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19-08-2020

Eversheds Sutherland advises on the Netherlands’ largest mounted solar park

Eversheds Sutherland’s clean energy team in the Netherlands has advised Solarfields and Green-Invest Drenthe on the financing of Zonnepark Vloeivelden Hollandia, a unique solar park in Drouwenermond, the Netherlands.

A cross-practice energy team from Eversheds Sutherland’s Amsterdam and Rotterdam offices advised Solarfields and Green-Invest Drenthe, joint-venture partners in the project with Rabobank, throughout the lifecycle of the deal. The team advised on corporate structuring and joint-venture agreements, regulatory structuring, SDE+ permits, real estate, Energy Performance Certificate, operations and maintenance, Power Purchase Agreements, grid connection, and project financing matters. Financing for the project recently closed.

Zonnepark Vloeivelden Hollandia is a unique project for the Netherlands, which has dual usage of land facilitating both storage of excess process water of the neighbouring potato starch facility, as well as the solar farm, which will be built on elevated racks above the water. The 116MW solar farm is the largest mounted solar park under construction in the Netherlands and will provide over 35,000 households with green energy when construction is complete.

Eversheds Sutherland has a long-standing relationship with Solarfields, a joint-venture between Solarfields NL and ib vogt GmbH. The team also advised on Solarfields’s recent agreement with Rabobank on a EUR€45m junior debt facility, announced in June 2020.

Miriam van Ee, Co-Head of Eversheds Sutherland’s Energy Practice in the Netherlands, said:

“This project had many challenging angles which needed creativity, determination and true teamwork. We worked on this project very closely with Solarfields and were part of the project team, working closely together across the different work streams throughout the entire development of the deal.”   

Michel Chatelin, Energy Regulatory Partner and Co-Head Eversheds Sutherland Energy Practice in the Netherlands, also commented:

“This was a complex project from an energy regulatory point of view. This utility scale solar park sets an example for how to circumvent local grid congestion by using a private grid.”

Miriam van Ee led on the project with Michel Chatelin, supported by Paul Goedvolk, Partner, Real Estate; Natascha Geraedts, Partner, Planning; Pim van Leersum, Partner, Banking; Annette Relou, Principal Associate, Real Estate; Laila Kouchi, International Associate, Corporate; Carlos Henriquez Cubas, International Associate, Real Estate; and Rene van’t Hoft, Corporate.

• Miriam van Ee
• Partner
• +31 10 2488 026
• +31 10 2488 026
• Connect with Miriam van Ee on LinkedIn

• Michel Chatelin
• Partner
• +31 20 5600 651
• +31 20 5600 651
• Connect with Michel Chatelin on LinkedIn

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