Home / Publications / CMS Next / Selling the Merkur offshore wind farm
  1. Protection and loyalty: securing valuable trade secrets
  2. Meet our expert: Maria Figueiredo, Partner, Portugal
  3. Meet our expert: Dalia Majumder-Russell, Partner, UK
  4. Digitalisation and innovation
  5. Contributing to climate-neutral transportation
  6. Investing in intelligent automation
  7. Advising on innovative digital project
  8. Supporting climate-resilient businesses
  9. Supercharged ESG: Getting control of the post-COVID agenda
  10. Meet our expert: Adriana Escobar, Partner, Colombia
  11. Meet our expert: Babita Ambekar, Partner, Singapore
  12. Meet our expert: Bridgett Majola, Partner, South Africa
  13. Meet our expert: Lillian Lofty, Partner, Kenya
  14. Meet our expert: Marite Aragaki, Partner, Peru
  15. Meet our other experts
  16. After the pandemic
  17. Digital transformation & sustainability to help overcome COVID crisis
  18. Data and risk: challenges in an uncertain world
  19. Smart living: creating a framework for disruption and innovation
  20. Technology: a unifying force
  21. The green economy: identifying primary risks and key opportunities
  22. The true cost of ESG
  23. Developing markets
  24. Investing in new technologies
  25. Shaping the Energy Transition
  26. Supporting electromobility
  27. Transforming the short-term insurance industry in the East African market
  28. Advising on a EUR 1.1bn Bulgarian gas pipeline procurement
  29. ALPLA expands its global plastic recycling capabilities
  30. CMS advises on first ever European real estate transaction using blockchain
  31. CMS advises on ‘Train Maya’ rail project
  32. CMS helps the BBC launch the streaming service BritBox in the UK
  33. Commerz Real lands the largest deal in its history
  34. Helping Teyliom Hospitality’s expansion in Central and West Africa
  35. Online gambling grows as Gamesys is sold to JPJ Group
  36. Selling the Merkur offshore wind farm
  37. ST Pharm establishes new medical testing and analysis business line
  38. CMS expands in Norway
  39. One woman’s journey to advocating for fair global health
  40. Raising funds for a good cause
  41. CMS Academy adds participants through digital learning
  42. Lupl delivers transformative open industry platform for legal matters
  43. Helping our clients grow
  44. Heike Wagner on women in law

Selling the Merkur offshore wind farm

Dr. Holger Kraft
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.

Key contact

Dr. Holger Kraft
Partner
Rechtsanwalt
Hamburg
T +49 40 37630 355