The fragility of global oil supply chains has been laid bare by the war in Iran and the subsequent attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The crisis has renewed attention on the importance of developing resilient renewable energy infrastructure, particularly in Europe, whose dependence on external energy suppliers is once again under scrutiny (although a decoupling from Russian oil and gas is still in process). In response, sales in renewables are on the rise, with several companies and investors are increasing their focus on large-scale renewable energy projects across the continent.

 

When it comes to renewable energy, Europe has long been leading the way. By share of total energy consumption, European advances in wind power (North Sea), hydropower (Nordics, Alps), biomass and solar energy have resulted in nearly 50% of gross electric consumption coming from renewable sources (2024). Independent energy analysts have also noted the structural shift underway in the European power mix. In a recent analysis cited by Reuters , researchers from the energy think tank Ember found that wind and solar together generated more electricity in the EU than fossil fuels in 2025, a symbolic milestone in the continent’s energy transition.

 

Although climate targets represent a key objective of this strategic approach, rising geopolitical tensions have further underlined a more pressing need: control.  The past few years have shown, brutally, that a continent dependent on imported fossil fuels remains exposed to shocks it cannot control, such as war, diplomatic tension, price spikes and supply squeezes. That is why renewable energy has moved from the environmental column to the sovereignty column.

 

Yet such renewable energy systems do not function in isolation. They require massive investments in infrastructure: power interconnectors, grid capacity, storage, and industrial energy projects. This is where large infrastructure investors are playing an increasingly decisive role.

 

Infrastructure investors powering the transition

 

Several investment firms have integrated these needs into their strategies, focusing on long-term infrastructure as a key factor for energy stability. The French firm Meridiam is a case in point; its current portfolio focuses on the link between renewable energy projects and broader grid resilience.

 

However, the path to sovereignty is not without significant hurdles. Scaling up the European grid requires navigating complex regulatory frameworks, securing lengthy planning permissions, and managing volatile raw material costs. This complexity explains why specialised investors, capable of managing high-stakes, multi-year projects, have become so central to the transition.

 

A concrete application of this model is NeuConnect , a subsea electricity interconnector linking Germany and the United Kingdom. Financed by a consortium including Meridiam and Allianz Capital Partners, this €2.8 billion project aims to facilitate electricity exchanges between these two major European markets.

 

According to Meridiam , the interconnector will allow up to 1.4 GW of electricity to flow between the UK and Germany, improving flexibility in the integration of renewable generation. Speaking about the project, Julia Prescot, chair of the NeuConnect board and co-founder of Meridiam, emphasised the broader strategic context: “Sustainable, resilient connections across Europe have never been more important.” Such projects aim to give European powers an element of control over the continent’s energy destiny.

Indeed, interconnectors such as NeuConnect are a critical but often overlooked component of renewable energy systems. Wind and solar power are inherently variable. Electricity networks must therefore be able to move energy across borders to balance supply and demand across wider regions. For Europe, this is critical.

 

In this contect, Meridiam has also invested in projects that illustrate the diversity of renewable energy infrastructure. In France, the firm committed €62 million to the development of a wood-biomass energy plant in Sully-sur-Loire, supplying renewable heat and electricity to the Swiss Krono industrial site. The project reflects a broader trend toward industrial decarbonisation through renewable energy solutions.

 

Another example is the development of renewable natural gas infrastructure. In the Dordogne region, Meridiam partnered with Waga Energy, SUEZ and GRDF to launch a biomethane production facility at the Madaillan landfill site. The installation converts landfill gas into biomethane that can be injected directly into the gas network. Thierry Déau, founder and chief executive of Meridiam, described this approach as part of the firm’s expertise in circular energy systems, stating: “It showcases our expertise on recovering household, industrial and agricultural organic waste as renewable energy in the region.”

 

Such projects demonstrate that the renewable energy transition extends far beyond wind turbines and solar panels. Waste-to-energy systems, grid infrastructure and gas network decarbonisation are also essential components of Europe’s evolving energy architecture. This infrastructure is essential if Europe is to ride the wave of geopolitical instability and build lasting resilience.

 

The scale of private capital shaping the energy transition

 

Meridiam is part of a much broader ecosystem of institutional investors financing renewable energy infrastructure across Europe. Global asset managers and specialized infrastructure funds have committed tens of billions of euros to the sector over the past decade.

 

The expansion of this investment universe is particularly visible in Europe. According to Reuters , wind and solar generation have now overtaken fossil fuels in the EU power mix, a transition that has accelerated demand for capital-intensive infrastructure capable of supporting variable renewable production. As Ember analysts cited by Reuters noted, “Wind and solar together generated more electricity than fossil fuels in the EU last year.”

 

Among them is Brookfield Renewable, one of the world’s largest publicly traded renewable power platforms. The company operates hydroelectric, wind, solar and storage assets across multiple continents. Its leadership has repeatedly emphasised the scale of the opportunity created by the global energy transition. As Brookfield Renewable CEO Connor Teskey stated: ““Energy demand is growing fast, driven by the growth of artificial intelligence as well as electrification in industry and transportation. Against this backdrop we need an ‘any and all’ approach to energy investment that will continue to favour low carbon resources. Our strategy will succeed by investing in the technologies that will deliver clean, abundant, and low-cost energy and transition solutions that underpin the global economy.”

