Shirley Cheng, Chris Dynon, Jeff Clark, Chris Pitson, Henrik Moritz, Malcolm Brennan advise
King and Wood Mallesons (KWM) has confirmed that it assisted Aula Energy on the financial closure of the Boulder Creek Wind Farm project in Queensland and on the subsequent sale of a 50% interest in the project to CS Energy.
KWM also helped Aula Energy with the project development, including the construction, grid connection, and offtake contracting, and with the property, planning and project financing workstreams, according to KWM’s media release.
Projects/energy partner Shirley Cheng, construction partner Chris Dynon, finance partner Jeff Clark, property partner Chris Pitson, corporate partner Henrik Moritz, and FIRB partner Malcolm Brennan led the cross-disciplinary KWM deal team.
Support came from projects/energy senior associates Morgan Clune and Aaron Brooks, projects/energy solicitor Thanaya Naidu, construction senior associates Shubho Mukherjee and Edward Kus, finance special counsel Joanna Taylor, finance solicitors David Kennelly and Katie Nikolaou, property senior associates Tanya Bromilow and Nicola Wang, corporate senior associates Jessica Thiyavutikan and Laura Bernhardt, FIRB senior associate Eveline Kuang, and FIRB solicitor Grace Kelly.
“We’ve really valued being part of the growth of this fantastic business and working with such an energetic and brilliant team - having assisted on the initial acquisition of this project and the establishment of Aula Energy itself,” Cheng said in KWM’s media release.
Cheng expressed pride at having advised the client on this project and described the firm’s work as “another example of KWM’s market leading ability to advise on all aspects of renewable energy project development and work seamlessly across teams to deliver for our clients.”
Deal background
Following the transaction, Queensland-based CS Energy has become a long-term co-investor in the Boulder Creek Wind Farm project and has agreed to purchase Aula Energy’s share of the 228-megawatt wind farm’s output for two decades.
The wind farm – which is 40 kilometres southwest of Rockhampton, Queensland – will generate enough clean energy to power the equivalent of over 85,000 homes annually once its operations commence in 2027, said KWM’s media release.
Aula Energy – an Australian-headquartered renewable energy business established by Macquarie in 2023 – plans to develop and to operate onshore renewable energy projects across Australia and also intends to expand into New Zealand.
Back in mid-August, KWM announced that it advised ENGIE in reaching a successful financial closure of the Goorambat East Solar Farm. This was another transaction seeking to support the country’s energy transition, KWM said.
