Neena Aynsley

Practice Areas

Neena is a Corporate M&A partner that advises on the spectrum of energy projects/assets, including thermal and renewable power, upstream/midstream O&G, LNG and hydrogen. She has over 15 years' experience working on energy projects and transactions in Australia and overseas and is recognised as a leading energy lawyer in Doyle’s guide to the Australian legal profession.

Neena is a Client Relationship Partner for EnergyAustralia, ENGIE and AustralianSuper and is an expert in project development, joint ventures, acquisitions, divestments and commercial contracts such as commodity offtakes and power purchase agreements. This expertise means she is well placed to facilitate the structuring and delivery of complex projects and transactions.

Work Highlights

Neena advised:

• bp on its acquisition of a stake in the proposed Asia Pacific Renewable Energy Hub comprising 7.5GW of wind and 3.5GW of solar power generation capacity and including proposed hydrogen production operations.

• EnergyAustralia in relation to the development and equity sell down of its 350MW Wooreen BESS project.

• Grok Ventures on development arrangements with Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners for the development of the Suncable project.

• RES on sale and transitional services arrangements with Stanwell in respect of the proposed Tarong West Wind.

• APA Group on its acquisition of the Orbost gas plant from Cooper Energy and entry into of associated gas transportation, processing and security arrangements

• WestWind Energy on the sale of a 49% interest in its approximately 3 gigawatt wind farm development pipeline and business to Shell and entry into of associated joint venture/development arrangements with Shell.

• Edify Energy on the sell down of its 125MW Koorangie BESS Project and 150 MW Riverina BESS project.

• WestWind Energy on the joint development and sale arrangements with Tag Energy in respect of the 1300 MW Golden Plains Wind Farm.

• Veolia, Opal and Masdar on the Maryvale Energy from Waste Project.

• Financiers (both commercial banks and ECAs) on the financing of the Yamal LNG project (in particular responsible for advising on LNG marketing with the 8 offtakers, transhipment and shipping).

• EnergyAustralia in relation to negotiations with the Victorian Government around the closure of Yallourn Power station.

• Brookfield on the sale of Enwave Australia (comprising TasGas Retail, Tas Gas Networks and the Enwave district energy and utilities networks businesses) to Infrastructure Capital Group and subsequently advising Infrastructure Capital Group on the sale of the Enwave district energy and utilities networks businesses to CleanPeak Energy.

• ENGIE and Mitsui on the establishment of a renewable energy fund platform, Australian Renewable Energy Trust (ARET), and the sell down of a 75% stake in ARET to the Infrastructure Capital Group-managed Australian Renewables Income Fund providing for the potential development, acquisition, construction and operation of $1.2 billion in new projects.

• Conoco, Origin Energy and Sinopec joint venture, on Australia’s largest CSG to LNG Project, Australia Pacific LNG (advising on long-term gas supply, transportation and processing arrangements).