Keppel Capital secures $815m for global infrastructure projects

Keppel Bay Tower is Singapore's first commercial development to be fully powered by renewable energy. Renewables, decarbonisation solutions, energy and infrastructure are Keppel's focus areas in its Vision 2030 plan.
Keppel Bay Tower is Singapore's first commercial development to be fully powered by renewable energy. Renewables, decarbonisation solutions, energy and infrastructure are Keppel's focus areas in its Vision 2030 plan. PHOTO: KEPPEL CORP

Keppel Capital, the asset management arm of Keppel Corp, has secured an aggregate of US$600 million (S$815 million) in separate managed accounts (SMAs) from international financial institutions.

The SMAs focus on global infrastructure projects with "long-term utility-like contracted cash flows", the firm said yesterday.

The SMAs were put together by leveraging Keppel Corp's expertise and network in renewables, decarbonisation solutions, energy and infrastructure, which are Keppel's focus areas under its long-term Vision 2030 transformation plan.

Keppel Capital chief executive Christina Tan said the firm is well positioned to collaborate with and harness synergies from Keppel Corp's sister entities such as Keppel Asia Infrastructure Fund and Keppel Infrastructure Fund Management.

The move comes as Keppel Capital is seeing an increasing appetite for infrastructure investments, which are often viewed as an attractive asset class with long-term stable cash flows. SMAs are "less susceptible to major economic cycles, short-term fluctuations and provides sustainable, stable and predictable income streams", it said.

Keppel Capital had assets under management of approximately $37 billion as at the end of last year, including in real estate, infrastructure and data centre assets in key global markets.

The firm aims to create value and deliver sustainable returns for institutional and retail investors through a range of products such as listed real estate investment trusts, business trusts, private fund SMAs and pooled investment vehicles.

Yesterday's developments are not expected to have any material impact on the earnings per share and net tangible asset per share of Keppel Corp, which will announce its results for the first half of the year tomorrow.

Last month, Keppel Corp announced a non-binding agreement to merge its offshore and marine arm with Sembcorp Marine following an extended period of low oil prices and persistent disruptions in the oil and gas sector.

Shares of Keppel Corp closed at $5.25 yesterday, unchanged from the day before.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 28, 2021, with the headline Keppel Capital secures $815m for global infrastructure projects. Subscribe