Arani Chakrabarty

Arani is a senior associate in the Global Energy and Infrastructure Group based in London and currently on secondment to the firm’s Paris office. 

He represents project sponsors (including private equity funds), commercial and direct lenders, international finance organizations and other project participants on a wide range of cross-border project financing and acquisition/divestment transactions, with a particular expertise in the energy transition sectors (including notably low-carbon hydrogen, gigafactories and wind) and ECA/DFI-backed financings. Arani has worked on transactions in the UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa (Francophone, Lusophone and Anglophone), India and Southeast Asia. 

He has worked in the firm’s London, Frankfurt and Paris offices and has previously completed a six-month secondment to Ørsted in London where he focussed on green hydrogen joint ventures. 

Clients’ testimonials include that he is “a strong lawyer who has impressed them”, “dedicated to serving clients and understanding and addressing specific issues” and “very responsive, very knowledgeable and [able to] efficiently draft complex commercial arrangements”. 

He is fluent in English, French, Hindi and Bengali. 

Work highlights

• CIP: advising Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) on the acquisition of a 26.67% stake in CWP H1 Energy Pte. Ltd. (CWP H1), the green hydrogen and green ammonia venture of CWP Global (CWP), and related strategic joint venture arrangements across Africa, Australia and the Americas.
• OTPP: advising Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) on its investment of up to $1 billion with Corio Generation (offshore wind business launched by Australia’s Macquarie Group Ltd) into development-stage fixed-bottom and floating wind farms in South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Ireland and Britain. [M&A Deal of the Year at the Wind Investment Awards 2023]
• Landmark gigafactory project, Europe: advising the sponsors (including two OEMs) on the project development and financing of a large-scale multi-jurisdictional gigafactory project to be constructed in Europe (ongoing).
• Northvolt: advising Goldman Sachs Asset Management in connection with Northvolt’s USD 1.1 billion convertible note to support European expansion of battery production. 
• Seagreen wind farm: advising SSE Renewables on the development, construction, project financing and 51% equity sale to Total of the 1,075 MW Seagreen 1 offshore wind farm project in Scotland. The lending group included EKF, EKN and GIEK as export credit agencies (ECAs)
• Amiral project: the ECAs, commercial lenders and Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF) on the planned Amiral petrochemical complex in Saudi Arabia, with Saudi Aramco and TotalEnergies as sponsors. The project represents an investment of $11 billion.
• IFC: advising the International Finance Corporation (IFC), DEG and Proparco on the multi-source financing of the Cape Verde Airport. 
• Lhyfe: advising Lhyfe, the French green hydrogen production company, on its €145.5 million initial public offering at the Euronext in Paris and collaboration agreement with cornerstone investors including EDP Renováveis, S.A. (EDPR).
• Triton Knoll wind farm: advising RWE/innogy on the due diligence, construction contracts, offtake contracts and CfD agreements for the Triton Knoll offshore wind farm project in the UK
• Galloper wind farm: advising the lenders on the financing and subsequent refinancing of the Galloper offshore wind farm project in the UK

Further work highlights

• Galloper wind farm: advising the lenders on the financing and subsequent refinancing of the Galloper offshore wind farm project in the UK
• Iles d'Yeu and Noirmoutier wind farms: advising the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and 16 commercial banks, as lenders, on due diligence aspects of the financing of the Iles d'Yeu and Noirmoutier offshore wind farm. 
• Karapinar solar: advising Kalyon Holdings on the multi-source and UK Export Finance (UKEF)-backed financing of the 1.350GW Karapinar single-site solar plant. 
• SFR FttH: advising OMERS Infrastructure, Allianz Capital Partners and AXA Investment Managers - Real Assets as part of their joint venture with Altice Europe in relation to the €1bn purchase of the Covage fibre infrastructure platform in France 
• MIRA: advising Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) on the refinancing of Società Gasdotti Italia (a gas transportation and distribution company in Italy) by a group of lenders and the European Investment Bank (EIB)
• Equitix: advising Equitix on the due diligence and transaction arrangements in connection with the acquisition of a minority equity stake in Viridor Energy Limited from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. Infrastructure Fund. Viridor has the UK’s largest and most diversified Energy from Waste portfolio.