Canadian pension fund invests in Mahindra’s renewables arm

Mahindra Group has agreed to sell a 30% equity stake in Mahindra Susten to the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan for around $300 million. The two parties have also agreed to set up an infrastructure investment trust so Mahindra Susten can strengthen its solar, hybrid energy, and integrated storage businesses, as well as its round-the-clock green energy plants.

September 19, 2022 Uma Gupta

Deepak Thakur, CEO of Mahindra Susten

Image: Mahindra Susten

Mahindra Group has signed a binding agreement to sell a 30% equity stake in its renewables arm, Mahindra Susten, to Canada’s Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan for around $300 million (INR 2,371 crore, CAD 398.8 million).

The proposed transaction envisages the establishment of an infrastructure investment trust (InvIT). The InvIT will initially include Mahindra Susten’s operating renewable portfolio of around 1.54 GWp. The National Stock Exchange defines “InvITs as a collective investment scheme similar to a mutual fund, which enables direct investment of money from individual and institutional investors in infrastructure projects to earn a small portion of the income as a return.”

The partnership with the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan will enable the Mahindra Group to unlock value in the renewable energy sector with more joint investments. As part of the proposed transaction, shareholder loans of $73 million advanced by Mahindra Group to Mahindra Susten will be repaid. Mahindra Group will receive an inflow of around $165 million.

Mahindra Group and the Canadian pension fund will jointly explore the sale of an additional 9.99% stake in Mahindra Susten by May 31, 2023. Mahindra Group will deploy these funds, plus an incremental amount of up to $220 million, to the business and the InvIT over the next seven years. Over the same period, the the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan has committed to deploy an additional amount of up to $450 million into the business and the InvIT.

The transaction will enable Mahindra Susten to build a renewable energy business focused on solar energy, hybrid energy, integrated energy storage, and round-the-clock green energy plants, said Mahindra Group.

This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.