International firms play key roles in a project that will divert waste from landfills in Western Australia
Two international law firms have confirmed their roles in a project that will divert waste from landfills in Western Australia.
Allen & Overy (A&O) advised John Laing Group on its $51.5m investment in the East Rockingham Resource Recovery Facility in Perth. The project, which will cost $511m, is expected to become operations by 2023.
DLA Piper counselled SUEZ Recycling and Recovery, which has been awarded a 20-year-minimum contract as waste management partner of the facility. The project is sponsored by a consortium formed by John Laing, Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI), New Energy Corporation, Acciona, and Tribe Infrastructure Group.
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The energy-from-waste plant is designed to process 300,000 tonnes of municipal and industrial waste every year to produce 28.9MW of electricity.
The A&O team was led by Australian partners Simon Huxley and Michael Parshall, who were supported by senior associates Melissa Grinter and Daniel Harris and graduate Lisa Jiang. The Australian team was also supported by A&O’s waste-to-energy team in the UK, led by London-based partner Andrew Castle.
“The East Rockingham Resource Recovery Facility is a significant asset in Australia’s efforts to send less waste to landfill and generate more renewable energy,” Parshall said.
Huxley said that “sustainable energy and waste management solutions are fundamentally important to many Australians.”
DLA Piper said that its team advised SUEZ on all aspects of the project, including agreements for long-term waste supply, operations and maintenance of the facility, power purchase and joint venture arrangements.
Finance and projects partners David Harley and Kate Papailiou headed the DLA Piper team, which also included senior associate Marnie Carroll. Support was also provided by corporate partner Stefan Luke, solicitor Rebecca Williams, and graduate Ashley Bannister.
“Compared to other markets like Europe, the energy-from-waste sector is still in the early stages of development in Australia. This project represents an important step forward for the sector in this market,” Harley said.
Pinsent Masons earlier confirmed that it advised HZI on the project.
The East Rockingham Resource Recovery Facility is only the second of its kind in Australia to reach financial close. The other project is the $700m Kwinana Waste-to-Energy Project, which Allens, Norton Rose Fulbright, and DLA Piper advised on. Herbert Smith Freehills also acted in that project’s financing.