http://www.newenergyworldnetwork.com/renewable-energy-news/by-technology/solar-by-technology-renewable-energy-news/platina-buys-solar-plants-in-italy.html

Private equity fund manager Platina Partners, which specialises in renewable energy infrastructure investments and buy-outs, has acquired a group of ten solar projects from Italian construction firm Degennaro Group.

With a combined capacity of 10MW, these solar plants in Puglia in southern Italy are all due to be connected to the grid by the end of the year.
They represent the first investment in support of the firm’s strategy to assemble a portfolio of operational renewable electricity generation projects in Europe.
The acquisition is also the twelfth investment from the European Renewable Energy Fund, which Platina closed in March.
Since Platina was established in 2002, it has invested in a combined construction and operational portfolio of around 400MW.
Its portfolio now includes 162MW of operational renewable energy projects, around a fifth of which are solar, with an additional 900MW of projects under development.
The Degennaro Group, which acted as the contractor on the projects, will remain as operations and maintenance contractor.
Platina said it is considering European investment opportunities for the remaining uncommitted funds of its European Renewable Energy Fund.
Joseph Muthu, a partner at Platina Partners, said, ‘We have been seeking the right opportunity to invest in Italy and see it as one of the key European solar markets. In Puglia, there are plenty of PV projects with planning consent but no grid connection. This investment in operational plants does not suffer from this bottleneck.’