We are a leading investor in mid-scale sustainable distributed energy infrastructure.
Sustainable Energy Infrastructure (SEI) was established in 2018 by Whitehelm Capital (now Patrizia following their merger on 1 February 2022), on behalf of forward-thinking local institutional investors who purchased a portfolio of high-quality, established energy assets, owned at the time by Australian energy supplier AGL.
With the ongoing financial backing of a consortium of locally based superannuation funds, SEI plays an active role in developing and providing sustainable energy solutions throughout regional Australia.
What we do
Client solutions
As an independent infrastructure asset owner and manager, SEI is focussed on delivering tailored, sustainable energy solutions for commercial and industrial clients and plant developers. SEI provides customised energy solutions to help a range of clients optimise their long-term energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. With an inhouse team and strong capital support, we have decades of experience to help you deliver a more efficient, resilient and sustainable energy solution without compromising your core operations or business focus.
Once operational, SEI can facilitate both passive investment and active asset management of the plant and network, depending on need. We are also able to design longer-term investment strategies that focus on a continual chain of project development, construction, delivery and operation.
Asset ownership
By investing in the development, construction and operation of efficient generation and cogeneration assets, SEI not only delivers sustainable energy solutions for our customers but also the creation of local employment opportunities. Our portfolio focus is diversified across renewable assets, biomass and biogas powered generation, as well as natural gas solutions for key industries and transport. Long-term assets with a strong positive ESG impact are fundamental to our asset strategy.
SEI’s capability enables us to assess both greenfield projects as well as brownfield assets, providing genuine options for commercial and industrial customers and plant developers to optimise the energy needs of their operations.
Asset management
With our depth of expertise and experience, SEI is able to offer infrastructure management services to new and developed projects in the public and private sphere. As many innovative manufacturing enterprises seek to reduce their running costs and carbon footprint, and renewable energy technology advances at an unprecedented speeds, SEI assists companies in establishing their own, on-site co-generation plants and networks.
SEI can also facilitate the ongoing management of their energy operations once the facility is operational.
Sustainable Energy Infrastructure is uniquely placed to deliver a range of tailored investment and development options to companies and other organisations seeking to capitalise on the latest advancements in renewable energy technology.
Our people
Graham Matthews
SEI Director
Founding shareholder and Chief Executive of Whitehelm Capital, Graham joined the team in 1998 and started the firm’s infrastructure business at the time when private ownership of public infrastructure began to garner increasing popularity and success across the globe.
Since then, Graham has led the development of the firm’s investment philosophy, and its world-wide asset acquisitions and disposals and has been instrumental in delivering improved operational and financial performance through active asset management.
Graham championed Whitehelm Capital’s responsible investment ethos and led the firm to be a signatory to the United Nations backed Principles for Responsible Investing (UNPRI) and a member of GRESB infrastructure.
Prior to joining the firm’s predecessor – Access Capital – Graham held senior roles in The Treasury of the Australian Commonwealth, including the Treasury’s Chief Forecaster, was a member of numerous company boards, and represented Australia at the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC.
Saji Anantakrishnan
SEI Director
Saji heads up the Whitehelm Capital infrastructure team in Australia and Asia, overseeing the firm’s activities in the region. From 2004 until joining Whitehelm, Saji worked at financial services group Challenger Limited.
A member of Whitehelm Capital's team since its inception, Saji played a leading, senior-level role in most of Whitehelm Capital's infrastructure acquisitions. Saji’s impressive experience in the sector includes corporate finance roles at Deutsche Bank in Sydney and EDS in Asia, and a management consultant position with Anderson Consulting.
Scott Thomas
SEI Director
Bringing extensive experience within the energy industry, the origins of Scott’s unique skillset can be traced back to the formative years of his career in hands-on frontline technical service roles, and then honed through his involvement in the introduction of competition in Australia’s energy industry.
His success has been built from a deep understanding of customers, market innovation, proven delivery and the ability to unite teams through the development and execution of strategy. Scott is presently responsible for all aspects of the power generation business across Australia and New Zealand for one of the nartion’s largest energy companies.
Justin Parker
SEI National Manager
Justin is an experienced manager and business leader with more than 20 years’ experience in the energy industry. Across his career, Justin has managed entire businesses as well as individual business units, teams and facilities from start-up and development, to operations, acquisition, and divestment.
This has provided him with broad exposure and understanding of energy markets, PPA’s, EPC arrangements, regulatory and licencing requirements, safety obligations, and contract negotiations. Justin’s formal qualifications in electrical, gas and project management have provided a solid foundation for judiciously steering the business, and his experience has equipped him with the knowledge and insights to understand and negotiate all facets of the energy industry including power generation, solar, co-generation, biomass, biogas, CNG as well as combustion and environmental efficiencies. As National Manager, Justin is committed to an inclusive work environment and is passionate about taking all employees on the business growth journey.
Robert Plumb
Asset Manager
With almost 20 years energy industry experience, Rob started his career as a geologist working offshore in the upstream oil and gas industry, before advancing through the energy industry to manage downstream facilities, energy customer accounts and contracts as an asset manager.
With formal qualifications in geology and petroleum engineering, Rob brings a scientific approach to his responsibilities, while using research and data to problem solve and manage asset performance, with a view to optimising reliability and reducing lost time. Rob enjoys working with a diverse team in a variety of environments and locations in order to assist the company in achieving its strategic goals, and pro-actively maintains a strong and practical focus on safety, risk, change management, and root-cause analysis.
Simon Wood
Asset Manager
Simon has over 20 years’ experience within the industrial gas and steam industry, with co-generation plants playing a major role in his career. He has formal gas, electrical and steam qualifications, and proactively remains up-to-date with emerging renewable energy technologies.
An important aspect in Simon’s impressive track record as an asset manager, is his focus on ensuring that sites operate as efficiently as possible, and to this end, he is constantly on the look-out for new and improved processes that may assist in better outcomes. Ongoing long-term relationships are key to a strong business, and Simon has been able to maintain solid and trusted client connections throughout his extensive career in this industry.
John Van Lierop
Asset Manager
Bringing an exceptional depth of maintenance and management knowledge to the team, John’s experience working in the heavy industry sector spans more than 20 years.
Throughout his career, he has managed, implemented and developed numerous projects that have successfully increased the reliability of assets, effectively and within budget. In addition to his electrical focus, John has a wide range of expertise in mining, refining and smelting, process control, and lean principles, and has a knack for combining efficiency with a ‘can do’ attitude to reach key milestones. Much of John’s enthusiasm stems from his keen interest in contributing to Australia’s renewable energy space and support the generations to come.
Laura Cartland
Finance Manager
Jess Robertson
Accounts Administrator
What we value…
Safety
SEI’s core value is safety-first and we take pride in our exceptional operational safety record and strong compliance with industry standards.
Environment
Learn about SEI’s genuine green credentials since inception of our biomass and biogas assets. Learn more.
Community
Working across regional Australia we understand the importance of supporting local communities. Learn more.
Our mission is to deliver a portfolio of efficient energy solutions with a strong focus on sustainability and supporting local communities.
Partner with us
Sustainable Energy Infrastructure is able to draw on its broad experience and depth of knowledge in the energy industry to offer our partners, be they private or public sector commercial and industrial customers or renewable energy asset developers, a deliverable solution to meet their long-term energy efficiency, resilience and sustainability needs.
Our agility and flexibility allows us to work with a wide variety of partners, and tailor solutions to fit their operational and environmental objectives. Find out more about partnering with us. Learn more