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, an energy infrastructure investment expert from Macquarie, as its representative in Korea.

Han Seung-hoon is the new representative of Prosta Capital. /Courtesy of Prosta Capital
Han Seung-hoon is the new representative of Prosta Capital. /Courtesy of Prosta Capital

Founded in 2012 in Greenwich, Connecticut, Prostar Capital consists of investment banking and private equity finance professionals focusing on mid-market investment strategies. It aims to promote carbon neutrality and contribute to meeting surging energy demand through investments in the energy transition sector, targeting the Asia-Pacific region as a primary investment area.

Prostar Capital regards South Korea as a key market and has established an office in Seoul as the fourth global location following Greenwich, United States, Sydney, Australia, and Hong Kong. In 2017, Prostar Capital acquired Gyeongnam Energy. With the opening of the Korean office and the appointment of Han Seung-hoon as representative, Prostar plans to strengthen its position in the domestic market and significantly expand investments in the energy transition sector, especially focusing on 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. Prior to 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 energy transition."