Richard Coar

Richard regularly advises governments, sponsors and funders on a wide range of development, financing, M&A and regulatory mandates across the infrastructure, power and oil and gas sectors. He has worked in these sectors for over 15 years and has a particular focus on the energy transition.

Richard is also co-head of the firm’s renewables and construction sectors and is independently recognised by Chambers for both renewables and power.

Work highlights

Richard has advised on numerous innovative, first-in-market and award winning transactions. These include advising:

• Électricité de France S.A on £2.3bn project financing of Neart na Gaoithe Offshore Wind Farm in Scotland 
• 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 lenders on the financing of the Newhurst energy-from-waste facility to be constructed in Leicestershire, UK
• the UK Ministry of Defence in respect of the UK’s new aircraft carriers, offshore patrol vessels and new global combat ships
• the sponsors on the development and financing of the Triton Knoll offshore wind farm
• the sponsors on the Beatrice offshore wind farm, Scotland’s biggest wind farm
• the lenders on the award-winning multi-source financing of the UK’s largest dedicated biomass facility in Teeside
• the sponsors on the refinancing of 74 ground-mounted solar PV assets – part of the largest portfolio of solar PV plants in Europe
• the lenders on the novel portfolio financing of a number of tranches of smart meters
• the sponsors on their acquisition and financing of six offshore transmission projects in the UK, including the first three to reach financial close
• the sponsors on developing a hybrid solar PV and diesel offering for off-grid industrial consumers in Africa
• the sponsors on the development and financing of an oil refinery in Colombia – the largest project financing at that time in Colombia

Richard is a regular speaker at conferences and frequently leads client training.

Over his career he has advised, and spent time, in numerous jurisdictions around the world and has been on secondment to an international bank.

Richard has also been able to use his legal and sector knowledge on number of pro bono initiatives in the renewable sector aimed at tackling the increasing issue of fuel poverty.