Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance advises renewable energy developer Maoneng on Australia-first PPA for UNSW

Leading international law firm Clifford Chance has advised Australian-Chinese developer, owner and operator of renewable power generation assets Maoneng Australia (Maoneng) on its entry into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and on related agreements with Origin, who is providing firming and other services to UNSW.

The PPA relates to the 200 megawatt (MW) Sunraysia Solar Farm, located near Balranald in south-western NSW, owned and developed by Maoneng.

Philip Sealey, Head of Renewable Energy Asia Pacific offers, "UNSW has set the goal to achieve carbon neutrality for energy use by 2020. We are delighted to have supported Maoneng in its collaboration with UNSW and Origin to develop an energy procurement solution to meet the university's needs."

Philip led the transaction for Clifford Chance. Norton Rose Fulbright acted for UNSW, Origin Energy was advised by Hive Legal and Energy Action provided energy market analysis and advice to UNSW.

Clifford Chance regularly advises on market leading renewables transactions in Asia Pacific including Global Infrastructure Partner's US$5 billion acquisition of Equis Energy, acting on Formosa 1 - the first offshore wind project in Asia, and on the financing of Australia's first integrated solar and energy storage project of scale, a Conergy-sponsored project that received a AUD17.4 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).