Find out why energy efficiency should be considered as “first fuel”. Robert Hundeshagen, Investment Manager at Aquila Capital, explains why energy efficiency investments play a vital role in the energy transition and truly deliver an impact from a return perspective as well as by addressing key UN Sustainable Development Goals.

With our Forestry investments, we are actively contributing to meeting the UN Sustainability Goals. In our latest 99 seconds video,  Jasper Renk, Asset Manager Forestry, provides insights into our management approach on forestry impact investments and describes one of our forestry assets in Scotland, which is special due to its very high sustainability standards in the ongoing asset management.

Aquila Capital invests in sustainable data centres under its subsidiary brand AQ Compute. Carl von Hessen, Head of Data Centre Investments, provides insights into the investment opportunity. He explains the criteria we consider when building our data centres and why Norway is a perfect location for the asset class.

Are you interested to find out more about about how hydropower plants work both technically and economically? Christian Heidfeld, Aquila Capital’s Head of Asset Management Hydropower, explains in this short film clip how our Alforfa hydro power plant utilises a special cascade system. Our local Chief Operations Officer Francisco Machado provides further insights into how the plant looks from the inside and how he ensures that the plant runs efficiently at all times.

Melanie Schaub, Asset Manager Wind, explains the key criteria she takes into account when visiting on of Aquila Capital’s wind farms in the middle of Denmark for an annual inspection. Aquila Capital’s dedicated asset management team closely inspects the turbines and the local conditions of its wind farms on a regular basis in order to ensure a stable and long-term performance of the park for the investors.

The outbreak of Covid-19 has posed challenges for Real Asset Management, for example due to travel restrictions. Tor Syverud, Head Investment Management Hydropower, gives an insight into Hydropower Asset Management during Covid-19, demonstrating how Aquila Capital is ensuring that hydropower plants continue to operate smoothly during the pandemic.

Several contractors are involved in the technical takeover of a completed wind farm. As asset manager, Aquila Capital coordinates the entire cooperation between all parties involved. Melanie Schaub explains how a punctual and smooth takeover of a wind farm can be ensured.

ESG criteria are becoming increasingly important in the investment world. Aquila Capital pursues a holistic approach in this context. Acting responsibly towards the environment, investors and society are key factors to which Aquila Capital is committed.

In the last five years, Europe has seen significant growth in the use of PPAs for renewable energy. This is largely due to decreasing costs of renewable energy generation, phasing out of feed-in-tariffs as well as growing corporate demand for green energy. Although PPAs are used in several countries across Europe, the majority are concentrated in just a few, where subsidies are limited. However, demand is spreading across the region and several renewable energy projects are seeking PPAs in order to become realised.

The main tasks of Aquila Capital’s project management include the controlling of the revenue and liquidity planning of the asset, as well as the monitoring of the construction schedule and construction budget. Kerstin Fick shows you the construction on site.

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important, as well in the real estate sector. In this context the integration of ESG criteria in real estate investments doesn’t only help to maximizes returns, but also helps to achieve positive social and environement benefits.

Wild bees are central to our ecosystem and biodiversity. But they are threatened species and urgently need protection. Earlier this year, Aquila Capital started a project to colonise wild bees on its solar park land, because the habitat of wild platns and protective structures can help the bees thrive. Together with the University of Oldenburg, we are exploring the possibilities of a wild flower planting programme and providing additional nesting opportunities.

The phase-out of fossil fuels is well underway. District heating is an important component in the transformation of our economic system. Private investment capital plays a decisive role here. This is a highly attractive scenario for infrastructure investors. District heating projects not only offer access to several barely correlated sources of income but are generally supported by a stable political regime that ensures a high degree of planning security.

After Germany, Great Britain and France, Italy and Spain are the 4th and 5th largest logistics markets in Europe. Their geographic locations within Europe enable them to supply the larger countries of the continent relatively quickly, assisted further by their strong infrastructure networks.

Aquila Capital is the largest operator of small scale hydropower plants in Europe. Norway produces more than 90 per cent of its electricity from hydropower. Hydropower is an important part of renewable energy and thus contributes significantly to the reduction of CO2.

Asset Management Optimisation refers to the intelligent collection, analysis and use of data and information that arise when operating on renewable energy systems. From this, optimisation measures are developed.

Asset management in real assets also means to closely control and monitor the asset. And then to take action when repairs or changes must be made - as at this wind turbine in Pinnow.

Sven Schoel (Director of Real Estate Investments) briefly explains the investment rationale of a residential housing project currently being developed in Villaverde (Spain).

Hydropower is one of the most significant renewable energy sources in the world. Norway is the largest hydropower producer in Europe and meets its own electricity requirements almost entirely with hydropower.