DWS Announces First Close of ESG Infrastructure Debt Strategy

DWS today announced the successful first close of its ESG Infrastructure Debt Strategy (EIDS), with a total volume of EUR 323 million. The strategy has garnered strong support from institutional investors in EMEA and APAC, further showcasing DWS’s strategic initiative to grow and scale its private infrastructure and alternative credit business, as well as its previously announced strategy to provide investment solutions supporting the transformation of Europe’s economies.

EIDS targets senior infrastructure debt investments with a focus on continental Europe and sustainable infrastructure assets. The first-close marks an important milestone as DWS continues to expand its presence in the European infrastructure debt market with a strong focus on green and social infrastructure debt investments as well as sustainability-linked-loans.

EIDS is DWS’s second senior European infrastructure debt series, following the successful deployment of more than EUR 850mn in this market segment as part of the first vintage. EIDS will continue the successful pan-European investment strategy with a focus on directly negotiated transactions and mid-market private debt financing. The target raise is EUR 500 to EUR 750 million, of which to date EUR 323 million has been raised, including EUR 120 million in a master vehicle and EUR 200 million in a side vehicle focused exclusively on energy transition debt investments.

EIDS aims to achieve a target gross return of 5.5-6.5% per annum, with an annual distribution target of 5.0-6.0%. The fund will primarily invest in senior secured debt to projects and corporate borrowers operating across sustainability-themed sectors such as renewable energy, energy efficiency and utilities, digital infrastructure, clean transportation, and circular economy projects. At least 50% of the fund’s investments will be aligned with the EU Taxonomy while the strategy is designed to meet the reporting requirements under Article 8 of the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR).

“Infrastructure debt as an asset class continues to draw strong investor interest due to good risk-adjusted returns, attractive illiquidity premiums and a strong pipeline of investment opportunities”, said Sundeep Vyas, Head of Infrastructure Debt Europe at DWS.

“The second iteration of our European senior debt strategy enables institutional investors to invest into a diversified portfolio of debt investments offering stable yield income, downside protection as well as supporting the build-up of resilient and sustainable infrastructure in Europe”, added Benjamin Schmitt, Director Infrastructure Debt at DWS. “We would like to thank our clients who supported us with the first close and look forward to scaling up the strategy to its target size”.

This latest development further demonstrates DWS’s leadership in infrastructure investing in Europe, with more than 20 years of experience across infrastructure equity and debt. The team’s successful track record includes a current AuM of EUR 13.9 billion in infrastructure equity and EUR 3.4 billion AuM in infrastructure debt (as at 30 September 2024).