Tughans’ Energy Team

At Tughans, one of Northern Ireland’s leading commercial law firms, we understand the energy sector and the challenges our clients face in this industry in the context of increasing energy costs for businesses, security of supply, demanding EU and UK emission reduction targets and a push to reduce the environmental impact of energy generation and consumption.

In recent years the energy sector in Northern Ireland has seen significant growth, particularly in relation to renewable energy development. Tughans has developed a specialist team to advise on all aspects of energy development including:

• establishing new technology companies and joint ventures;

• securing funding through banks and venture capital;

• renewable energy incentive schemes including the Renewables Obligation and EIS;

• agreeing options and leases for development;

• obtaining planning permission and other consents;

• drafting and negotiating power purchase agreements;

• advising on the sale and purchase of operational developments;

• advising clients on all aspects of an increasingly complex regulatory landscape; and

• advising on construction and procurement.

At the various stages of your project we can offer the right level of support from our multidisciplinary

team of experts to help minimise risk and ensure your project’s success.

Recent Energy Experience

• Advising wind farm developers on the planning applications and Environmental Impact Assessments for a number of major projects in Northern Ireland including wind farms, energy from waste plants and anaerobic digestion projects.

• Advising clients on the development of field-scale solar generation projects (up to 5MW) including advising on future changes to the ROC regime, procurement issues for public sector customers and securing options and leases for potential development sites, advising on planning and grid connection issues.

• Advising banks on the Northern Irish planning, licensing, grid connection and SEM compliance issues along with the finance and security structure in relation to funding for the acquisition and development of constructed and pre-construction wind farms in Northern Ireland.

• Acting for a number of funds and developers in connection with rooftop leases for both domestic and commercial properties for solar power generation.

• Acting on behalf of developers of single wind turbines on lands owed by third parties and also advising landowners in relation to leases for renewables projects.

• Advising an NI Bank in respect of the funding and security package made available for the proposed construction of a biomass combined heat and power plant in County Tyrone.

• Advising a major investment fund on its funding of a 1.3 MW anaerobic digestion plant in Dungannon and a developer of a 5MW AD plant in Derry-Londonderry.

• Advising a wind farm developer on planning and energy regulatory issues relating to the acquisition of two preconstruction wind farms in Northern Ireland.

• Advising developers on the construction of farm-scale Anaerobic Digestion plants in Northern Ireland.

• Advising on planning appeals and judicial review proceedings relating to planning applications for wind farm and other renewable energy development.

• Advising a joint venture company on the development of a major energy from waste plant in Belfast.

Partner, Andrew Ryan heads the team and is recognised within Northern Ireland as a leader in energy regulatory matters, particularly as they relate to renewable energy development. Chambers Guide to the UK Legal Profession 2013 notes that he is “highly regarded” and “deeply informed” in the field of environment and regulatory law. The firm’s key areas of expertise are consistently ranked highly in both Chambers Guide and the UK Legal 500.

For further information contact Andrew on T: +44 (0)28 9082 0527 / E: andrew.ryan@tughans.com