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The French offices of Herbert Smith Freehills and Hogan Lovells have played key roles on the financing of two new solar power plants in Senegal.

The plants are located in Kahone and Kael in the west of the country. They will together provide renewable electricity for about 600,000 people at some of the cheapest rates charged for energy in Senegal. It is estimated that the plants' 2.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions will be avoided during the lifetime of the plants.

Hogan Lovells advised sponsors Engie, a French electricity company, and Meridiam, a Paris-based investor and asset manager. The firm's Paris-based team included counsel Ariane Berthoud, associate Isabelle Rivallin and advocate Diane Ferriol, all of whom worked on financing aspects of the transaction, and partner Bruno Cantier and counsel Perrine Limousin for elements relating to public law and project agreements.

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Herbert Smith Freehills worked with the lenders – French development financer Proparco, the European Investment Bank and the International Finance Corp. Partner Eric Fiszelson and advocates Soraya Salem, Emmanuel Le Galloc'h and Dylan Shields advised on financing, while partner Christophe Lefort and associate Thomas Herman worked on projects elements of the deal, all of whom are based in Paris.

Though the firm acted for the sponsors on this transaction, Hogan Lovells has worked with lender Proparco on solar power deals in Senegal in the past. In 2016, it advised the lender on the financing of the Senergy plant, then west Africa's largest solar power plant, which was also backed by Meridiam. It then advised Proparco on its financing of another Senegalese solar power plant the following year.

Engie, together with Canadian fund Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec, acquired Brazilian natural gas company Tag this June. Jones Day, SVMFA and Stocche Forbes advised Engie on the transaction.