Green investments across the world saw a decline in 2009, but 2010 should be a totally different story, with a major push expected to come from December 2009’s Copenhagen summit.
Preliminary figures from international renewable energy consultancy New Energy Finance showed that in 2009, global investments in clean technology (via project finance, asset finance, etc) dropped from $155 billion (€106 billion) to between $105 billion and $115 billion, following the shortage of debt finance caused by the banking crisis.
Although banks have mainly offered a combination of project and asset finance for wind turbines, sea pumps and solar-thermal panels, experts see scope for leasing to play a bigger role in the future. Earlier this year, Steve Moore, relationship manager in the UK for ethical bank Triodos, said “there is definitely a gap in the finance market for projects costing between £5,000 (€5,600) and £100,000”, adding he saw “an opportunity for lessors to step into that market”.
As far as the UK is concerned, another area where leasing could be increasingly important involves anaerobic digesters.
Compass Business Finance is a pioneer in this sector. Its director Bruce Nelson believes that anaerobic plants, despite being limited in the UK, should be more popular in 2010. They would be financed with a mix of structured finance and leasing, providing another market for funders looking at ways to innovate their business.
Antonio Fabrizio
