Fund Manager of the Year

Winner: Mexico Infrastructure Partners

Second place: Patria Investments
Third place: Macquarie Asset Management

In 2023, Mexico Infrastructure Partners issued its second REIT-like vehicle for social infrastructure, in a $339 million IPO. It also released a $484 million issuance on the Mexican Stock Exchange, to help fund the acquisition of one wind and 12 combined cycle power plants. With this deal, the firm became the largest private energy generator in Mexico. In addition, Mexico Infrastructure Partners sold a 50 percent stake in telecommunication platform MXT Holdings to Ardian. The deal consolidated a portfolio of 1,500 towers, 3,800km of fibre optic cables and positioned MXT as the fourth largest telecom infrastructure provider in Mexico.

Deal of the Year

Winner: MXT Holdings (Buyer: Ardian. Seller: Mexico Infrastructure Partners)

Second place: Tramarsa (Buyer: Global Infrastructure Partners. Seller: Grupo Romero)
Third place: Odinsa Aeropuertos (Macquarie Asset Management, Odinsa)

Ardian acquired a 50 percent stake in Mexican telecommunications infrastructure company MXT, entering into a co-control position alongside existing investor Mexico Infrastructure Partners. It is Ardian’s first direct investment in Mexico. The capital will primarily be used for asset acquisition, including that of Centennial Towers Mexico, which comprises a portfolio of around 800 towers purchased from Madison Dearborn at the same time as Ardian’s investment. Centennial Towers was around 50 percent larger than MXT, offering significant scale to the company.

Energy Transition Deal of the Year

Winner: Boa Sorte (Global Infrastructure Partners, Norsk Hydro)

Second place: EnfraGen (Buyer: Glenfarne Energy Transition, Partners Group. Seller: Celsia)
Third place: Arcadia Generación Solar (Buyer: Sonnedix. Seller: Enel Chile)

Hydro Reom, a subsidiary of Norsk Hydro and Atlas Renewable Energy Brazil, which is wholly owned by Global Infrastructure Partners, have backed the Boa Sorte Solar power project, which has a 20-year dollar-linked PPA with Norsk Hydro’s Brazilian subsidiary Albras, thereby contributing to Norsk Hydro’s net-zero objectives. The agreement covers 12 percent of Albras’ annual power consumption. The Boa Sorte solar plant will have an installed capacity of 438MW. The project has secured a $210 million loan from Brazilian development bank BNDES, marking the first time the bank has executed a dollar-indexed loan to a renewable energy project.