Elizabeth Charlesworth
Elizabeth advises clients on the financing of major energy and infrastructure transactions.
Elizabeth works with clients on the financing and project development of traditional power and renewable energy transactions both in Australia and the UK. She specialises in advising clients on greenfield developments for infrastructure and energy assets as well as acquisitions and divestments of such assets. Her renewable experience includes onshore and offshore wind, solar and biomass projects. Her experience extends to advising on emerging technologies, low carbon projects and the energy transition, including energy from waste projects, battery energy storage systems, pumped hydro projects, electric vehicles and charging infrastructure as well as hydrogen projects.
She has acted for both financiers and sponsors on a range of multi-jurisdictional transactions across the UK, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
Elizabeth also helps clients with limited recourse project financing, acquisition financing, borrowing base lending, as well as public private partnerships in Australia.
Elizabeth has also advised on the financing and refinancing aspects of a number of infrastructure transactions in Australia, including PPPs and toll roads. In addition to her expertise in infrastructure and energy financings, Elizabeth has also worked on oil and resources financings and acquisitions/divestments including a secondment at BP’s Integrated Supply and Trading Team in London during 2012.
Elizabeth is also a member of Herbert Smith Freehills’ Australia/Japan team and is focused on delivering strong outcomes for her Japanese corporates and financiers clients on Australian projects.
She has practised in Melbourne, worked in London for five years and is now based in Sydney.
Background
Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts (Japanese), each with honours, from the University of Western Australia.
Experience & expertise
Selected matters
- Dulacca Wind Farm: advising RES Australia on the financing and development of the 180MW Dulacca Wind Farm to be located in the Western Downs region of Queensland
- Bouldercombe BESS project: advising Genex on the project financing of the stand-alone 50MW/100MWh Bouldercombe battery energy storage system project, being developed in Bouldercombe, Central Queensland
- Genex –Kidston pumped hydro -advising ARENA on its grant funding to the Genex –Kidston pumped hydro project in Queensland, which was provided alongside NAIF funding
- Zenobe/Transgrid electric buses and charging infrastructure –advising the CEFC in connection with the financing of Australia’s first electrified bus fleet and associated battery and charging infrastructure by Zenobe and Transgrid which was also supported by a $5 million ARENA grant
- Lal Lal Wind Farms: advising the project entities on Macquarie Capital, InfraRed and Northleaf’s greenfield development of Yendon and Elaine Wind Farms in Victoria, incorporating innovative proxy revenue swap offtake arrangements
- Hornsdale Wind Farm greenfield financings and refinancing: acting for the senior lenders in respect of the $650m project financing of the consolidated platform of the three Hornsdale wind farms in 2019/2020, as well as the lenders on the greenfield development financings for stages 2 and 3 in 2016 and 2017 respectively
- an international conglomerate on the restructure of its global energy platform
- Brookfield on the approximately $400m sale of Enwave Australia (including the Tasmanian gas distribution network) to ICG
- thermal power station – advising the borrower on the refinancing of its thermal power station in the Latrobe Valley, Victoria
- Solar Flagships, Silverton Wind Farm and Coopers Gap Wind Farm - advising financiers in respect each of these Powering Australia Renewables Fund (PARF and now PoWAR) projects
- Solar Park in Andhra Pradesh: advising SoftBank and the project entities on the bridge and project financing (including JBIC and NEXI) of a 350MW greenfield solar PV project in India
- Kwinana Energy from Waste: advising ARENA on its grant funding to the Kwinana energy from waste project in Western Australia
- East Rockingham Resource Recovery Facility: advising Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company - Masdar on its acquisition of a 40% stake in East Rockingham Resource Recovery Facility in Western Australia
- Kennedy Energy Park: advising Eurus as shareholder in respect of the Kennedy Energy Park in Queensland, comprised of 15 MW solar PV, 41 MW wind and 2 MW battery storage
- Darlington Point Solar Farm: advising the senior lenders on the project financing Darlington Point solar farm in New South Wales
- Emerald Solar Farm: advising the senior lenders including on the Emerald solar farm in Queensland
- Beryl Solar Farm: advising the syndicate of financiers on the Beryl Solar Farm in New South Wales’ Central Tablelands
- Finley Solar Farm: advising the senior lenders in respect of the project financing of Finley Solar Farm in New South Wales
- Pitt Street Overstation Development: advising Oxford Properties on its successful bid with CPB Contractors on the Sydney Metro Pitt Street integrated station development
- Sunshine Coast Airport – advising in respect of financing for the Sunshine Coast Airport
- CLV Campus Living: advising on separate project financings for five student accommodation assets in NSW, WA, Queensland and New Zealand on a portfolio basis
- New Grafton Correctional Centre: advised the senior lenders in relation to the New Grafton Correctional Centre PPP in NSW
- International Gas pipeline - advising the borrower on a multi-billion Euro ECA backed project financing for a cross-border gas pipeline into Europe
- advising the sponsors (Masdar, Statkraft and Statoil) on the greenfield development and project financing of the 400MW+ Dudgeon offshore windfarm located off the United Kingdom’s Norfolk coast*
- advising the sponsors on the project development and financing of the Cramlington CHP biomass power plant in Northumberland, England*
- advising the commercial lenders on the acquisition by Vitol & Carlyle of 45% of the German Bayernoil refinery and its related wholesale distribution business and connected borrowing base financing.*
*Experience gained at previous law firm
Sectors
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