Acquisition

HSBC Infrastructure Company Limited 10 October 2007 10 October 2007 HICL Buys Stakes in Five Education Projects and HSE's Merseyside Headquarters HSBC Infrastructure Company Limited ('HICL'), the listed infrastructure investment company, announces today it has completed the acquisition for £30.2 million of 50% interests, in five education projects and the Health and Safety Executive's Merseyside headquarters, through a new joint venture with Kajima Partnerships Ltd ('KPL'), a subsidiary of Kajima Corporation ('Kajima'). The acquisition of equity and loan notes is payable in cash from existing resources and debt facilities. It takes the number of projects in HICL's portfolio to 27. These six assets, all Private Finance Initiative ('PFI') accommodation projects are: •The headquarters of the Health & Safety Executive ('HSE') in Merseyside •Ealing Schools, comprising one secondary school and three primary schools •North Tyneside Schools, comprising one secondary school and three primary schools •Wooldale Centre for Learning, comprising a secondary school with sixth form, public library, primary school and nursery •Haverstock school, a new secondary school in London •Darlington Schools consisting of an Education Village and one primary school All six projects were developed by KPL and built by Kajima Construction Europe, Kajima's construction arm, and are now operational. The facilities management providers are Honeywell Control Systems Ltd and Reliance Integrated Services Limited for HSE's headquarters, and MITIE PFI Ltd for the five schools. KPL will continue the day-to-day management of these projects and there is the opportunity for HICL to invest, through this joint venture, in other projects developed by KPL. Tony Roper, Director, HSBC Specialist Fund Management Limited, HICL's Investment Adviser, said: 'I am pleased to have acquired these six project interests from KPL. They are high quality assets with a good operational track record. They complement well the existing investments in the HICL portfolio, and we look forward to working with KPL to ensure they are well managed and successful.' Julian Rudd-Jones, Director, Kajima Partnerships Limited, said: 'We are delighted to have concluded this joint venture transaction with HICL. We look forward to a successful relationship and the opportunity it gives us and our partners to grow the business further.' Ends M:Communications +44 (0)20 7153 1523 Ed Orlebar HSBC Infrastructure Company Limited The Company is a long term investor in infrastructure projects which are predominantly in their operating phase and yielding steady returns. It was the first infrastructure investment company to be listed on the London Stock Exchange. Following this acquisition, it owns a portfolio of 27 infrastructure projects, mostly operational, and seeks to acquire further investment opportunities. The Investment Adviser to the Company is HSBC Specialist Fund Management Limited, whose infrastructure investment team has successfully invested in infrastructure projects since 1997 and which is part of HSBC Specialist Investments, the infrastructure and real estate investment arm of the HSBC Group. Kajima Corporation Kajima Corporation is an industry leader in the field of construction and has extensive expertise in the development, design and construction of a wide variety of sizeable infrastructure projects. Generating annual consolidated sales in excess of $16 billion (as at 31 March 2007), Kajima Corporation ranks as one of the top construction entities in the world. Kajima Corporation currently maintains a workforce of approximately 9,100 employees at its headquarters in Tokyo, at its 12 domestic branches and at numerous sales/project offices throughout Japan. Its global operations network spans more than 20 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the United States. KPL was created specifically to provide Kajima with a vehicle for its involvement in the UK PFI/PPP market. KPL has utilised, and continues to exploit, its procurement skills to obtain positions as project sponsor and project manager on a diverse portfolio of projects. Key sectors in which KPL has been involved include government offices, education, health, civic facilities and emergency services (e.g. fire, police and rescue). Kajima is bidding currently for a number of PFI projects in the UK and is committed to consolidating its position across its core sectors of education, health and accommodation. The Portfolio •The Ealing Schools PFI project is a four-school education PFI project consisting of one secondary school (Brentside) and three primary schools (Downe Manor, Gifford and Ravenor) in the London Borough of Ealing. The schools became operational in 2004. The contract has a 27-year operational term that expires in 2031. •The North Tyneside Schools PFI project is a four-school education PFI project consisting of one secondary school (Burnside) and three primary schools (Western, Marine, Coquet) in North Tyneside. The schools became operational in 2003/2004. The contract has a 30-year operational team that expires in 2034. •The Wooldale Centre for Learning is an education PFI project consisting of a Centre for Learning (CfL) comprising a secondary school with sixth form, public library, primary school and nursery on a large site in Northamptonshire. The first phase of the CfL (the primary school, library and part of the secondary school) became operational in 2004. The contract has a 25-year operational term that expires in 2029. The Centre is intended to provide a community hub and a lifelong learning resource centre. The greenfield site adjoins a large area of new residential development to the south of Northampton city centre. •The headquarters of the Health & Safety Executive ('HSE') in Merseyside is a four-storey office building that serves and houses 1,500 employees. The building became operational in 2005. The contract has a 30-year operational term that expires in 2035. It is part of a long-term redevelopment effort supported by the local authorities. •The Haverstock school PFI project is a single school education PFI project consisting of a new secondary school on an existing school site on Haverstock Hill, Camden. Phase 1 of the new school became operational in 2004 with subsequent phases handed over one year later. The contract has a 26-year operational term that expires in 2030. •The Darlington Schools PFI project is a four-school education PFI project consisting of an Education Village and one primary school. The facilities became available on a phased basis in 2005 and 2006. The contract has a 25-year operational term that expires in 2030. The Education Village represents the consolidation of Springfield Primary School, Haughton Community School and Beaumont Hill Special School. It successfully combines existing nursery, primary, secondary and special education needs into a single cohesive campus developing a unique approach to inclusive education in Darlington. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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