The transaction achieved financial close last week
Norton Rose Fulbright (NRF) and Allens have lent their expertise to a deal that saw sustainable energy solutions provider ENGIE procure the Goorambat East Solar Farm.
The transaction reached financial close last week. NRF guided ENGIE, while Allens advised a lender group on the project financing.
Bouygues Construction Australia Pty Ltd and Equans Solar and Storage Australia Pty Ltd have teamed up with ENGIE on the project’s engineering, procurement and construction, operation and maintenance. The Goorambat East Solar Farm is set to have over 500,000 solar photovoltaic panels and a total capacity of 250MW when it is completed in 2026.
At maximum capacity, it is expected to be able to provide power to “the equivalent of 105,000 average Victorian homes”, Allens said. During the construction phase, the project is also anticipated to create about 250 new jobs, bolstering regional Victoria’s economy and environment.
“ENGIE reaching financial close on the Goorambat East Solar Farm is a major step in progressing our renewable energy development pipeline and reflects the company’s focus on growth and decarbonisation, and our commitment to delivering 3GW of renewable energy in Australia by 2030”, said Laura Caspari, ENGIE Australia’s managing director of renewables.
NRF Australia projects and construction team head Luke van Grieken led the team that assisted ENGIE with all aspects of the procurement documentation for the project – the drafting and negotiation the early works agreement, EPC contract, O&M agreement and other ancillary documents. Special counsel Mandi Panagoda and lawyer Jayne Kelly headed up the team alongside van Grieken, receiving support from projects partner Steven Choi, environment and planning partner Jacqueline Plant and real estate partner Adrian Jones, among others.
Meanwhile, the Allens team guided the lenders on all aspects of the project financing, which encompassed the bankability aspects of the transaction and debt documents. Banking and finance partner Michael Ryan took the lead, joined by managing associate Tristan Kelly, associate Lisa Wang, and lawyers Jun Chong and Eddie Chen.
NRF recently advised sustainable energy solutions provider Vestas on Stage 2 of the Golden Plains Wind Farm, while Allens assisted Akaysha Energy in relation to the Orana BESS.
