British International Investment

Zephyr Wind Farm

South AsiaInfrastructure

Zephyr Power (PVT) Limited is a company incorporated in Pakistan which is constructing a 50 megawatt (MW) wind farm in Gharo, near Karachi.

This investment was made when British International Investment was named CDC Group.

Our investment

Description of the investment.

In 2017, CDC committed up to $41 million ($19.8 million of equity and $20.65 million of debt) for the construction of the project.

CDC is the largest shareholder in Zephyr, with the remainder held by a consortium of local partners, comprising the original developers, the Khaleeli Family, and the Gul Ahmed Metro Group.

The investment is CDC’s first equity investment in Pakistan’s power sector in almost two decades, and first joint debt/equity investment overall.

In addition to equity, we are providing project finance debt alongside Dutch DFI FMO, and United Bank Limited, one of the largest commercial banks in Pakistan.

See also https://www.bii.co.uk/en/story/zephyr-power-2/

Expected impact

Expected impact of investments made between 2012 and 2018. From 2019 onwards, we have published a fuller set of impact information, assessing each investment against six dimensions of impact.

Pakistan has an estimated 6,000MW shortfall at peak times and suffers regular power blackouts that affect millions of people and businesses. Much of the country’s current power is supplied by imported heavy fuel oils.

Our investment will help boost the country's power supply, with the Zephyr Power wind farm providing an additional source of clean, renewable energy to help reduce the number of blackouts in the region.

Construction work on the wind farm started in May 2017, and the development will see the installation of 25 state of the art turbines each of which have a capacity to generate 2MW. Operations at Zephyr are expected to start in late 2018.

It is expected that the project will generate around 500 construction jobs, with many more created indirectly as a result of improved access to power.

Reporting and Complaints Mechanism

The Reporting and Complaints Mechanism allows anyone outside BII to report alleged breaches of the business integrity or environmental and social provisions of BII’s Policy on Responsible Investing. This includes breaches made by BII, a BII investee, or a portfolio company of a fund in which BII has invested. The Reporting and Complaints Mechanism Rules are available here. Reports and complaints can be submitted by email to [email protected] or by mail. See more details on our Reporting and Complaints Mechanism here.

For any other general enquiries contact us at [email protected]

  • Key facts

    Last updated

    When the last quarterly update of the website database occurred.

    :
    June 2024
    Project number

    An identifier number shared by investments in the same project.

    :
    D2376
    Status

    The current status of the investment (green flag for active and red flag for exited).

    :
    Active
    Region

    The geographical region where the country is located. We currently invest in Africa, South Asia, South East Asia and the Caribbean. In 2023, BII’s investment mandate was extended allowing it to invest in regional funds linked to Ukraine, with the majority of activity expected to begin post-war. Investments outside these regions were made prior to 2012 under previous investment mandates.

    :
    South Asia
    Country

    The countries where the investment delivers impact. Where impact is delivered in multiple countries, this is indicated.

    :
    Pakistan
    Sector

    We prioritise those sectors that facilitate development and need our capital the most. Our priority sectors contribute towards many of the Sustainable Development Goals. They range from investing in the power infrastructure that will provide people with better access to electricity, to investing in financial institutions that direct capital to the individuals and businesses that need it the most.

    :
    Infrastructure

    We provide capital in the following ways: directly – through direct equity, direct debt, guarantees and other non-intermediated financial instruments; and indirectly – principally through investment funds.

    For direct investments and fund investments, this is the date BII committed capital to the investments. This is typically the date on which legal agreements are signed by all parties.

    For the portfolio companies of our fund investments, this is the date (either the month or the quarter) on which the fund committed capital to the portfolio company.

    For direct equity investments, this is the date at which British International Investment exited the investment.

    For debt investments, this is the date at which the final debt repayment was made.

    For funds, this is the date at which the fund was terminated.

    For underlying fund investments, this is the date at which the fund manager exited the investment.

    The total amount committed, per financial instrument, per investment, on the date BII becomes subject to a binding legal obligation to provide funding or assume a contingent liability. This information is provided in US dollars.

    For direct investments, this is the amount that BII has committed to the business or project. For fund investments, this is the amount BII has committed to the fund.

    The currency in which the investment was made.

    Investment type :
    Debt
    Start date :
    April 2017
    Amount :
    $20.65m
    Currency of investment :
    USD
    Domicile

    The company or investment fund’s place of incorporation.

    :
    Pakistan

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