed and private businesses, and as a non-executive director of FTSE 250 companies. Previously, John was the CEO of Arqiva, the telecommunications infrastructure company, and Group CEO of Bibby Line, the provider of critical marine logistics and welfare assets, as well as financial services. John also currently serves as the Chair of J. Murphy and Sons Ltd.
Vitaly Filipskiy
Vitaly has over 10 years of experience in infrastructure and real assets investments. He joined LAM from Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets where he focused on consumer and alternative infrastructure in addition to “core” infrastructure such as utilities and fiber networks.
Xenia Bredima
Xenia has over eight years of experience in infrastructure investments and advisory and joined LAM from Federated Hermes where she was leading origination and asset management projects focusing on transport and the energy transition. Previously she was an Assistant Vice President at Barclays Investment Bank, within the Power, Utilities and Infrastructure EMEA M&A team.
Alexis Agabriel
Alexis has over five years of experience in infrastructure and energy assets and joined LAM from Federated Hermes, focusing on origination and asset management activities in sustainable transport and renewable assets.
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