- EIF backs CIP's Advanced Bioenergy Fund II (ABF II) with EUR 200 million to scale biomethane and advanced bioenergy production in Europe
- ABF II is officially launched with EIF cornerstone investment
- Backed by InvestEU, financing supports Europe's energy security and climate goals
LUXEMBOURG and COPENHAGEN, Denmark, May 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The European Investment Fund (EIF), part of the EIB Group, has committed EUR 200 million to Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners' (CIP) Advanced Bioenergy Fund II (ABF II), focused on scaling biomethane and advanced bioenergy production across Europe to help advance the energy transition as well as energy security.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners is one of the world's largest fund managers dedicated to clean energy infrastructure. ABF II will invest primarily in the development, construction and operation of new industrial-scale biogas plants using anaerobic digestion technology. The projects will convert feedstock such as manure and other agricultural waste into biomethane that can help decarbonise sectors including industry and maritime transport. The strategy focuses mainly on greenfield projects in countries including Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Belgium, and Finland.
"This investment reflects Europe's growing focus on renewable gases and sustainable energy infrastructure," says EIF Deputy Chief Executive Merete Clausen. "By supporting the development of new biogas projects across Europe, we are helping increase domestic renewable energy production, strengthen energy security and accelerate the green transition."
Building on the success of the first Advanced Bioenergy Fund (ABF I), the launch of ABF II marks the next phase in scaling biogas and biomethane infrastructure across Europe, reflecting growing investor support for advanced bioenergy as a key enabler of Europe's energy transition, energy security and decarbonisation goals.
With a target size of EUR 1.5 billion, ABF II is expected to make a significant contribution to Europe's renewable energy production and support the transition away from imported fossil fuels. The fund has successfully brought together a broad mix of public and private capital, reflecting strong demand from institutional investors, and contributing to the EU policy objective of building up a more robust and integrated capital market in the EU.
The fund will benefit from a differentiated pipeline of new bioenergy projects that are ready to be developed, giving clear visibility on how and when capital will be invested and projects delivered. Biomethane is fully compatible with existing gas infrastructure and is expected to play an important role in improving Europe's energy security and strategic autonomy. ABF II will invest in core European markets supported by strong regulatory frameworks at both EU and national level that support stable, long-term growth.
Thomas Dalsgaard, Partner in CIP and head of the advanced bioenergy team, says: "We are very pleased to close the investment of EUR 200 million with EIF. It is an important step for the Advanced Bioenergy Fund II on its path towards the EUR 1.5 billion target, and we very much look forward to the partnership with EIF. We see strong market demand for the production of domestic biomethane across Europe and with the Advanced Bioenergy Fund II, and the existing portfolio of greenfield bioenergy projects, CIP is well positioned to deliver."
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, a global leader in its sector, has raised more than EUR 37 billion and has projects in more than 30 countries worldwide.
The EIF investment is backed by the European Union's InvestEU and REPowerEU initiatives, supporting efforts to increase renewable energy production in Europe and reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels.
Notes to Editors
Media Contact
| EIB Group: | Thomas Eriksson | t.eriksson@ext.eib.org | +46 70 974 59 48 |
| CIP: | Louise Wendelbo | media@cip.com | +45 28 44 77 56 |
About Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
Founded in 2012, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners P/S (CIP) is a global fund manager and leading investor in energy infrastructure. CIP builds value that matters by developing and constructing critical infrastructure projects that shape the future of energy.
Through its funds, CIP invests in power generation (solar and wind), energy storage, transmission and distribution, advanced bioenergy, low-carbon fuels and carbon capture.
With 15 funds currently under management, CIP is trusted by over 200 of the world's largest and most sophisticated institutions, having raised EUR ~37 billion to date. CIP has projects in more than 30 countries, with presence on the ground through a network of +2,300 professionals.
For more information, visit www.cip.com.
About EIB?Group??
The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group is the financing arm of the European Union, owned by the 27 Member States, and one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion in new financing and advisory services for over 870 high-impact projects under eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, territorial cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, strong global partnerships and the savings and investments union. Beyond long-term loans for large infrastructure, the EIB Group crowds in private investment for high-risk innovative projects and businesses, with a growing role in Europe's markets for venture debt, venture capital, guarantees and securitisations.
The European Investment Fund (EIF) is the subsidiary of the EIB Group specialised in providing guarantees and equity to improve access to finance for small and medium-sized businesses and startups across Europe. Acting as an anchor investor, through its extensive network of partnering banks and investment funds, the EIF mobilises private investment and nurtures the ecosystem of venture capital funds to support innovative European entrepreneurs.
In 2023, the EIF together with six Member States (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands) launched the European Tech Champions Initiative, a fund-of-funds to scale up innovative startups. To date, this initiative has already enabled the creation of 15 European venture capital mega-funds and scaled up 43 companies, including 11 unicorns (with more than €1 billion in capital).
Photos of the EIB Group's representatives and headquarters, logo files and video B-roll for media use are available here.?
About InvestEU
The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery. It also helps crowd in private investment for the European Union's strategic priorities such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition. InvestEU brings all EU financial instruments previously available for supporting investments within the European Union together under one roof, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is deployed through implementing partners that will invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The entire budget guarantee will back the investment projects of the implementing partners, increase their risk-bearing capacity and thus mobilise at least €372 billion in additional investment.
Legal disclaimer
This release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase any security. Any investment involves substantial risks including complete loss of capital. There can be no assurance that CIP will be able to implement the strategy described herein or, if implemented, that it will lead to successful results. Similarly, there can be no assurance that CIP will be able to maintain the advantages discussed herein over time or outperform third parties or the financial markets generally.
Certain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking statements," which can be identified by the use of terms such as "may," "will," "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" or comparable terminology.
Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, changes in economic conditions, political changes, legal and regulatory requirements, interest rate fluctuations, as well as changes in markets, prospects and competition. There can be no assurance that historical trends will continue. Some of the views expressed herein are the opinions of CIP and should not be construed as absolute statements and are subject to change without notice.
