Interpath Advisory Ireland, a fast-growing corporate restructuring and advisory firm, has set up a renewable energy practice to avail of opportunities as the Government targets a ramping up of green power projects.
The firm has hired Gary Borland, who had been with KPMG for more than two decades and is a specialist in deals and fundraising in the renewable energy sector across Ireland and the UK.
A member of Hydrogen Northern Ireland and the Renewables Northern Ireland Small Scale Wind Committee, Mr Borland, who will be based in Belfast, started his career in corporate restructuring before moving into corporate finance advisory.
“With only five years to 2030 we’re amidst the energy transition and racing to build and fund the renewable energy infrastructure needed to match decarbonisation objectives across the island of Ireland,” said Mr Borland.
“I’ll be working with organisations ranging from developers and contractors to asset managers and operational and maintenance providers to navigate the opportunities and challenges presented by such a market dynamic. With the support of our international network and some of Ireland’s best known and respected professionals, this is about enabling our clients to protect and create value no matter what lies ahead.”
The programme for government commits to achieving 80 per cent of Ireland’s electricity generation from renewable sources by 2030, including the delivery of 9 gigawatts (GW) of onshore wind, 8GW of solar and at least 5GW of offshore wind.
While these targets, especially the ones for offshore wind, have been met with widespread scepticism by industry commentators, the overall direction of policy will require tens of billions of project finance.
Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) estimated last month that Ireland’s energy transition will require as much as €19 billion of capital investment a year by 2030.
“It is more important than ever that leaders have access to top quality advisory expertise to help them navigate what comes next, whether driving the transformation of their organisations, securing the finance they need to grow, or capitalising on M&A opportunities,” said Liam Booth, a managing director and head of corporate finance at Interpath Advisory Ireland.
Interpath Advisory was established in May 2021 as KPMG in the UK sold its corporate restructuring business to private-equity firm HIG Capital. It subsequently set up an Irish practice, which is led by former KPMG Ireland partner Kieran Wallace and one-time Deloitte Ireland partner Ken Fennell.
The Irish unit currently employs more than 100 staff. Globally the firm now employs about 1,000 people across Ireland, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Hong Kong, Bermuda, BVI, Cayman Islands and Algeria.
