EQT has acquired German battery energy storage system developer and operator Ju:niz Energy as part of its new transition infrastructure strategy.
EQT is investing an unspecified amount to acquire the Aschheim-headquartered company from its founder Franz Hauk.
The new transition infrastructure strategy will be led by Jan Vesely, head of EQT transition infrastructure in New York and Asis Echaniz, head of EQT transition infrastructure Europe in Madrid, and chaired by Francesco Starace who joined EQT in 2023 after serving as CEO of Enel.
It will “provide capital, as well as industrial, technological, and sustainability expertise to scale businesses and support the transition to a decarbonised and climate-resilient future”, EQT said.
The transition infrastructure business, which intends to invest in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, will complement its value-add and active core strategies in EQT’s existing €72bn global infrastructure business.
Starace said: “I’m excited that EQT will be able to expand its access to scaling companies with established transition-related solutions, an area that is additive to our existing infrastructure strategies.
“We also see this as a milestone to deepen EQT’s partnerships with our clients by offering a variety of complementary propositions addressing the huge investment need to transition to a low-carbon economy.”
Vesely said: “The pace of technological innovation and a steady reduction in costs, coupled with digitalisation and the evolution of AI, continue to drive the need for a transformation of our energy systems and the economy.
“Against this backdrop, EQT transition infrastructure will help emerging but proven solutions and businesses scale, to create the next generation of sustainable energy infrastructure.”
Echaniz said: “The introduction of this strategy reinforces EQT’s commitment to investing towards a climate-resilient future. Ju:niz Energy is a perfect example of the type of business that EQT Transition Infrastructure will seek to invest in.
“We believe its innovative technology has strong underlying economics and the potential to help our energy infrastructure become significantly cleaner, more affordable and resilient.”
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