The Arthur Cox Energy and Resources Group is widely recognised as the premier all-island energy and resources practice on the island of Ireland. We have been centrally involved in almost every major energy and resources sector development in Ireland and Northern Ireland in recent years and have a client base, track record and depth of specialist resources that are the envy of the market.
We have the largest dedicated energy and resources practice on the island of Ireland and are the only firm with leading energy practices in both Dublin and Belfast. Our track record in advising on regulatory reform, market design and major energy infrastructure projects in Ireland and Northern Ireland is without peer.
Arthur Cox has an unrivalled depth of expertise in the energy and resources sectors in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, offering specialist advice across the full spectrum of relevant disciplines, including:
- Energy regulation under domestic and EU law
- Independent power projects
- Renewable energy projects, including wind, CHP, biomass, hydro-electricity and waste to energy
- Regulatory reform and energy market design
- Physically and financially settled gas and electricity trading arrangements
- Emissions trading and Renewables Obligation Certificate trading
- Electricity and gas retail supply contracts
- Electricity connection and use of system arrangements
- Electricity and gas transmission, distribution and interconnection
- Gas connection, shipping and storage
- Gas pipeline procurement and installation
- Mineral and gas exploration and production
- EPC and O&M contracts
- Project finance
- Public procurement
- Privatisation and structural reform
- Environment and planning
- Mergers and acquisitions
- EU and competition law
We have extensive experience acting for government, regulators, financiers, market participants and customers in Ireland, Northern Ireland and internationally. This gives us a unique perspective on the commercial and policy imperatives of different stakeholders in the sector and significantly enhances our ability to add value for our clients.
Major recent projects in which the Energy and Resources Group has been involved include:
- Conventional Power Projects, including the 343MW CCGT Huntstown I Power Project (first IPP in Ireland); the 401.5MW CCGT Huntstown II Power Project; the 445MW CCGT Whitegate Power Project; the 150MW West Offaly Power Plant; the 100MW Lough Rea Power Plant; the 280MW Arklow Power Project; and the acquisition of a majority interest in the 382MW CCGT Tynagh Power Project.
- Wind projects, including advising government, sponsors, financiers, offtakers and purchasers in relation to more than 50 planned and operational onshore wind projects, as well as the 520MW Arklow Banks; the 1,100MW Codling Banks and 330MW Oriel Offshore Windfarms.
- Waste to Energy Projects, including the €400M Dublin Waste to Energy PPP Project, the arc21 Energy from Waste & MBT PPP Project; Indaver on the Carranstown and Ringaskiddy Waste to Energy Projects; Green Organics Energy on the development of a 15MW waste to energy and biodiesel plant; and Re3 on the Limerick Waste Conversion Facility.
- CHP, including facilities at Wyeth’s Askeaton, Newbridge and Grange Castle plants; the Virginia CHP Plant; the 15MW CHP plant at Glanbia’s Ballyragget facility and advising SEI and the State on transposition of the Cogeneration Directive.
- Electrical Interconnectors, including advising Moyle Interconnector Limited on all aspects of its ownership, operation and funding of the 500MW HVDC Moyle Interconnector and advising EirGrid on the funding of the 500MW HVDC East West Interconnector.
- Upstream Gas Projects including advising the State in connection with the Corrib Gas Field, funders and market participants in relation to the Seven Heads Gas Field and market participants in relation to exploration acreage.
- Gas Transmission and Distribution including advising the State in relation to regulation of upstream gas pipelines; the CER and NIAUR on the Common Arrangements for Gas; the CER in relation to downstream gas regulation including establishment of an all-island system operator; implementation of Entry/Exit and development of the Unified Code of Operations; and NIEH on the £185M acquisition and subsequent ownership, operation and funding of the Scotland to Northern Ireland Gas Pipeline.
- Gas Storage including advising the CER on development of the Gas Storage Licence and advising on various gas storage contracts.
- Energy Market Reform, including advising government, regulators and market participants in relation to the implementation of the Common Arrangements for Gas (Ireland and NI); the Single Electricity Market (Ireland and NI); MAE (Ireland); BETTA (GB); Gas Entry/Exit (Ireland) and NTS Exit Reforms (GB).
- Energy Sector Regulation including advising government and regulators on drafting and negotiating regulatory consents for upstream oil and gas production, downstream gas transportation (Unified Code of Operations), offshore windfarms and gas storage; the Biofuels Mineral Oil Relief Scheme II; and transposition of elements of the Cogeneration Directive.
- Energy Trading Arrangements including physically and financially settled wholesale and retail electricity contracts (Ireland & NI); establishment of IIPEX (Ireland); wholesale and retail gas contracts (Ireland, NI and GB); gas storage contracts (Ireland and GB); gas capacity contracts (Ireland, NI and GB); electricity interconnector capacity contracts (NI); and emissions trading arrangements (Ireland).
- Mergers & Acquisitions including the €1.1 billion sale of Airtricity Holdings; the disposal by ESB of 1,300MW of generation assets to Endesa A/S; Viridian Group on its £1.62B acquisition by Arcapita; the acquisition of a majority interest in Tynagh Energy by GE; the acquisition of EcoWindPower by Viridian; the disposal by DONG Energy Generation A/S of a majority interest in the Dublin Waste to Energy Project to Covanta Holdings; the £185M acquisition of Premier Transmission; the US$3B merger of Lundin Mining Corporation and Eurozinc; the US$125M acquisition of ARCON International Resources; the US$100M sale of INPC’s Whitegate Refinery and Bantry Terminal operations, the acquisition of the retail and commercial fuels business of Royal Dutch Shell; the acquisition of multiple renewable energy projects in Ireland and the disposal of a number of CHP Projects.
- Energy sector financing including advising EirGrid on the €150M Phase I funding of the East West Interconnector; BNP Paribas on the £100M funding of the Kilroot Clean Coal & FGD Project; the €400M funding of the Dublin Waste to Energy Project (Finance Magazine Project Finance Deal of the Year 2008); Viridian on £1,877M in acquisition and credit facilities; Ulster Bank in respect on the project financing of 12 wind projects with a combined value in excess of €180M; Viridian on the €200M funding of the 343MW Huntstown Power Project (first major IPP project financed in Ireland); financing the acquisitions of Irish Power Systems and Celtic Hydro; the US$57 million project financing of the Lisheen lead and zinc mine; the US$100M financing of DNO in respect of its interest in the Seven Heads Gas field; and RMB Resources in relation to facilities to Island Oil and Gas plc.
- On Track - Projects Group Newsletter, Spring 2010
- Construction and Engineering, Education, Health and Justice Infrastructure, Energy and Resources, Health and Safety, Manufacturing and Process Engineering, Maritime and Shipping, Project Finance, Projects, Public Law, Transport, PPP and PFI, Waste Management, Water and Wastewater, Public Procurement
- 07.05.2010 | Format:
