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Central Highlands nabs new solar farm
Two firms have advised on the project financing of a Central Highlands solar farm.
Emma Musgrave
Firms: Herbert Smith Freehills [Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ),The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. (MUFG), and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)]; White & Case [Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV)]
Value: Undisclosed
Area: Projects, finance
Key players: The Herbert Smith Freehills legal team was led by partner Gerard Pike and supported by partner Elizabeth Charlesworth, senior associate Rupert Baker, solicitors Yun Yong and Matthew Selth, and graduate Camilla Pondel.
HSF construction experts Toby Anderson, Kris Percy and Daniel Ficyk advised the financiers on the construction, operations and maintenance and grid connection aspects of the transaction.
Deal significance: The Lilyvale Solar Farm is located 50km north east of Emerald in the Central Highlands region of Queensland.
According to a statement from Herbert Smith Freehills, the 100 MW(AC) project, which reached financial close on 18 September, is the most recent solar farm to be developed by leading utility scale solar developer Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV).
Once completed, in combination with its other projects across Australia, FRV will be bringing clean energy to over 115,000 homes, the statement said.
Herbert Smith Freehills noted that the project is “underpinned by a power purchase agreement with Ergon Energy Retail, the Queensland government-owned electricity retailer, who will purchase 100 per cent of all electricity and Large Scale Renewable Certificates (LRECs) generated by the solar farm”.
Commenting further on the deal, Herbert Smith Freehills partner Gerard Pike said: “We are delighted to have assisted ANZ, MUFG and SMBC to achieve financial close on the Lilyvale Solar Farm, which is another 100MW towards achievement of Australia’s Renewable Energy Target and which demonstrates FRV’s and the Queensland government’s commitment to large-scale solar in Queensland”.
“The Lilyvale project marks a continuation of HSF’s strong relationship with FRV and FRV’s lenders, having acted on each of FRV’s projects to reach financial close in Australia to date,” he said.
Emma Musgrave
Emma Musgrave (née Ryan) is the managing editor, professional services at Momentum Media.
Emma has worked for Momentum Media since 2015, including five years spent as the editor of the company's legal brand - Lawyers Weekly. Throughout her time at Momentum, she has been responsible for breaking some of the biggest stories in corporate Australia. In addition, she has produced exclusive multimedia and event content related to the company's respective brands and audiences.
Prior to joining Momentum Media, Emma worked in breakfast radio, delivering news to the Central West region of NSW, before taking on a radio journalist role at Southern Cross Austereo, based in Townsville, North Queensland.
She holds a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) degree from Charles Sturt University.
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