ENERGY, INFRASTRUCTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Spasov & Bratanov advises on a variety of natural resources, energy, utilities, and infrastructure matters. We have been consistently recognized as a market leader in the areas of power, electricity and alternative energy, and oil and gas by Chambers and Partners, the International Financial Law Review and other leading publications. We are one of the few firms on the Bulgarian legal market with significant experience and in-depth knowledge of nuclear and gas pipeline projects and transactions. Our energy and infrastructure team provides clients with advice on matters relating to energy and utilities, transmission and distribution, carbon emissions, oil & gas exploration and production, with interdisciplinary support in various regulatory areas such as pricing, permits, concessions and licenses, public procurement, environmental, construction and zoning law.

Selected mandates below:

• Acting for Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide and BM Star Ltd. in the Bourgas and Varna civil airports concessions.

• Acting for TAV in the procedure for the award of the Sofia Airport concession.

• Acting for a major UK based oil and gas producer (acquired in 2012 by an Irish oil and gas producer) in the process of permitting the construction of natural gas production facilities including negotiating of EPC contract, advising on the development of a direct pipeline connecting the producer and a client, as well as in the course of project financing related to natural gas production including several rounds of multi-layered financing of the client’s activities and securing of its obligations towards the lending banks.

• Acting for South Stream Bulgaria AD, a joint venture company of the Bulgarian Energy Holding EAD and PAO Gazprom, designated to implement the South Stream gas pipeline project in Bulgaria.

• Acting for AES Corporation on the development, financing and operation of the Euro 1.2 billion, Maritza East 670 MW lignite power station project in Bulgaria.

• Acting for Electrabel S.A. (a subsidiary of GDF Suez S.A.) on its bid to become a 49% co-investor in Natsionalna Electricheska Kompania EAD in the development, construction, operation and decommissioning of nuclear power plant Belene.

• Acting for the Bulgarian Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism on strategic and legal issues, including those in connection with the creation of Bulgarian Energy Holding EAD.

• Acting for Group Five Plc and VP Capital AD in connection with a proposed 114 MW Combined Cycle Power Plant to be built on a brownfield site outside of Sofia and Sofia West Airport – an alternative cargo and passengers terminal currently under development near Sofia.

• Acting for RWE AG on various matters including the first energy efficiency project with Sofia Municipality and the structuring and negotiation of a large scale energy saving project designed to benefit from the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gas emissions

• Acting for TOTAL S.A. on its applications under the Underground Resources Act, for oil and gas prospecting and exploration permits on-shore Bulgaria.