Environmental law and renewable energy
The firm’s expertise covers a wide range of renewable energy sources: solar, wind, biomass, hydrogen and geothermal. The firm assists developers as well as investors, lenders and insurers, so that it has a thorough understanding of the issues and constraints faced by each of the players involved in renewable energy projects.
This solid knowledge enables it to act either during the development phase, providing general assistance with project progress (analysis of regulatory constraints depending on the specific features of the project, obtaining administrative authorisations, drafting and negotiating industrial contracts), or in acquisition or financing transactions, carrying out risk analyses, including any analysis of pending litigation.
The firm also advises industrial companies on issues relating to environmental regulations, including permits (at the stage of obtaining them or during the operation of the facility), classified sites, pollution, waste management and the circular economy.
The firm is also regularly involved in transactional operations (particularly mergers and acquisitions), providing regulatory assistance on all issues relating to an activity, product or project, particularly in the context of permit audits.
Significant experiences
- Advising insurers and insurance intermediaries on the structuring, negotiation and execution of insurance policies designed to cover developers of renewable energy projects (wind, solar, biogas, hydrogen) against the risk of appeals against administrative authorisations.
- Advising an investment company on a legal audit relating to the acquisition of a portfolio of methanisation plant projects.
- Advising the arranger in connection with the financing of the construction and operation of a solar farm in the South of France, built and financed exclusively on the basis of income from a corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA), without recourse to a government support mechanism (call for tenders/purchase obligation).
- Advising a lender in connection with the financing of the construction and operation of two battery storage units with a combined capacity of 11.3 MWh and a conversion capacity of 10 MW, located in French Guiana and constituting the largest battery storage system in France.
- Advising a lender in connection with the financing of two greenfield wind farms with a total capacity of approximately 60 MW to be operated by an international company in the renewable energy sector, listed on the regulated market
- Advising a property developer in connection with the conclusion of a promise of sale subject to conditions precedent for the development of four storage warehouse projects subject to Seveso regulations.
- Audit of ICPE authorisations and, more specifically, of the operating problems encountered by the operator in connection with the acquisition of a company operating plants manufacturing parts from plastics.
