Can the love affair between institutions and infrastructure funds continue? The rush to invest in the asset class, with its stable assets and income streams, has been remarkable and today the sector is worth close to $120bn (£81bn, €96bn) from a standing start just a decade ago. Some 70 new funds opened in 2007 alone.

But in common with its close cousin, private equity, infrastructure is starting to feel the heat from the economic downturn and the lack of availability of debt financing.