Prostar Capital, a private equity fund specializing in energy infrastructure, announced on the 16th that it has opened a Korean office in Seoul and appointed Seunghoon Han, an energy infrastructure investment expert formerly of Macquarie, as the head of the Korea office. This opening marks the fourth global office following Greenwich in the United States, Sydney in Australia, and Hong Kong.
Founded in 2012 in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA, Prostar Capital has distinguished itself in the energy infrastructure investment sector within the Asia-Pacific region. The firm is composed of investment finance professionals with backgrounds in investment banking (IB) and private equity (PE), focusing investments primarily on the mid-market with high potential. Targeting the Asia-Pacific region as a key investment area, Prostar aims to promote carbon neutrality through investments in energy transition and contribute to meeting the surging energy demand.
Prostar Capital has selected Korea as one of its major investment target countries and acquired Gyeongnam Energy in 2017. With the opening of the Korean office and the appointment of Seunghoon Han as head, the firm plans to further strengthen its position in the domestic market and significantly expand investments in the energy transition sector, focusing on OECD countries in the Asia-Pacific region in the future.
Mr. Han graduated from Johns Hopkins University in the United States and is an investment finance expert with over 10 years of experience in the energy infrastructure sector in Asia. He has led various energy-related mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and exits as a director in charge of principal investments (PI) at Macquarie Capital and as the Korea head and co-founder of the Korean branch of the Green Investment Group (GIG), a green investment bank under the Macquarie Group. Notable successful projects include the offshore wind brand ‘Bada Energy,’ a joint venture with SK Ecoplant and TotalEnergies; Korea’s first floating offshore wind project, the ‘Gwisin Whale Project’; and the community co-prosperity solar-linked energy storage system (ESS) ‘Solar Campus Project.’
Dave Noakes, Chairman of Prostar Capital, said, “We are very pleased to have Mr. Han join Prostar. His extensive experience in M&A and project finance (PF) related to Korea’s energy transition infrastructure is a highly valuable asset to Prostar. Based on this, we expect him to greatly contribute to expanding our presence in Korea and investing in clean energy solutions aligned with the government’s decarbonization policies.”
Mr. Han stated, “It is an honor to lead Prostar Capital’s Korean office, which has shown a leading presence in the energy infrastructure sector. I will actively seek investment opportunities in clean energy and hydrogen infrastructure with local partners in Korea, one of our key markets, and contribute to establishing Korea as a leader in energy transition.”
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