Ashurst has advised project company, AquaSure Pty Ltd in relation to the successful refinancing of its debt financing facilities.  The proceeds of the refinancing were applied to repay AquaSure's senior and mezzanine debt arrangements totalling approximately A$3.7bn originally borrowed to fund the construction of a desalination plant being developed by AquaSure under a PPP arrangement with the State of Victoria.

The project was awarded to the AquaSure consortium (comprising Suez Environnement and its subsidiary Degremont, Leighton Holdings subsidiary Thiess and Macquarie Capital Group) in 2009 and construction of the plant was completed earlier this year.

The Ashurst team was led by infrastructure partner Simon Irvine, and included Jamie Ng (partner - banking), Doug Fung (senior associate - banking), Abigail Farrelly (senior associate - banking), Jason Cornwall-Jones (partner - property), Kellech Smith (partner - intellectual property), Clare Lawrence (partner - native title) and Barbara Phair (partner - tax).