Fidante Capital has raised US$200m (€177m) on the London Stock Exchange for a solar infrastructure fund focused on the Americas.

US Solar Fund is the exchange’s first premium listed investment flotation of 2019.

The fund is structured as a UK investment trust and will invest in solar power assets in North America and other OECD countries in the Americas.

US Solar Fund has identified US$4.8bn worth of potential assets already, comprising more than 60 projects in 13 US states.

It is targeting a growing annual dividend of 5.5% once all assets are fully operational.

The fund is managed by New Energy Solar, which runs a similar fund listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

John Armstrong-Denby, head of corporate finance at Fidante Capital, said the fund represented β€œa unique opportunity for UK investors to access US solar investment”.

He added: β€œSolar power generation is a rapidly growing infrastructure investment area, particularly in the US. We expect solar to become an increasingly important source of new electricity generation in the US.

β€œThis in turn offers UK investors the potential for predictable, attractive, risk-adjusted returns and geographic diversification combined with the positive environmental impact of supporting the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.”