Zoë Austen

Advised / Represented / Acted on behalf of:

• the South African Reserve Bank in relation to the Curatorship and subsequent liquidation of VBS Mutual Bank
• Sponsors in relation to the development of the supply of 69MW of wind powered renewable energy for the production of green hydrogen at Sasol's Sasolburg operations, through a wheeling arrangement under a 20-year power purchase agreement with Sasol South Africa Limited
• Sponsors in 2022/2023 in relation to the development of an 89MW wind farm, supplying renewable energy to a mining house to support its mining operations via a wheeling arrangement
• Lenders' Legal Advisors in 2023 in relation to the provision of financing in respect of a 150MW solar PV project wheeling energy across South Africa to multiple offtakers, being the first and largest privately developed n-type utility-scale project
• the Private Party in respect of the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital Project in relation to the PPP and other Project Documents in respect of the upgrading and refurbishments of the hospital complex
• Sponsors in 2023/2024 in relation to its development of 3 wind power generation facilities of 140MW each, to supply energy on wheeled basis to various offtakers including mining houses and a trader
• Lenders' Legal Advisors in 2024 in relation to a cross-border transaction involving foreign regulators and cross border funding for the of financing of the acquisition of two 10MW solar PV projects in Namibia
• Lenders' Legal Advisors in 2023 wherein we advised three major South African banks regarding the provision of financing in respect of a 150MW solar PV project, wheeling energy across South Africa to multiple offtakers, being the first and largest privately developed n-type utility-scale project in South Africa
• Lenders' Legal Advisors in 2025 in relation to both a re-financing and a separate financing arrangement in respect of a portfolio of Secured Properties under a multi-facility lending arrangement, coupled with the registration of a number of mortgage bonds and other asset acquisition concerns with a current deal value of over ZAR1.3 billion
• Offtaker in 2025 in the negotiation of a customer power purchase agreement for the purchase of energy by a licensed energy trader from a 155MW wind facility, with a project value of ~ZAR5 billion, which enabled the offtaker to purchase electricity from multiple generation facilities for onward sale to its customer portfolio
• Sponsors in 2026 regarding the development, construction & financing of a 475MW solar PV Project, including a battery storage solution element, to supply energy on wheeled basis to various energy traders within the South African market