La Caisse enters partnership to acquire Southern Star Central Corp.

La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (“CDPQ”) has partnered with GE Unit (NYSE: GE) GE Energy Financial Services to jointly acquire Southern Star Central Corporation from Morgan Stanley Infrastructure. The company has full ownership of Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline Inc. (“SSCGP”), which operates a FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)-regulated natural gas pipeline system in the United States.   Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed.

SSCGP is a well-established company. Founded in 1904, it owns and operates a natural gas transmission and storage network. The pipeline network extends over more than 9,300 kilometers across eight states, serving mainly the Kansas and Missouri markets.

“For la Caisse, this is a high-quality asset that is strategically well-located. The integration of its infrastructure in the local distribution companies makes SSCGP a leading company in its market,” added Macky Tall, Senior Vice-President, Infrastructure, CDPQ. “We are very pleased to join forces with GE Energy Financial Services, a strategic, quality partner with in-depth knowledge of this sector and of the company. The investment is fully aligned with our infrastructure investment strategy, because it will generate for la Caisse and its clients, stable and predictable returns over the long term.”

ABOUT LA CAISSE DE DÉPÔT ET PLACEMENT DU QUÉBEC

La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is a long-term institutional investor that manages funds  primarily for public and parapublic pension and insurance plans. As at December 31, 2014, it held $226 billion in net assets. As one of Canada’s leading institutional fund managers, la Caisse invests globally in major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure and real estate. For more information: www.cdpq.com.