IFC and IFC ALAC Fund Invest $100 Million to Help InterEnergy Grow and Develop Cleaner Energy Sources in the Caribbean and Latin America
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, February 21, 2013 – IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the IFC African, Latin American and Caribbean Fund (IFC ALAC Fund), today announced a joint $100 million equity investment to help InterEnergy Holdings (IEH) develop cleaner and more efficient energy sources in the Caribbean and expand operations in Latin America.
IFC and the IFC ALAC Fund, which is managed by the IFC Asset Management Company, will each provide $50 million in equity to IEH, a company focused on the power sector in the Caribbean and Latin America, and one of the leading private investors in power generation, transmission and distribution in the Dominican Republic.
“IFC’s equity investment together with the IFC ALAC Fund, is a natural evolution of our long-term partnership with IFC, which was a lender to IEH portfolio companies in the past,” said Rolando Gonzalez Bunster, IEH’s Chairman and CEO. “We will work together to bring more reliable, cost-efficient and cleaner energy production to the Dominican Republic and also plan to be directly involved in the development of power sector solutions for Haiti, facilitating economic development in the island of Hispaniola.”
IFC and the IFC ALAC Fund’s investments will help IEH expand and upgrade its existing operations and develop new projects to diversify the Dominican Republic’s energy sources, thereby reducing the country’s reliance on fuel oil for power generation. These investments are expected to save fuel costs by increasing the country’s capacity to import liquefied natural gas, while also developing renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power. The high cost of energy and the need for power sector subsidies has long been a significant constraint to the Dominican Republic’s economic growth and macro-economic stability.
In addition, IEH plans to leverage its vast footprint in the Dominican Republic as well as its team’s experience in the Caribbean and Latin America to extend its reach into other markets in the region, thus strengthening and diversifying its portfolio of assets. IEH is in discussions to make important investments in Haiti, where it expects to play a significant role in the development of the power sector in the future. The company is also considering investments in other countries in the region.
“In the Caribbean power sector, IEH has an established track record of achieving both high developmental impact and commercial success,” said Jean Philippe Prosper, IFC Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “This investment fits with IFC’s strategy in the Caribbean to improve competitiveness through improved access to infrastructure services, and mitigate climate change by developing cleaner energy sources.”
Sujoy Bose, Chief Investment Officer and Head of the IFC ALAC Fund added, “We are pleased to be investing in IEH to facilitate its expansion and growth. IEH is embarking on an exciting future as it seeks to leverage its existing distribution and generation assets by diversifying into more efficient fuel sources which will lead to the reduction of its power generation costs and thereby lower costs for the consumer.”
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. We help developing countries achieve sustainable growth by financing investment, mobilizing capital in international financial markets, and providing advisory services to businesses and governments. In FY12, our investments reached an all-time high of more than $20 billion, leveraging the power of the private sector to create jobs, spark innovation, and tackle the world’s most pressing development challenges. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.
About IFC Asset Management Company
IFC Asset Management Company LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of IFC, invests third-party capital, enabling outside investors to benefit from IFC’s expertise in achieving strong equity returns, as well as positive development impact in the countries in which it invests. It manages over $4.7 billion of capital across five investment funds.
About the IFC African, Latin American and Caribbean Fund
The IFC ALAC Fund is a $1 billion investment fund that invests alongside IFC in equity investments in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. It provides long-term growth capital for private enterprises in these regions.
About InterEnergy Holdings
InterEnergy Holdings (“IEH”) owns and operates power generation and distribution assets in Latin America and the Caribbean. IEH is one of the largest investors in the power sector of the Dominican Republic, with controlling positions in Consorcio Energético Punta Cana Macao S.A. (“CEPM”) and Compañía de Electricidad de San Pedro de Macorís (“CESPM”). In addition, InterEnergy indirectly holds the largest economic interest in Haina Investment Company, the private sector shareholder of Empresa Generadora de Electricidad Haina S.A. (“EGE Haina”). IEH’s asset portfolio represents more than 1,100 MW of combined installed capacity in the Dominican Republic, with another 215 MW under construction. IEH, through its predecessor, was also a pioneer in the use of renewable energy in the Dominican Republic, by establishing the first wind power complex in the country, a partnership between EGE Haina and CEPM with the Los Cocos and Quilvio Cabrera wind farms.
