Renewable Energy
Bond Pearce is probably the, pre-eminent firm for legal advice on renewable energy projects in Great Britain. Since 1989, we have advised on more than 220 such projects, including:
- the first onshore wind farm in the UK, at Delabole, Cornwall;
- the first wave farm project in England, the Wave Hub off Cornwall; and
- the largest offshore wind farm project in the world, Greater Gabbard project (504 MW), which will be surpassed by the Gwynt-y-Mor project (750 MW), which will in its turn be surpassed by the London Array project (1,000 MW) (we have advised on each of these projects).
As well as having extensive experience of onshore and offshore wind projects, we have also advised on generating plants using a very wide range of fuel sources from long-established technologies such as biomass, waste from energy and hydro, to the more innovative wave, tidal and hydrogen. Given this, our clients come from a broad spectrum, ranging from some of the largest electricity generators in the UK (Scottish Power, RWE Npower, E.ON and Centrica) to small scale, single turbine projects and community developments.
The total team now numbers in excess of 50 lawyers, advising clients regularly on issues such as planning, property and grid connection in relation to the initial consenting phase, through the construction phases of projects, whether by means of an EPC contract or through separate contracting arrangements and into the energy trading/operational phases of the project. We also advise on the decommissioning of energy projects or in the case of wind farms, the repowering of sites.
We regularly advise on the financing of renewable energy projects whether through bank debt lending or joint development arrangements between developers and utilities. We also frequently advise on the buying and selling of renewable energy projects and have acted on the acquisition or disposal of more than 30 such projects with a combined capacity in excess of 3.5GW. Examples of the projects that we have been involved in include Project Zephyr, which involved the transfer and financing of 17 wind farms (16 onshore, one offshore) by means of a fund based mechanism and the purchase of a 50% interest in the Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Project (504MW) where we advised Npower Renewables on a transaction with a value of £308 million.
Offshore wind will be a major focus of expansion in the period up to 2020 and we are well placed to assist clients with these new challenges as our renewable energy team is complemented by our strong upstream and oil and gas team, allowing us to offer a team of lawyers who are very familiar with the existing offshore energy industry on the UK Continental Shelf and the next industry to be developed in those waters.
In relation to offshore wind projects, we have been advising a number of bidders for Round 3 projects on their bids and their positions under the proposed Zone Development Documents. We have also been advising on the implications of the new offshore transmission regime and how project developers can minimise the risks to their project of a new offshore transmission owner being put in place.
Building on our experience with clients, we are heavily involved with development of the renewable energy industry in the UK, contributing regularly to the activities of the British Wind Energy Association (on behalf of wind and wave/tidal projects) and through working with the Renewable Energy Association.
