Francesca Matthews

Francesca is an energy specialist, advising on the construction, development and financing arrangements for energy (particularly renewable energy) projects globally, as well as on the sale and purchase of energy assets. She has particular expertise in low carbon projects, advising on several innovative, first-in-market transactions in this space as well as on the wider energy transition.

Francesca is very much a sector specialist, delivering all-round, one-stop legal advice on her projects.

Following her secondment to Webber Wentzel for six months in 2017, Francesca has a particular interest in Africa. She has advised on energy and infrastructure projects in Rwanda, Mozambique, Morocco, South Africa and Cape Verde.

Francesca started her career at a law firm in Sydney, Australia before moving to the UK in 2008.

Work highlights

Francesca has led, or been a key adviser, on many market-leading renewables and low carbon projects. These include advising:

• the co-lead investors Altor, GIC, Hy24 and Just Climate on the c.€1.5bn private placement in H2 Green Steel
• Equinor and SSE, the sponsors, on the development and financing of the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm, the world’s largest offshore wind farm
• the lead financial investor on its equity investment in a battery manufacturing plant in Sweden, Europe’s largest battery manufacturing facility
• EDF, the sponsor, on the development, construction and ECA-backed financing of the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm in Scotland
• the sponsors on the £2.6bn EIB/EKF/commercial lender financing of the Beatrice offshore wind farm in the UK
• an offshore wind developer on its joint venture in the US

Francesca co-wrote Getting Hy? Ambition and the art of the possible in the search for a hydrogen economy, which analyses the business models and regulatory context for clean hydrogen in certain key countries.

She shares her insights about renewables and market developments in the low carbon sector on Sustainable Futures.