HSH Nordbank sells its equity holding in Northern Diabolo with success

Hamburg/Kiel, September 25, 2013 - HSH Nordbank has successfully sold its 25% stake in Northern Diabolo. In 2007, the Bank financed the rail track linking Brussels Airport to the Belgian long-distance railway system - and thus one of the country's most important infrastructure measures - with both loans and equity. The project, which became known under the name "Northern Diabolo", has an overall volume of around EUR 400 million and was the first Belgian rail project that was financed as a private public partnership. The private partners essentially took responsibility to build and maintain the rail track that links Brussels Airport to the significant Paris-Brussels-Antwerp axis by expanding the underground railway lines. The project was completed within the agreed timeframe last spring and was officially opened under the auspices of the Belgian King in June 2012. The connectivity of the airport has been continuously expanded since then and includes an ICE connection to Germany. HSH's stake has been purchased by International Public Partnerships Limited (INPP), a listed closed-end investment fund governed by UK law which participates in PPP projects internationally.

"The successful completion of our capital investment is once again an impressive demonstration of the fact that infrastructure projects of this kind are a highly profitable asset class", said Marcus Kleiner, Head of Origination Infrastructure & Rail at HSH Nordbank. HSH Nordbank was advised by its Corporate Finance unit, which managed the selling process with great diligence and professionalism.