Ørsted has signed an agreement to divest a 50 % ownership stake in its 1.3GW Hornsea 2 Offshore Wind Farm in the UK to a consortium comprising AXA IM Alts, acting on behalf of clients, and Crédit Agricole Assurances. AXA IM Alts and Crédit Agricole Assurances will each own 25 % of the project.
The investors’ 50 % stake in Hornsea 2 will be funded through a combination of equity and a senior multi-tranche staple financing package provided by 30 banks and including a covered tranche guaranteed by EKF, Denmark’s export credit agency. The financing package was originated and structured by Ørsted.
Hornsea 2 is currently under construction and will be commissioned later in 2022. The total value of the transaction is GBP 3 billion, and the transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2022 once the wind farm is fully commissioned and customary regulatory approvals are obtained.
Spanning an offshore area of 462 km², Hornsea 2 is located 89 km off the Yorkshire coast in the Hornsea zone. Ørsted will provide long-term operations and maintenance (O&M) services for 20 years from its O&M base at the Port of Grimsby. Furthermore, Ørsted will provide the incoming partners with balancing services and a long-term route to market for the renewable electricity generated from Hornsea 2.
