MCB wins top African finance awards for $400 million Karpowership deal

MCB Group has secured top African finance awards for structuring a $400 million syndicated financing facility for Sea World Energy Holdings, an affiliate of Karpowership, reinforcing its leadership in complex energy financing across the continent.

The transaction was named “Portfolio Financing Deal of the Year, Africa” at the IJGlobal Awards 2025 and “Structured Finance Deal of the Year, Africa 2026” at the GBM Awards, highlighting its innovation and execution.

Structuring a landmark energy financing
MCB acted as the sole Mandated Lead Arranger and Account Bank for the facility, which reached financial close in November 2025. The deal was designed as a bespoke portfolio financing solution tailored to Karpowership’s business model of deploying floating power plants across multiple markets.

Unlike traditional project financing, the structure leverages a diversified pool of signed Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) across Africa, enabling greater flexibility in capital deployment while reducing concentration risk. The approach allows Karpowership to scale operations efficiently while maintaining access to long-term funding.

Expanding Africa’s power infrastructure
Karpowership, known for its fleet of floating power plants, plays a critical role in addressing electricity shortages in several African countries. The financing structure supports its ability to rapidly deploy generation capacity, offering a flexible solution to markets facing persistent energy deficits.

For MCB, the award-winning deal reinforces its position as a leading arranger of structured finance transactions on the continent, particularly in energy and infrastructure. The bank noted that the success of the transaction was driven by strong collaboration with participating lenders, advisors, and the Karpowership team.

The recognition from IJGlobal and GBM highlights the growing sophistication of Africa’s financial markets, where tailored financing structures are increasingly being deployed to unlock large-scale infrastructure investments.