Ara's Infrastructure Fund Brings Industrial Decarbonisation and Builder Expertise to Enhance NWP's Recycling Capabilities and Energy Recovery Strategy
DUBLIN, Feb. 18, 2025 -- Ara Partners, a global decarbonisation investment firm, today announced that it has acquired a majority interest in Natural World Products ("NWP"), the leading recycler of household organic waste on the Island of Ireland. As part of the transaction, Ara plans to build on the NWP platform and expand operations into new recycling and decarbonisation initiatives. Ara Infrastructure has committed additional capital to support the growth of NWP's platform and infrastructure.
"We see a significant opportunity to transform the business into a more fully integrated waste-to-energy provider."
Headquartered in Belfast, Northern Ireland, NWP holds a leading position in organic waste recycling, playing a pivotal role in the circular economy on the Island of Ireland. Its critical infrastructure provides essential services to its customers, enabling them to meet legislated net zero targets, having diverted over 1.5 million tonnes of organic waste from landfill in the past five years alone. Led by CEO Colm Warren, NWP is managed by an experienced and highly capable team with a strong track record of operational expertise and growth execution.
"NWP's evolution is a testament to how a local SME1, with the right vision, team and support, can grow into a platform that attracts sophisticated institutional infrastructure capital," noted Warren. "This investment marks a major milestone for the organics, soil health, and decarbonisation sectors on the Island, accelerating not just NWP's growth but the broader infrastructure solutions needed for sustainable economic progress. We are thrilled to partner with Ara and look forward to working with Teresa and the team to realize our shared vision for the future."
"NWP is a key player in the drive toward achieving our net zero targets and a business that aligns perfectly with Ara Infrastructure's investment focus. With market leading organics recycling capabilities, we see a significant opportunity to transform the business into a more fully integrated waste-to-energy provider," added Teresa O'Flynn, Partner and Co-Head of Ara Infrastructure. "We look forward to partnering with Colm and his team to pursue the many opportunities that exist in this evolving market."
About Natural World Products
Natural World Products is Ireland's leading recycler of organic waste, managing 330,000 tonnes of household organics annually across the Island of Ireland. It processes 50% of all recycling from Local Authority Collected Municipal Waste in Northern Ireland, supporting councils in meeting statutory targets and advancing their Net Zero commitments. Headquartered in West Belfast, NWP operates additional sites in Armagh, Craigavon, Antrim, and Down. Over the past decade, it has diverted more than 2 million tonnes of organic waste from landfill.
About Ara Partners
Ara Partners is a global private equity and infrastructure investment firm focused on industrial decarbonisation. Founded in 2017, Ara Partners seeks to build and scale companies with significant decarbonisation impact across the industrial and manufacturing, chemicals and materials, energy efficiency and green fuels, and food and agriculture sectors. The company operates from offices in Houston, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Dublin. As of September 2024, Ara Partners had approximately $6.3 billion of assets under management.
1. Small and medium-sized enterprise - SMEs include businesses with fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover of up to £50 million.
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