Home / Annual Review 2019 – 2020 / Facing the future / Selling the Merkur offshore wind farm
  1. Facing the future
    1. Advising on a EUR 1.1bn Bulgarian gas pipeline procurement
    2. Solving global challenges
    3. Selling the Merkur offshore wind farm
    4. Ukrainian Gas Transmission System unbundling
    5. ALPLA expands its global plastic recycling capabilities
    6. The green economy: identifying primary risks and key opportunities
  2. Navigating a changing world
    1. Data and risk: challenges in an uncertain world
    2. CMS advises on major East Africa paint transaction
    3. Commerz Real lands the largest deal in its history
    4. Helping Teyliom Hospitality’s expansion in Central and West Africa
    5. Shaping the new normal
    6. Working through the COVID-19 lockdown
  3. Harnessing technology
    1. Technology: a unifying force
    2. Online gambling grows as Gamesys is sold to JPJ Group
    3. CMS advises on first ever European real estate transaction using blockchain
    4. CymbiQ Group on expansion course
    5. CMS helps Korean investors acquire prime real estate assets
    6. Lupl delivers transformative open industry platform for legal matters
    7. MultiChoice separates from Naspers and lists on JSE
    8. CMS advises on ‘Train Maya’ rail project
    9. Smart living: creating a framework for disruption and innovation
    10. CMS helps the BBC launch the streaming service BritBox in the UK
  4. Managing risk
    1. The true cost of ESG
    2. CMS advises Blackstone on its investment in Carrix
    3. CMS advises Zentiva on its acquisition of Alvogen
    4. ST Pharm establishes new medical testing and analysis business line
    5. Colgate-Palmolive acquires premium anti-ageing skin care brand
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  6. CSR and Diversity & Inclusion
    1. Diversity and Inclusion at CMS UK
    2. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF): CMS Charity Partner
  7. Interviews
    1. Interview with Gabriela Staber
    2. Interview with Sophie Marquet
    3. Interview with Courtney Rothery
    4. Interview with María González Gordon
    5. Interview with Mariel Dimsey
    6. Interview with Nedžida Salihović-Whalen
    7. Interview with Annemieke Hazelhoff
    8. Interview with Michelle Barclay
    9. Interview with Gerlind Wisskirchen

Selling the Merkur offshore wind farm

Given the cross-border aspects of the Merkur transaction and the comprehensive legal advice it required, CMS was well positioned to support the transaction.
Holger Kraft

 

A consortium including Partners Group, InfraRed Capital Partners, DEME Concessions, GE Energy Financial Services and the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) agreed to sell 100% of Merkur Offshore GmbH to APG and The Renewables Infrastructure Group Limited (TRIG). The deal was completed in May 2020.

Merkur Offshore, based in Hamburg, is behind the planning and construction of the 396-MW Merkur offshore wind farm located approximately 45km north of Borkum Island in the German North Sea.

Hamburg-based partner Holger Kraft led the CMS team that advised the shareholders of Merkur Offshore GmbH on all aspects of the disposal of their shares in the wind farm, including project financing. CMS teams in Luxembourg and France provided additional support. CMS had previously advised Partners Group and InfraRed Capital Partners on their original purchase of Merkur Offshore.

Given the cross-border aspects of the Merkur transaction and the comprehensive legal advice it required, CMS was well positioned to support the transaction from its strategic planning through the negotiation process and ultimately to its execution and closing. We benefited from knowing the background of the wind farm with its legal peculiarities from our previous work with Partners Group and InfraRed Capital Partners back in 2016,” summarised Holger Kraft.

The Merkur project comprises 66 General Electric Haliade 150-6MW turbines and is one of the largest operational offshore wind farms in Germany. It was fully commissioned in June 2019 and benefits from a guaranteed feed-in tariff until 2033. It has a 10-year Operations & Maintenance agreement with GE Renewable Energy for the service and maintenance of the turbines.