In New Aquitaine, the Banque des Territoires is turning more to private financing – Le Journal des Entreprises
Banque des Territoires, one of the links in Caisse des Dépôts responsible for supporting the territories in the realization of their projects, recently drew up its 2022 balance sheet. We learn that it signed in New Aquitaine 921 million euros in loans and invested 83 million euros in equity (and 15.5 M€ within the framework of France 2030), mainly via semi-public companies in which it is a shareholder. In 2022, it also carried out several operations to finance private business projects and claims to receive more and more requests in this direction, it is more identified for its interventions with local communities.
Financing transitions
She is for example entry into the capital of the Gironde company Keenat (recycling of cigarette butts) in December or is involved in the portage of tourism real estate via the SEM Nouvelle-Aquitaine Croissance Tourisme (launched in March), which must inject at least 30 million euros into the investments to be made by companies in the tourism sector.
“We are examining about thirty projects, in particular hotel renovation. For an owner who wants to upgrade his establishment, for example, we are going to take a minority stake in the capital to provide equity and thus facilitate his recourse to bank debt”, explains Patrick Martinez, regional director of Banque des Territoires.
On the financing of the private economy, his favorite subjects remain centered on the ecological transition in all its forms, from renewable energies to sustainable fuels. It is, for example, backed alongside Engie with a 10% stake in the park project photovoltaic Horizeothe largest in France (1,000 hectares) in Saucats (Gironde), which must be the subject of a public inquiry at the end of 2023 and should position itself on the call for expressions of interest launched in February by the airport of Bordeaux-Mérignac for the creation of a photovoltaic power plant in shadehouses in one of its parking lots.
“We try to use calls for tenders as little as possible. It is more structuring when we are alongside private investors in a program by intervening in its shareholding, even if it means returning to capital if necessary”, adds Patrick Martinez.
Anticipate needs
Finally, the Banque des Territoires is trying to continue the momentum in the construction of social housing (€842 million in loans for 6,955 constructions and 2,672 rehabilitations) by supporting their financing in a context of a sharp slowdown in deliveries (in particular due to inflation ). Since 2021, it has been relying, in addition to the financing of targeted operations, on the contribution of additional equity to social landlords, as it did for XL Habitat in the Landes or Habitat Sud Atlantique in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. It has also embarked on a study, carried out alongside the State and the regional EPFs (public land establishments), to measure “the local needs for land reserves to be constituted over the next twenty years, to develop social housing “. It should be delivered in the last quarter of 2023.
