Schneider Electric & Carlyle Group Team Up to Tackle Infrastructure Needs

Schneider Electric and the Carlyle Group announced a joint venture that they say will answer “the emerging crisis stemming from global underinvestment in infrastructure.”

“Despite the need for $1 trillion in infrastructure investment in the next 15 years, U.S. investment has been at its lowest over the last two decades – as our underlying infrastructure continues to age and fail.  Governments can’t meet this spending need on their own,” said the press release announcing the joint venture.

The new company, AlphaStruxure, will combine Carlyle’s financing expertise with Schneider Electric’s energy management and automation capabilities to drive digitally-enabled infrastructure projects and more reliable distributed energy and microgrid networks around the world. Juan Macias, formerly SVP of Energy Automation and Digital Energy Solutions at Schneider Electric, will assume the role of AlphaStruxure’s CEO.

The Carlyle Group recently announced several large infrastructure projects, including the JFK Airport Terminal One Redevelopment, and Lone Star Ports Harbor Island Crude Export Terminal, as well as the Munich Airport Joint Venture (Reach Airports) which are expected to benefit from this partnership and Schneider’s breadth of technology-enabled products, solutions and services.  The JFK Airport Terminal One Redevelopment, the most recently announced project, is expected to leverage Schneider Electric’s solutions to improve the sustainability of the terminal and enhance the reliability of the airport’s energy supply through a state-of-the-art microgrid. The redevelopment is expected to reduce energy use by as much as 30% and contribute to a goal of reaching 100% renewable energy usage within the next decade.

According to a Carlyle press release, the new Terminal One will encompass 3 million square feet of terminal space and 23 additional gates. “The facility will offer a seamless, state-of-the-art security experience, cutting down on wait times and providing a more advanced screening process, along with a top-of-the-line baggage claim process to allow passengers to move quickly through the terminal," according to the release. Construction is expected to begin in early 2020 and finish during the second half of 2025.

Photo credit: New York State Office of the Governor