Indeed, across Europe, firms such as Brookfield Renewable, Macquarie Asset Management, Ardian Infrastructure and Allianz Capital Partners have significantly expanded their presence, backing large-scale projects across multiple markets. Their portfolios increasingly span not only generation assets, but also storage and grid-related infrastructure, reflecting the growing complexity of the energy system.

 

Macquarie Asset Management, for, example, has built a major presence in European renewable energy through its green investment platform. The company has invested heavily in solar and energy storage projects through developers such as Cero Generation. Mark Dooley, Global Head of Macquarie Asset Management’s Green Investments group, describes how those with a fundamental commitment to the transition actually represent quite a small group: “In terms of being proper practitioners of the transition rather than people who just invest in it… there aren't very many,” he said.

 

Taken together, these investments reflect the emergence of a new financial landscape for energy infrastructure. Renewable projects are increasingly viewed not only as environmental investments but also as long-term strategic assets capable of delivering stable returns.

 

For Europe, this influx of capital is critical. Building a resilient renewable energy system requires enormous investment in generation, grids and storage. Public funding alone cannot deliver the scale required. Private infrastructure investors therefore play a key role in financing the projects that underpin the continent’s energy transition. The broader implication is that renewable energy development is becoming inseparable from questions of industrial policy and geopolitical stability. A power system built primarily on domestic renewable resources reduces vulnerability to external supply disruptions while strengthening economic resilience.

The gift box market is very competitive with a perpetual renewal of offers. How do you maintain a permanent level of innovation that matches your customers' expectations?

The only way to stay ahead of demand and constantly innovate is to listen. We are constantly listening to the market, our customers and our partners. In addition, we have opted for the diversification of our offer and a presence as close as possible to the field. When we enter a foreign market and buy a brand, we keep that brand because it already has a certain notoriety. We are also looking to determine what efforts are needed to create our own brand recognition as a result of our partnership. This reciprocity dynamic is a very powerful lever for innovation.

Wonderbox is present in several European countries, in addition to innovation, the challenge is adaptability to the local market. What is Wonderbox's strategy to stay in touch with local cultures and habits?

Indeed, our growth is significant and constant, including internationally, but it is methodical and reasoned. At the beginning of July 2018, we acquired a company in Portugal with 25 employees. Last year, we also acquired a company in the Netherlands with about 30 employees. In recent years, we have had quite a strong external growth, even if our organic growth continues. These brands have a real regional identity and reputation on which we must rely. They are as close as can be to the culture since they are the result of it. Our international expansion will therefore consist in remaining faithful to these local roots while bringing our own expertise, experience and quality standards. For example, it would not make sense to add the Wonderbox brand to a graphic identity such as that of Vivabox in Belgium or GiftForYou in the Netherlands. We keep the brands we buy, which does not prevent us from launching Wonderbox in these countries and from launching Vivabox in France, Spain and Italy, for example.

Your European growth being mainly driven by external acquisitions; how do you export your control processes to these new markets?

First of all, we do everything we can to encourage feedback from customers and partners. All this allows us to maintain almost daily contact with our partners. As a result, in the event of an alert, the latter rises extremely quickly. Upstream, our partners - historical or more recent - are rated by mystery shoppers and dream testers (400 each year). All this is monitored very carefully.
Our quality control tool gives us a 360° view of our activity, both for our customers and our partners, in France and abroad. We have access to the entire history of a customer/partner relationship, regardless of location. We have therefore chosen to use the same tool in all the European countries where we operate.

Customer satisfaction depends on the local service provider (hotel, restaurant, leisure centre, etc.). How do you guarantee quality that meets your customers' demands?

When we talk about quality in our industry, we are essentially talking about the quality of content, and therefore the quality of the delivery and delivery of the customer experience. At the beginning of the Wonderbox adventure, we relied directly on quality labels. At the time, these gift boxes were still a very young idea, we were building our reputation, it was essential for us to be able to control the quality of our services by relying on external labels. We quickly realized that quality was at the heart of our product, since we are an intermediary, an aggregator of offers that we provide to our customers.  Therefore, the control of what is upstream is extremely important.
This starts with a rating of our partners, via the opinions that come from our customers and those we find directly on the Internet. These two data combined allow us to know if a partner X is often chosen and if the comments are relevant to the services presented. We have set up this internal rating, as well as extremely precise specifications respected by our sales representatives.

The after-sales service is at the service of both quality control and customer satisfaction. Is this service managed in the same way in all countries?

After-sales service is in and of itself an essential part of our business. First of all, in the support of the client, their choices, etc. But also, in this spirit of permanent quality control which allows us to maintain high standards for all services in all countries. More specifically with regard to foreign countries, within the after-sales service and our call centre, we have counterparts on each position, country by country. We are constantly striving for consistency in internal processes and the centralisation of processes means that there are not any differences in terms of after-sales service from one country to another. This way, we ensure that we have a convergence of best practices, regardless of the country in which we operate. Everyone works according to the same processes, whether in Level 1 or Level 2. Level 2 concerns specific claims or requests requiring higher authorizations, in terms of commercial management. It is based in Paris for France, in Madrid for Spain, in Brussels for Belgium etc.
The objective is to meet all requests. For this purpose, four years ago, we recruited a customer relations manager, who manages all our contacts (calls, emails, letters, social networks). Our tools also allow us to retrieve all the comments that can be found on social networks, about our brand, or on sites like TripAdvisor. We monitor everything. If we find a negative comment, we will treat it as if the person had called us, and preferably within the same day. Whether our customers are French with Wonderbox or Belgian with Vivabox, they will be dealing with the same interlocutors.