Ashurst advised Brockwell Energy, Green Investment Group and Covanta Energy, as sponsors, on the development of a combined heat and power merchant energy from waste (EfW) facility located in Grangemouth, the first project of its type in Scotland.

The 21MW Earls Gate Energy Centre (EGEC) will process up to 216,000 tonnes of household, commercial and industrial waste every year, producing electricity and heat that will be bought by local businesses, including by chemical manufacturer and landlord, CalaChem.

Dentons advised the Equinor Group (formerly Statoil), the global renewable energy giant, on the conclusion of a preliminary agreement for the purchase from Polenergia SA of a 50 percent stake in a company developing the Baltyk I offshore wind farm with a target capacity of up to 1,560 MW, more than 80 km off the port town of Leba. 

The portfolio, which is spread over eight locations, has a total capacity of 70 MW peak. It was built at the beginning of 2018 by the European Energy Group, an internationally active provider of renewable energies from Denmark, and connected to the power grid.

Prior to and during the transaction, the European Energy Group received comprehensive legal and tax advice from an international team led by partner Dr Stephan Ulrich and Counsel Karin Hribar.

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) has advised German project developer BayWa r.e. renewable energy GmbH (“BayWa r.e.”) on the sale of four solar parks with a total capacity of around 41,2 MW to two buyers. Three parks with a capacity of 31.8 MW were sold to the independent solar power producer Sonnedix and the fourth park was sold to the Allianz Renewable Energy Fund II (“AREFII”), a closed-end fund of Allianz Global Investors. The plants are located in the French commune of Hourtin, close to Bordeaux.

CMS advises AEW Energie AG on the acquisition of a participation in evpass SA

The energy supply company of the Canton of Aargau, AEW Energie AG, has invested in the Vaud-based company evpass SA.

Evpass SA operated the largest national network of public charging stations for electric vehicles in Switzerland. In 2018, more than 500 charging station were put into operation. The network currently consists of more than 1070 charging station, spread across 370 municipalities across whole of Switzerland.

DLA Piper has advised Greencoat UK Wind (UKW) on the acquisition of a 45MW subsidy-free wind farm in Scotland from Blue Energy.

The acquisition – which is set to be equity funded from UKW's excess cashflow – is expected to close in Q1 2019, pending the signing of construction and O&M contracts. Construction works are set to begin in 2019 with commissioning scheduled for July 2021.

Blue Energy and Natural Power will be responsible for construction management and engineering services at the site.

Clifford Chance has advised ENGIE, a world leader in the energy transition, on the refinancing of the Al Dur Power and Water Project in Bahrain. Awarded in 2008 to a consortium of ENGIE and Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC), the Al Dur IWPP is a flagship power project in Bahrain, accounting for one-third of the country's power and water production, with capacity of 1,243MW in respect of power and 48 MIGD in respect of water per day.

Charles Russell Speechlys has advised long standing client, AIM-listed Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) plc, on its placing to raise £4 million (and open offer to raise up to a further £1million). The placing was to new and existing institutional and other investors.

A team led by James Pay and Joseph Woodworth from Clifford Chance's London energy and infrastructure practice has advised the project company and the sponsors (Innogy, Siemens, ESB, Macquarie and Sumitomo Corporation) on the successful £1.4bn refinancing of the 352.8MW Galloper Offshore Wind Farm.

A joint venture agreement to deliver an interconnector between the UK and Denmark

Eversheds Sutherland has advised National Grid and Energinet (the Danish TSO) on the drafting and negotiation of a Joint Ownership and Operating Agreement to construct and operate a 760km long, high voltage direct current electricity interconnector between Bicker Fen in Lincolnshire, Great Britain and Revsing in southern Jutland, Denmark.

The agreement is a significant milestone for the project, as it sets out detailed governance arrangements for delivery and operation of the link.