Macquarie Asset Management’s latest European infrastructure fund is acquiring Ziton, an offshore wind operations and maintenance business, from Permira Credit funds and other existing shareholders.
The €8bn Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 7 fund is investing an unspecified amount to support the ongoing operations and expansion of Ziton’s fleet and services.
Founded in Denmark in 2007, Ziton owns and operates five jack-up vessels and has serviced 1,800 turbines at 80 offshore wind farms in the North Sea. The company offers a comprehensive solution, including maritime project planning and execution, lift planning and execution, specialised tools and lifting equipment and technical experts.
Gordon Parsons, senior MD at Macquarie Asset Management, said: “Extending the life of existing offshore wind farms whilst delivering the next generation of projects will enable Europe to meet its ambitious net-zero and energy-security goals.
“As a leading infrastructure investor and a major investor in the North Sea offshore wind industry, we recognise Ziton’s essential role in providing the practical solutions needed to ensure Europe’s offshore wind fleet is optimised and resilient.”
Thorsten Jalk, CEO of Ziton, said: “With the support of Permira Credit, we continued our goal of ensuring high uptime for offshore wind turbines to produce clean energy. In this new chapter, we look forward to working with Macquarie Asset Management, as we continue to grow and be a trusted partner for our customers.”
Sam Gross, managing director at Permira Credit and chairman of Ziton, said: “We are pleased to have supported Ziton through what was a challenging period and into its return to strong growth, enabling the business to capitalise on the positive market opportunities in the wind turbine industry.
“Ziton’s sustainable business model will continue to grow with the industry alongside its customers as specialists in upgrading and maintaining turbines.”
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