(Author: Du Su)
In the global new energy investment Field, many large offshore wind power projects that have stalled due to financing issues have attracted widespread attention in the industry. In January 2024, BP and the Norwegian energy company Equinor announced the resumption of their contract for the Empire Wind 2 project in New York, which had previously been canceled due to cost surges caused by inflation and supply chain issues. This event not only highlights the complexity of fundraising and risk management in new energy projects but also underscores the indispensable role of financial investment analysts in this field.
In recent years, the new energy Field has gained significant attention worldwide. Governments around the globe have introduced policies to promote the development of clean energy to address climate change and energy security issues. The United States passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), providing nearly $400 billion in federal funds, mainly in the form of tax credits, to support the development of large-scale projects such as wind power, photovoltaic, clean hydrogen, and nuclear energy. It also offers subsidies for households to install heat pumps and purchase electric vehicles. Germany’s “Feed-in Tariff” plan allows households to sell excess renewable energy back to the national grid and provides tax breaks for energy-saving renovations. India has set a goal to achieve 50% of its electricity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030 and has significantly increased the prevalence of residential rooftop solar through solar project incentive policies. Australia, through its “Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme,” provides financial support for households to install small energy systems, aiming to significantly increase the proportion of renewable energy in the power structure.
In the context of the rapid development of the global new energy Field, the role of excellent financial investment analysts in driving investment projects in this field is particularly important. Ms. Ran Zhang is undoubtedly a leading figure in the new energy investment and financing Field. Since entering the new energy investment and financing field in 2016, she has promoted the implementation of several large-scale new energy investment projects in the United States with her outstanding professional skills and leadership abilities. Ms. Zhang graduated from the University of Denver in the United States with dual master’s degrees in Quantitative Finance and Accounting. She is currently employed at Orsted – North America LLC, focusing on mergers and acquisitions and investments in new energy projects, and has extensive industry investment experience.
Ms. Ran Zhang is familiar with the development needs of the new energy industry in the European and American markets, understanding the latest policies, hot spots, bottlenecks, and future trends. She not only has profound insights into the current state of the industry but also demonstrates excellent forward-looking perspectives. She believes that policy support is a crucial factor in driving industry development. As European and American countries strengthen their policy support for clean energy, the new energy industry in Europe and America is expected to experience explosive growth in the coming years. However, there are still many challenges in the actual implementation of projects, particularly the uncertainty of financing costs due to inflation and risks such as supply chain shortages, which will be one of the key issues for future new energy investment companies to focus on.
Ms. Ran Zhang’s research emphasizes the importance of the financing environment for new energy projects. Although governments around the world have launched large-scale fiscal incentives, such as the United States’ Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the European Union’s Green Deal, injecting new vitality into the industry, they also bring new risks and uncertainties. For example, the long-term financing costs of projects may increase significantly due to interest rate fluctuations. Additionally, she deeply analyzed supply chain risks, highlighting the fragility of the global supply chain. The supply chain shortages caused by the explosive project development following policy incentives, especially in the supply of key components and raw materials, will have a significant impact on the timely completion of projects.
In specific projects, Ms. Ran Zhang demonstrated her outstanding strategic vision and practical abilities. The projects she led not only achieved significant financial returns but also significantly improved the overall effectiveness of the investment portfolio through optimized investment structure and risk management.
Ms. Ran Zhang participated in the evaluation and implementation of several major new energy projects, responsible for the evaluation of new energy acquisition or equity investment projects with a cumulative project cost exceeding $1.8 billion annually. Her expertise and practical skills in project valuation, due diligence, and risk analysis earned her great respect within the team. The analysis and evaluation work she led covered the determination of acquisition prices, revenue forecasts, project potential and competitiveness analysis, and risk assessment during the project delivery process. The transaction schemes she designed not only optimized return rates but also promoted the implementation of several major investment decisions.
In the past few years, Ms. Ran Zhang successfully participated in the acquisition of six projects in the U.S. market with a cumulative investment of $960 million and an expected net present value exceeding $530 million. She also helped achieve a total project financing of $680 million. From due diligence to final implementation, she deeply participated and led several major projects, ensuring their success while promoting the optimization of the company’s overall investment structure, in line with the company’s long-term strategic development needs.
Ms. Ran Zhang’s achievements are not only reflected in her personal professional qualities and leadership abilities but also highlight her profound understanding and forward-looking perspective of industry development. Her research results in valuation analysis, due diligence, and risk management are innovative and practical, significantly contributing to the industry’s development. Looking ahead, Ms. Ran Zhang will undoubtedly continue to play an important role in the new energy field, contributing more wisdom and strength to the industry’s development. Her success story will undoubtedly inspire more young professionals to engage in this promising and challenging field.