Q&A with Daniele Manzi, ESG Sales Lead

We caught up with him to find out what he has been up to and how he has settled into his role.

Tell us more about your role

I focus on structuring funding solutions to accelerate the adoption of technologies that support the UK’s transition to Net Zero, including fleet electrification, commercial rooftop solar, and hydrogen infrastructure.

Without access to finance, these technologies couldn’t be scaled up – we understand businesses face high upfront costs, evolving regulations, and uncertainty around returns.

My work supports:

• Fleet electrification – financing EVs, charging infrastructure, and battery storage for commercial and logistics operators
• Commercial rooftop solar – providing funding for solar installations, battery storage, and grid integration to help businesses reduce energy costs and emissions
• Hydrogen infrastructure – structuring finance for electrolysers, compressors, Multiple Element Hydrogen Gas Containers (MEGCs), and refuelling stations to scale hydrogen adoption

My work forms part of a broader proposition within Close Brothers Asset Finance, who have an Energy Team focused on utility scale solar, wind and battery storage. By tailoring our financing to business and market needs, we help drive real-world adoption of clean energy solutions across the UK.

How has your background in corporate and investment banking shaped your approach?

It gave me a strong foundation in structured finance, risk assessment, and credit underwriting—all essential for financing energy transition assets.

At Close Brothers Asset Finance, I apply this to complex investments, focusing on:

• Counterparty risk – ensuring stable revenue streams and strong credit profiles
• Technology risk – assessing asset performance and scalability
• Regulatory and policy risk – navigating evolving policies, subsidies, and market frameworks that impact investment decisions across energy transition sectors

I work alongside a highly experienced team with backgrounds in large institutions and complex transactions, ensuring a commercial, pragmatic approach.

How are deals structured?

We take a pragmatic, flexible approach to financing assets, recognising that traditional debt structures don’t always line up with emerging technologies and evolving revenue models.

We provide asset-backed lending and project finance solutions, structuring deals around:

• Cash flow models – financing can be structured against contracted revenues, asset usage, or corporate balance sheet strength, depending on the business model
• Security and risk sharing – where possible, we incorporate government-backed incentives, structured repayment plans, and flexible security structures to de-risk investment
• Asset-backed lending – in many cases, the assets themselves serve as security, allowing businesses to access finance without tying up additional collateral
• Flexible repayment structures – ensuring financing terms align with asset performance and expected revenue generation

By tailoring our approach to each business, we ensure they can scale clean technologies in a way that works commercially and supports long-term financial stability.

What is the most exciting financing challenge you've worked on recently?

The most exciting financing challenge I've worked on was structuring finance for GeoPura, which develops hydrogen-powered generators (HPUs) to replace diesel in off-grid applications. These units provide clean, reliable power where grid connections are limited, making them a critical solution for decarbonising temporary and remote energy use.

As hydrogen infrastructure is still emerging, financing required a deep understanding of technology risk, asset security, and revenue models. We provided asset-backed finance, securing the loan against key assets within the business, enabling GeoPura to scale without diluting equity or tying up additional collateral.

Beyond hydrogen, a key part of my role has been working with emerging businesses in solar and EV infrastructure as they refine their business models and scale up. Many face regulatory uncertainty, evolving revenue streams, and high upfront capital costs, making flexible finance essential.

We structure solutions that support their needs—whether by securing lending against future revenues, leveraging government incentives, or adapting repayment terms to asset performance.

Energy transition finance is about striking the right balance between risk and commercial viability—ensuring businesses can scale innovation while maintaining financial sustainability.

What are the biggest influences in deal structuring?

Government incentives and subsidies are pivotal in structuring financing for energy transition projects, as they help mitigate risks and attract private capital.

Programs like the UK Hydrogen Allocation Rounds (HAR1 and HAR2) provide substantial revenue support for low-carbon hydrogen production, with HAR1 allocating £2 billion to 11 projects totalling 125 MW of capacity. Similarly, the Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS) enables businesses to secure financing on more favourable terms through government-backed loan guarantees, improving capital access for energy investments.

Collaborations with government-backed entities like the Green Finance Institute (GFI) also play a role in developing innovative financial solutions for net-zero transition.

The recently launched National Wealth Fund (NWF), which evolved from the UK Infrastructure Bank, now plays a key role in supporting large-scale energy transition projects, including gigafactories, ports, and green hydrogen industries, aiming to mobilise £70 billion in investment.

By leveraging these incentives and partnerships, we structure flexible financing solutions that mitigate risk, attract private investment, and accelerate the deployment of clean energy projects.

What are the biggest trends shaping debt finance over the next 12 months?

Finance for energy transition is evolving rapidly as investor confidence grows. Over the next 12 months, three key trends will shape the sector.

First, private capital deployment is accelerating. With government subsidies stabilising, institutional investors and private credit firms are increasingly financing energy transition projects. This is driving leasing, asset-backed lending, and revenue-based finance models to support capital-efficient scaling.

Second, bankability and de-risking are taking centre stage. Investors are prioritising long-term off-take agreements, capacity contracts, and government-backed schemes like Contracts for Difference (CfDs) for renewables and the Hydrogen Business Model (HBM) to ensure revenue certainty.

Third, infrastructure expansion is driving demand for long-term financing. The rapid rollout of EV charging networks, hydrogen refuelling stations, and battery storage projects requires structured debt solutions that align with asset deployment and cash flow generation.

The availability of lending, products and services are subject to eligibility, status and our lending criteria. The right to decline any application is reserved, terms and conditions apply.