Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), Al Tamimi & Company and Ashurst have advised parties on the first waste-to-energy facility to be developed in Abu Dhabi.
HSF, together with Al Tamimi, provided counsel to Marubeni, Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI) and the Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transport & Urban Development (JOIN) in their roles as international sponsors for Emirates Water & Electricity Company (EWEC)’s new waste-to-energy plant.
It is one of the largest waste-to-energy facilities in the region, and is being developed in collaboration with Tadweer Group to divert waste away from landfills.
Ashurst advised EWEC and Tadweer on the structuring, procurement, and financing of the facility, according to a statement from the firm.
The plant will have an expected processing capacity of 900,000 tonnes of waste per year, enabling an expected carbon emissions reduction of 1.1 million tonnes per year, according to a statement. It will have the ability to produce 80 megawatts of power a year, which is enough to power up to 52,500 UAE homes.
The deal successfully reached financial close on June 28, 2024.
Herbert Smith Freehills partner Phil Hanson, who led on the deal, said:
“We are delighted to have advised the partners on this project, which constitutes a key part of the UAE’s sustainable agenda and circular economy, and to continue our recent run of successful support for key projects in the UAE, which includes the Noor 2 street-lighting project, and the Mirfa 2 Reverse Osmosis desalination plant.”
A team of lawyers from Al Tamimi acted as UAE counsel to the sponsors, and was led by Mark Brown, partner and head of projects, with support from James MacCallum, partner and head of corporate/commercial at the firm.
The Ashurst team was led by partners Luke Robottom and Grant Batten, supported by partners Natasha Kavanagh and Matthew Wood. The wider team included partner Kerion Ball.
Commenting, lead partner Robottom said this is a “landmark project reflecting Abu Dhabi’s commitment to move towards a sustainable economy”.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with details of Ashurst’s involvement.
