India’s IL&FS Group has sold its 71 percent stake in IL&FS Prime Terminals, a state-of-the-art energy storage terminal in the emirate of Fujairah, to VTTI of the Netherlands.

VTTI will now own a 90 percent stake in the terminal, while the other 10 percent will remain with the Fujairah government.

The acquisition of the terminal will help VTTI expand its long-established position in the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.

The sale has resolved outstanding debt of up to INR7.57bn ($100m) as well as enabling the release of a corporate guarantee of $110m.

The key lenders to IL&FS Prime Terminals were First Abu Dhabi Bank, National Bank of Fujairah and the State Bank of India – which had outstanding debt of more than $80m – which has been fully repaid.

The sale of the stake in IL&FS Prime Terminals marks the second major sale of an IL&FS Group company in a foreign location under the government-appointed board.

IL&FS earlier sold its 49 percent holding in a Chinese road project – the Chongqing Yuhe Expressway – to China Merchants & PingAn Infrastructure Phase 1 Equity Investment Fund for $141m.

PingAn agreed to take over INR16bn ($213m) debt in the project.

With the latest sale, the board of IL&FS Group has resolved more than INR520bn of debt while maintaining its overall debt estimate at INR610bn by the end of March 2022.

For more information visit www.vtti.com

6th December 2021