M&A Moves
PE firm acquires Houston renewables fuels infrastructure company
Fresh off its $3 billion fund closure, a Houston private equity firm has made its latest acquisition.
Ara Partners announced this week that it has acquired a majority interest in Houston-based USD Clean Fuels, a developer of logistics infrastructure for renewable fuels. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"We have high conviction that the green molecules economy – whether it's renewable fuel feedstocks or biofuels – offers disproportionate opportunity for returns and impact," George Yong, partner and co-head of Infrastructure at Ara Partners, says in a news release. "The USDCF platform is particularly compelling because it combines a best-in-class management team with a portfolio of premiere terminal logistics projects that provide the ideal foundation for a durable and scalable infrastructure business."
Included in the transaction, USDCF has acquired the West Colton Rail Terminal, a biofuels terminal operating in in California. Ara has reportedly committed additional capital to support USDCF's infrastructure footprint expansion.
"We are excited to join forces with Ara Partners to bring critical infrastructure solutions to the rapidly growing North American renewable fuel market, beginning with the West Colton Rail Terminal," Dan Borgen, CEO of USDCF, says in the release. "We are proud to be backed by an investor that is completely focused on enabling an accelerated and economical path to a low-carbon economy."
Ara Partners, which has around $5.6 billion of assets under management, closed its third fund a few weeks ago to the tune of $3 billion. The firm has offices in Houston, Boston and Dublin, Ireland, and focuses on industrial decarbonization.