Herbert Smith Freehills has won a string of awards at Project Finance International's annual PFI Awards ceremony, and has also been ranked for the first time in Dealogic's league table of global legal project finance advisors, marking an extremely successful year for our global team.

The firm won the following four categories at the PFI Awards, which took place at London's Hilton Hotel on 30 January 2013:

 * Asia Pacific Deal of the Year for our advice to the banks on the Ichthys LNG Project– the largest project financing globally in 2012

Allen & Overy has advised longstanding client TAQA and Jorf Lasfar Energy Company 5&6 on the project financing for the 700MW expansion of the Jorf Lasfar power plant in Morocco.

Jorf Lasfar is the largest coal-fired power complex in the MENA region and the first independent power producer (IPP) in Morocco. Jorf Lasfar is also the largest power plant in Morocco and already supplies 40% of the country's electricity output.

Paris, Norton Rose, cabinet d’avocats d’affaires international, a conseillé un pool bancaire de cinq banques françaises et internationales à l’occasion du financement de cinq tranches, d’une capacité cumulée de 55 MWc, de la centrale de Toul-Rosières développée par EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN) en Meurthe et Moselle.

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.

Linklaters has advised the lenders on the Western High-Speed Diameter Project (WHSD) in Saint Petersburg - Russia's first city-based toll road and the largest PPP project in Russia to date.

The project includes construction of the central section and subsequent operation of northern, central and south sections of the toll road in Saint Petersburg on the basis of a public private partnership agreement. The road will reduce traffic pressure on urban highways by redirecting traffic flows. The total value of project financing is €1.5bn.

International legal practice Norton Rose has advised the UK Green Investment Bank, Barclays Bank, BayernLB and SMBC as lenders to the Wakefield waste Private Finance Initiative (PFI), a municipal waste facility located in South Kirkby.

The lenders will provide banking facilities of over £100 million to project sponsor Shanks Group for the project, which will be capable of treating up to 230,000 tonnes of waste annually. The waste will be provided by the Council of the City of Wakefield.

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).