Prostar Capital, a private equity fund specializing in energy infrastructure, announced on the 16th that it has opened an office in South Korea and appointed Han Seung-hoon, a former energy infrastructure investment expert at Macquarie, as its representative in the country.
Founded in 2012 in Greenwich, Connecticut, Prostar Capital brings together investment banking and private equity professionals who focus on mid-market investment strategies. The firm aims to support carbon neutrality and address growing energy demand through investments in the energy transition sector, with a particular focus on the Asia-Pacific region.
Prostar Capital views South Korea as a key market and has opened an office in Seoul, its fourth global location after Greenwich (USA), Sydney (Australia), and Hong Kong. In 2017, Prostar acquired Gyeongnam Energy. With the launch of the Korean office and the appointment of Han Seung-hoon as its representative, Prostar aims to strengthen its presence in the domestic market and significantly boost investments in the energy transition sector, particularly in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member countries.
Han Seung-hoon, the new representative, is a finance expert with over 10 years of experience in the energy infrastructure sector in Asia. Before joining Prostar Capital, he served as a director responsible for private investment at Macquarie Capital and was a co-founder of the Green Investment Group (GIG) in Korea. He has led various energy-related mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and exits. Notable success cases include the offshore wind brand "Bada Energy," a joint venture with SK E&C and TotalEnergies, South Korea's first floating offshore wind project "Gui-shin Whale Project," and the community-friendly solar-linked energy storage system "Solar Campus Project".
Dave Noakes, chairman of Prostar Capital, said, "We are very pleased that Han Seung-hoon has joined Prostar and expect that he will greatly contribute to expanding our presence in Korea and investing in clean energy solutions that align with the government's decarbonization policies, based on his rich experience in M&A and project finance related to energy transition infrastructure in Korea".
New representative Han Seung-hoon said, "I will actively seek clean energy and hydrogen infrastructure investment opportunities in Korea, one of our key markets, and contribute to establishing Korea as a leader in the energy transition".