Lloyds commits £30bn to UK infrastructure projects

The Group will provide financial assistance to infrastructure initiatives that have a total project value of £30bn by the end of 2017.

In announcing the deal, the still 20 per cent state-owned lender said that “having effective infrastructure to meet the current and future needs, whether that is in transportation, energy, social infrastructure or telecommunications, is essential in driving long term economic growth”.

Discussing the commitment, Guillaume Fleuti, head of infrastructure and energy at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking said: “Supporting capital raising for essential infrastructure and energy projects is fundamental to delivering enhanced economic growth and developments for businesses, the regions and Britain as a whole.

“We launched the 2014 Helping Britain Prosper Plan in March last year. The strong progress we have made in the nine months since has encouraged us to look for further ways to support our clients and make a visible difference to Britain. We are proud to announce our commitment to supporting key UK infrastructure projects identified in the National Infrastructure Plan, which will deliver vital improvements to UK infrastructure that will aid economic growth and help Britain prosper.”

Lloyds Banking Group have been involved in recent major UK Infrastructure projects including Mersey Gateway Bridge, Intercity Express Programme, Thameslink, providing a range of financing solutions including bank debt, capital markets financing as well as risk management solutions.

Commenting on the commitment made by Lloyds Banking Group, Lord Deighton, Commercial Secretary to the Treasury said: “Today’s announcement from Lloyds Banking Group is a real vote of confidence in the clear project pipeline we have created in the National Infrastructure Plan. It’s great to see banks getting involved in the financing options for these key projects, which are vital for our nation’s future growth and provide significant investment opportunities for the private sector.”