Key Takeaways
- • Ares Infrastructure Equity has acquired a significant minority stake in Statera Energy's roughly 1.9 GW U.K. portfolio of battery storage and flexible generation assets, marking the strategy's first European investment, according to an Ares announcement carried on EQS.
- • Terms of the transaction, including pricing, were not disclosed.
- • The portfolio includes the 680 MW Carrington battery storage project and the 750 MW Thurrock flexible generation facility.
- • Statera will continue to own, operate and manage the platform and retains a development pipeline of roughly 16 GW across storage and flexible capacity.
- • The deal signals Ares' preference for scaled operating assets with near-term cash generation and expansion optionality, while competition for large U.K. storage portfolios remains intense.
Summary
Ares Infrastructure Equity has acquired a significant minority stake in Statera Energy's roughly 1.9 gigawatt portfolio of U.K. battery storage and flexible generation assets, according to an Ares announcement carried on EQS and covered by Renewables Now. The investment marks the strategy's first European investment. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The portfolio includes the Carrington battery storage project, rated at about 680 megawatts, and the Thurrock flexible generation facility of about 750 megawatts, among other assets. Statera will continue to own, operate and manage the platform and retains a development pipeline of roughly 16 gigawatts across storage and flexible capacity, according to the company and trade coverage.
The transaction reflects a familiar infrastructure equity approach: backing an experienced operator that already controls operating capacity and a deep pipeline, rather than assembling a greenfield portfolio. U.K. storage and flexible generation have become core tools for balancing intermittent renewables, attracting private capital seeking contracted or merchant cash flows tied to grid services and peaking power.
For Ares, opening its Infrastructure Equity Europe book with a minority stake in an operating U.K. platform signals a preference for scaled assets with near-term cash generation and expansion optionality. Keeping Statera in the operating seat reduces the need for a full platform build-out while still giving Ares exposure to capacity additions as the 16 GW pipeline advances.
Allocators tracking European energy transition deals will note the undisclosed pricing and minority structure. Both leave room for further capital raises or a larger Ares position later, while underscoring that competition for large U.K. storage and flexibility portfolios remains intense among infrastructure funds.
The portfolio includes the Carrington battery storage project, rated at about 680 megawatts, and the Thurrock flexible generation facility of about 750 megawatts, among other assets. Statera will continue to own, operate and manage the platform and retains a development pipeline of roughly 16 gigawatts across storage and flexible capacity, according to the company and trade coverage.
The transaction reflects a familiar infrastructure equity approach: backing an experienced operator that already controls operating capacity and a deep pipeline, rather than assembling a greenfield portfolio. U.K. storage and flexible generation have become core tools for balancing intermittent renewables, attracting private capital seeking contracted or merchant cash flows tied to grid services and peaking power.
For Ares, opening its Infrastructure Equity Europe book with a minority stake in an operating U.K. platform signals a preference for scaled assets with near-term cash generation and expansion optionality. Keeping Statera in the operating seat reduces the need for a full platform build-out while still giving Ares exposure to capacity additions as the 16 GW pipeline advances.
Allocators tracking European energy transition deals will note the undisclosed pricing and minority structure. Both leave room for further capital raises or a larger Ares position later, while underscoring that competition for large U.K. storage and flexibility portfolios remains intense among infrastructure funds.
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