Trading power and carbon presents on opportunity for the energy industry to capitalise on high-growth, high-value markets, in addition to the obvious benefits presented by the move to renewable, sustainable, Earth-friendly generation and decarbonisation solutions. Like any other, carbon emissions—as well as electricity—can be considered a specification for commodities and the industry is experiencing a development, acquisition, and consolidation “boom” right now.
Nord Pool exchange links Norway and Britain
Nord Pool, Europe’s leading power market has announced that it has received an operating license to host day-ahead power trading auctions for the first electricity cable linking Norway and Britain from this autumn, Norway’s Energy Regulatory Authority (NVE-RME) said. Much the same in principle as any British trade platform, Nord Pool offers day-ahead and intraday trading, clearing, and settlement to customers regardless of size or location. 360 companies from 20 countries trade on Nord Pool’s markets and the concession allows Nord Pool to run auctions for delivery over the new 1,400 megawatt (MW) North Sea Link cable once trial operations begin on Oct. 1.
US private equity firm acquires UK renewable energy firm Anesco
On the back of this news comes that of the acquisition by Ara Partners, an industrial decarbonisation-focused private equity firm, of Anesco Holdings, a UK market leader in renewable energy that develops, designs, and manages the construction, maintenance, and market optimisation of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
Anesco has developed and constructed more than 115 solar farms and energy storage facilities—including the UK’s first solar farm free from subsidies—while its operations and maintenance service now has close to 1.2 gigawatt (GW) of renewable assets under management.
Charles Cherington, co-founder and managing partner of Ara Partners, said, “Our focus is on accelerating decarbonisation by investing in and building ambitious companies such as Anesco that have energy efficiency and sustainability at their heart.”
Mark Futyan, who joined Anesco as CEO in 2020, will continue to lead the business with the support of the senior management team. “This is a pivotal moment for Anesco, as we gear up to deliver the next wave of large scale, subsidy-free solar and energy storage capacity,” he said.
Ara Partners invests in the industrial and manufacturing, chemicals and materials, energy efficiency and green fuels and food and agriculture sectors, seeking to build businesses that are focused on sustainability and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) principles. Ara Partners and Anesco are considered ideal partners owing to their strong focus on the services business model and commitment to supporting the net zero energy transition.
