CMS in Kyiv has successfully advised Shell on the first production sharing agreement (PSA) for unconventional gas in Ukraine, which was signed on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on Thursday, 24 January, between Shell, Nadra Yuzivska LLC and the Government of Ukraine.

Shell and its partner will explore and appraise hydrocarbon plays they have identified and specifically the tight gas potential of the Yuzivska area. The Yuzivska area covers approximately 7,800 square kilometres in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions of Ukraine.

Travers Smith partner Spencer Summerfield and senior corporate associate Mohammed Senouci have advised San Leon Energy plc on its successful recommended all share merger with AIM quoted Aurelian Oil & Gas plc. The merger was implemented by way of scheme of arrangement with completion occurring on 25 January 2013.

The wider Travers Smith team included head of employee incentives Mahesh Varia, tax partner Simon Yates and employment partner Ed Mills.

WARSAW, 25 January 2013 - The Warsaw office has advised SITA Zielona Energia (a subsidiary of Suez Environnement) on the first and largest Public Private Partnership (PPP) deal in the energy-from-waste sector in Poland. The total value of the deal is approximately EUR 850 million.

The London and Johannesburg offices of leading international legal practice Norton Rose are advising Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) as sponsor of the Kariba South Power Station Extension project, in the Mashonaland West province of Zimbabwe.

The project is expected to cost around $500 million and will add 300 megawatts to the 750 megawatts already generated by Zimbabwe at the Kariba hydropower station on the Zambezi River.

Watson, Farley & Williams (“WFW”), a leading international law firm, is pleased to announce that it has advised IWB (Industrielle Werke Basel) on the acquisition of the Atrebatie wind farm project in the Pas-de-Calais region of France from German project developer OSTWIND International (“OSTWIND”). WFW advised on all the legal and tax aspects.

The wind farm project consists of four individual wind farms comprising 14 wind turbines with a total capacity of 42 MW. The planned energy production is anticipated to be greater than 100 GWh annually.

United Kingdom

Global law firm Eversheds has advised RES UK & Ireland Limited in its successful defence of a statutory challenge to planning permission granted for its proposed wind farm development known as “Jack’s Lane” in North-West Norfolk.

The challenge, which also involved a nearby wind farm development proposed by E.ON, was brought by two action groups who resisted both planning applications at the Inquiry stage. The groups sought to quash the decision to grant planning permission for both developments on cultural heritage grounds.

Watson, Farley & Williams (“WFW“), a leading international law firm, has advised Stadtwerke Lübeck, a municipal utility, on the legal and tax aspects of the acquisition of shares in a ground mounted 20 MWp solar farm in Thuringia, Germany. The solar farm will be operated jointly with another utility partner.

The solar farm covers an area of approximately 40 hectares and has been connected to the local grid since August 2012. Stadtwerke Lübeck acquired a share of 8.8 MWp, which will provide 2,500 households with clean energy annually.

United Kingdom

Global law firm Eversheds has advised leading energy company SSE as a shareholder in UK's Walney offshore wind farm, which has just reached financial close on its £242 million project financing.

Walney offshore wind farm is a joint partnership between DONG Energy (50.1%), SSE (25.1%) and OPW (24.8%). The refinancing has been provided by a consortium of five banks, providing senior debt finance of about £224m ($364m).

Watson, Farley & Williams (“WFW”), a leading international law firm, is pleased to announce that it has advised the German company Capital Stage on the acquisition, from Ceif Società Cooperativa, of two PV plants of a total capacity of approx. 4.6 MW, situated in Polinese Parmese, Italy. The parties agreed not to disclose the amount of the purchase price. The company's subsidiary, Capital Stage Solar Service GmbH, will be responsible for the operations of the park.

Watson, Farley & Williams (“WFW”), a leading international law firm, is pleased to announce that it has advised Winch Energy, a UK developer and operator of solar power generating projects, on the negotiation and definition of the terms of partnership with Onda Energia, the largest gas and electricity broker in both Sicily and Sardinia, following the acquisition of the Sardinian group Energit, a company operating in the electricity market.