Global Private Infrastructure Investment Remains Steady at $111.6 Bn

Global private infrastructure investment in 2015 mostly remained steady at $111.6 billion when compared to the previous year, according to new data from the World Bank Group’s Private Participation in Infrastructure Database. Solar energy investments climbed 72 percent higher than the last five year average, while renewables attracted nearly two-thirds of investments with private participation.

The data showed that Turkey raised the bar in 2015 with the financial closure of seven projects for a record $44.7 billion, absorbing 40 percent of global investment with two megadeals in transport: Istanbul’s $35.6 billion IGA Airport (including a $29.1 billion concession fee to the government) and the $6.4 billion Gebze-Izmir Motorway.

Though on par with the previous year, global private infrastructure investment in 2015 was 10 percent lower than the previous five-year average because of dwindling commitments in China, Brazil, and India. Brazil in particular saw only $4.5 billion in investments, sharply declining from $47.2 billion in 2014 and reversing a trend of growing investments over the last five years. Though these three historical heavyweights amassed 44 percent of all global projects, their combined investment was only 10 percent of the total compared to 54 percent in 2014.

“The data finds that investments in other emerging economies increased rapidly to $99.9 billion, representing a 92 percent year-over-year increase,” said Clive Harris, Practice Manager, Public-Private Partnerships, World Bank Group. “Eleven of these countries committed at least $1 billion in 2015, well above previous years with several countries reemerging from a two-year or more hiatus to include El Salvador, Georgia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Uganda, and Zambia. Regionally, private infrastructure investments stepped up in Africa and Europe and Central Asia but fell behind in East Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia.” Harris added.

Renewables jumped ahead in 2015 as private infrastructure investments in solar energy swelled to $9.4 billion—72 percent higher than the last five years. Renewables on the whole made up 63 percent of global investment, signaling greater adoption of wind, hydro, and geothermal power. The transport sector took in the highest commitment of $69.9 billion, or 63 percent of global investment, followed by energy at 34 percent and water at 4 percent. Out of 300 projects in 2015, energy captured the most with 205, well ahead of transport with 55 and water and sewerage with 40.

Project sizes are also becoming larger in the last four years, with the highest ever average size of $419.3 million in 2015. In fact, megadeals ruled in 2015, where a record 40 projects exceeded $500 million. The top five countries with the highest investments in 2015, respectively, were Turkey, Colombia, Peru, the Philippines, and Brazil, garnering $74 billion or 66 percent of global commitments in the developing world.