Hogan Lovells deals recognised at the IJGlobal ESG Awards 2025

ESG Solar Deal of the Year - l’Arroux Floating Offshore Solar (23.1MW), advising BNP Paribas

Hogan Lovells advised BNP Paribas on the financing of the construction of the floating solar power plant at Gravières de l'Arroux by Verso Energy. The firm played a central role in structuring and documenting the financing in full compliance with EU green Taxonomy and sustainable finance requirements.

This first large-scale floating solar project in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, located in the municipalities of Gueugnon and Rigny-sur-Arroux, aims to enable the redevelopment of five former gravel pits through the production of renewable, carbon-free and local energy. The plant is scheduled to come into operation in the third quarter of 2025. This solar photovoltaic installation, with a total capacity of 23.1 MWp, will produce more than 26.4 GWh of electricity each year, equivalent to the consumption of 12,000 people.

The Hogan Lovells team on the matter was led by Olivier Fille-Lambie (Co-Head of Africa Practice, IERP, Paris) with support from senior associate Alexandre Salem. To learn more about this project, click here.

Carbon Capture Storage Deal of the Year - HyNet North West CCS, advising The Crown Estate

Hogan Lovells has advised The Crown Estate on the award of a landmark agreement to global energy company, Eni, for the first carbon capture and storage project in the UK to repurpose existing pipeline infrastructure, reducing both cost and the environmental impact of construction.

CO2 will be captured at large industrial emitting sites in the North West of England and North Wales. It will then be transported for safe and permanent storage in Eni’s depleted natural gas reservoirs under the seabed of the Irish Sea, preventing emissions from entering the atmosphere. Once operational, the project will remove up to 10 million tonnes per year after 2030 of CO2 from the atmosphere, equivalent to storing emissions from about two million UK households.

The Hogan Lovells team was led by London-based partners Nicholas Roberts and Scott Tindall. To learn more about this project, click here.

Global Head of IERP, Tobias Faber said: “We are proud to have advised on two landmark transactions recognised at this year’s IJGlobal ESG Awards. Both projects reflect the critical role innovative financing and legal structuring play in driving the energy transition forward. Supporting our clients on transformative initiatives such as large-scale solar deployment and carbon capture and storage is at the heart of our commitment to sustainability and advancing net zero objectives worldwide.”