Ara Partners acquires majority interest in USD Clean Fuels

Ara Partners, a private-equity and infrastructure firm that specializes in industrial decarbonization investments, announced Jan. 2 that it has acquired a majority interest in USD Clean Fuels LLC, a developer of logistics infrastructure in North America for the renewable fuels value chain.

As part of the transaction, USD Clean Fuels has also acquired the West Colton Rail Terminal, a fully operational biofuels terminal in California.

Ara has committed additional capital to support significant expansion of USD Clean Fuels’ infrastructure footprint. 

Based in Houston, Texas, USD Clean Fuels develops, owns and operates strategic infrastructure to facilitate safe, reliable and economic delivery of renewable fuel feedstocks and biofuels to production facilities and end-market demand centers.

The USD Clean Fuels team, led by CEO Dan Borgen and President Bob Copher, has a longstanding track record of developing, commercializing and operating midstream infrastructure across North America.

“We have high conviction that the green-molecules economy—whether it’s renewable fuel feedstocks or biofuels—offers disproportionate opportunity for returns and impact,” said George Yong, partner and co-head of Infrastructure at Ara Partners.

“The USDCF platform is particularly compelling because it combines a best-in-class management team with a portfolio of premiere terminal-logistics projects that provide the ideal foundation for a durable and scalable infrastructure business,” Yong continued.

Borgen added, “We are excited to join forces with Ara Partners to bring critical infrastructure solutions to the rapidly growing North American renewable fuel market, beginning with the West Colton Rail Terminal. We are proud to be backed by an investor that is completely focused on enabling an accelerated and economical path to a low-carbon economy.”

Ara Partners operates from offices in Houston, Texas; Boston, Massachusetts; and Dublin, Ireland.

As of Sept. 30, Ara Partners had approximately $5.6 billion of assets under management.