DIF Capital Partners, through DIF Infrastructure VI (“DIF”), is pleased to announce its investment in the 900-megawatt Cascade Power Project (“Cascade” or the “Project”) in Canada. Together with joint equity sponsors OPTrust and Axium Infrastructure, DIF will invest in the construction of Cascade. The equity sponsors and its development sponsors Kineticor and Macquarie Capital, successfully closed financing of the CAD 1.5 billion Project today, including securing non-recourse project financing.

Cascade is a 900-megawatt combined cycle natural gas-fired generating facility to be located near Edson, Alberta. Siemens Energy will provide two highly efficient single shaft SCC6-8000H power trains and provide maintenance support under a long-term service agreement. Cascade is strategically situated in proximity to significant gas production as well as the NGTL System and high voltage electrical transmission lines, an important competitive advantage for Cascade. Construction will start immediately with commercial operations commencing in 2023. Cascade is contracted and benefits from long-term gas netback agreements which provide cashflow stability and downside protection once the project is commissioned.

Cascade will lead the transition to a lower carbon intensive power grid in Alberta by supporting the province’s transition off coal-fired power, generating low emissions electricity that is expected to supply over 8 percent of the province’s average demand. With Alberta contributing over 50 percent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation, Cascade is expected to result in one of the largest emissions reduction opportunities in the country’s electricity sector.

BPC, a joint venture between affiliates of PCL Construction and Overland Contracting Canada, Inc., a Black & Veatch Company, will construct the facility under an Engineering, Procurement and Construction Services contract with Kineticor acting as construction and asset manager. Cascade will additionally benefit the local community with over 3 million work hours of labour required for construction, creating approximately 600 jobs during peak construction as well as 25 long-term jobs during operation.

About DIF Capital Partners

DIF Capital Partners is a leading global independent infrastructure fund manager, with €7.6 billion of assets under management across nine closed-end infrastructure funds and several co-investment vehicles. DIF Capital Partners invests in greenfield and operational infrastructure assets located primarily in Europe, the Americas and Australasia through two complementary strategies:

• DIF Infrastructure funds target equity investments in public-private partnerships (PPP/PFI/P3), concessions, utilities and renewable energy projects with long-term contracted or regulated income streams.
• DIF CIF funds target equity investments in small to mid-sized economic infrastructure assets in the telecom, energy and transportation sectors.

DIF has a team of over 145 professionals, based in nine offices located in Amsterdam (Schiphol), Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Paris, Santiago, Sydney and Toronto. Please visit www.dif.eu for further information.

Contact: Allard Ruijs, Partner; a.ruijs@dif.eu.