Long term investment fund Meridiam Infrastructure is granted with three Global Awards, given in London by Project Finance International Magazine.

These three awards are:

•   GLOBAL FINANCIAL SPONSOR OF THE YEAR

•   European Infrastructure Deal of the Year: R1 Motorway in Slovakia

•   Americas PPP Deal of the Year: Port of Miami Tunnel

Thomson Reuters subsidiary, Project Finance International Magazine is the leading source of global project finance intelligence.  

Meridiam has seen great success in 2009, closing six deals with a total value of €5.9bn, spread across Eastern Europe, Western Europe and the US:

This €1.6bn concession project includes the design, building, financing, operation and maintenance of a new section of road connecting the 2,300km existing segment to the German border. The A2 motorway forms part of Poland’s most strategic corridor and is an important transportation link between Western and Eastern Europe (Warsaw to Berlin).
European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing a €1bn 27-year loan while a club of nine banks provided the €400m 20-year commercial loan.
Holding a 40% equity stake in the company dedicated to the project, Meridiam is involved up to €77m for 30 years.

The R1 highway project is the first Slovakian PPP project. The Project consists in the design, building, financing, operation and maintenance of 52km three main sections of the 2x2 lane R1 expressway between Nitra and Tekovske Nemce as well as the Banska Bystrica Northern Bypass.
This project will be conducted by Vinci, with the support of a pool of twelve banks and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), providing a €1.8bn 25 year loan.
Meridiam took a 50% stake in the project company and is involved up to €75m for 30 years. 
This project is awarded “EUROPEAN INFRASTRUCTURE DEAL OF THE YEAR”.

This €633m project consists in widening a 42km motorway section and in the operation and maintenance of 60km of the Malsch-Offenbourg motorway.
The BEI is providing part of the financing.
Meridiam is involved for 30 years with a €59m investment.

This €74m project consists in the design, building, financing, operation and maintenance of an olympic velodrome with a 250m long, 8m wide track, that may contain 5,000 spectators. The project includes also a 39,000m² real estate program.
Alongside Bouygues for the design and construction, Meridiam is an 85% shareholder for 6.6m in the project company for 30 years.

This €2bn project consists in the construction, maintenance and operation of 21.4 kilometers of the North Tarrant Express toll road in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It will require a total investment of 2 billion dollars.
Meridiam completed a $400 million bond issue for financing
Meridiam holds a  33% stake in the company project for 52 years.

First PPP signed by Florida State, this project faced numerous developments before its closing, right in the financial crisis. Amounting $900m, the project involves a concession to build and operate a tunnel 35 meters under the sea to ease port of Miami traffic. Bouygues is in charge of the building work. 
The Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) is providing a $281m loan. The banking loan is provided by a club of exclusively European banks.
Meridiam is engaged up to €60m for 35 years.
This project is awarded “AMERICAS PPP DEAL OF THE YEAR”.

« These awards grant first Meridiam design, the simple and safe one consisting in investing in very long term projects serving the general interest. », says Thierry Déau, Meridiam CEO. « We are pleased to receive these three global awards which close a year 2009 rich in deals and strengthen our investors’ trust, nearby whom we are raising our second funds. »