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Energy

Biomass

‘The best firm for renewables work bar none.’ Norton Rose’s ‘lawyers pride themselves on staying ahead of market trends’ and ‘demonstrate understanding of the technical aspects of transactions’. Legal 500, 2010

Biomass sourcing requires your advisers to have experience working in a diverse range of jurisdictions, from Russia to Australia and from Liberia to Brazil. We have experts in the technical aspects of biomass sourcing including the issues faced when procuring waste and recycled wood.

Our biomass practice also benefits from the strengths of our market-leading shipping and logistics practice and enabling us to provide advice across an entire procurement chain.

We have assisted both financiers and developers tackle the issues that a rapidly emerging sector such as biomass power generation faces in competing for debt and equity that could otherwise be deployed for more mature sectors such as wind generation. Our team has been, and continues to be, involved in biomass projects from the planning stage through to development and financing. Having worked for parties throughout the supply chain from equipment suppliers to lenders, the team has seen and experienced the issues arising throughout the contractual chain.

The biomass market is seeing a steep increase in activity, but the contractor market (particularly for the boiler element) for biomass power projects is still relatively inexperienced. In recent months, as well as EPC contracts model, we have concentrated on various alternative contract structures for a number of projects in procurement, advising on the procurement process itself and drafting and negotiating associated contracts. Our construction specialists have experience across a range of other sector-specific issues, such as the testing and ramp-up periods, the licensing of technology and the interface with operation and maintenance aspects.

In addition to drafting template biomass procurement contracts for a range of supply models, we are experts in ensuring that biomass supply arrangements do not undermine the potential for equity or debt finance for projects. We are adept at mitigating the contractual and regulatory risks associated with establishing a long-term, secure and sustainable biomass supply chain. This is grounded, in part, on detailed engagement with the evolving regulatory approach to demonstrating sustainability for the purposes of receiving renewable incentives.