Energy

Africa’s energy sector stands at a pivotal juncture in recent years, balancing traditional hydrocarbon strengths with accelerating renewable deployment, grid expansion, and the imperatives of the global energy transition. 

Our team offers legal expertise in the Energy sector across Africa and the UAE, specialising in structuring bankable power projects, navigating regulatory reforms, securing innovative financing, and managing complex disputes to support sustainable and reliable energy access.

We advise on renewable IPPs and off-grid solutions, traditional thermal and gas-to-power developments, transmission and distribution infrastructure, energy transition strategies, and high-stakes regulatory or contractual matters, delivering integrated pan-African solutions for developers, utilities, financiers, and governments throughout the project lifecycle.

Representative transactions include advising:

Our Energy Expertise

Africa’s energy demand continues to surge, driven by industrialisation, urbanisation, and digital growth, with renewables (particularly solar, wind, and geothermal) attracting increasing investment amid declining costs and supportive policies. Key markets like Kenya lead in geothermal and variable renewables, while Nigeria and others advance gas-to-power and mini-grids to address energy poverty. Challenges persist, including financing gaps (requiring billions in annual investment), regulatory fragmentation, off-taker credit risks, currency and repatriation issues, supply chain disruptions, and the need to integrate climate resilience and just transition principles.

We provide seamless legal and commercial advice across Africa and the UAE to a diverse client base, including:

• Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and Renewable Developers
• Utilities and National Power Companies
• Project Sponsors and Private Equity Investors
• Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and Commercial Lenders
• Governments, Regulators, and State-Owned Enterprises
• Technology Providers and EPC Contractors
• Off-grid and Mini-Grid Operators

Our on-the-ground presence in high-potential jurisdictions enables clients to secure licences, execute landmark projects, mitigate transition risks, and deliver scalable, low-carbon energy solutions.

How We Help in Energy (Representative Scope)

Our coordinated services address every stage of the energy value chain, offering tailored support for your power and renewable initiatives in Africa and the UAE:

• Licensing & Regulatory Approvals: Advising on generation licences, feed-in tariffs, competitive bidding processes, and compliance with evolving energy policies, including mini-grid regulations and wheeling frameworks.
• Project Development & PPAs: Structuring implementation agreements, power purchase agreements (PPAs), and offtake arrangements, with expertise in take-or-pay mechanisms, tariff indexing, and risk allocation.
• Project Finance & Investment: Structuring limited-recourse financing, debt-equity hybrids, concessional funding from DFIs, and security packages, addressing political risk insurance, currency convertibility, and ESG-linked financing.
• Mergers, Acquisitions & Joint Ventures: Handling asset acquisitions, project company sales, co-development JVs, and due diligence for greenfield and brownfield energy assets.
• Infrastructure & Transmission: Drafting EPC, O&M, and transmission service agreements, including grid connection codes and regional interconnectors.
• ESG & Energy Transition: Guiding environmental and social impact assessments, decarbonisation planning, just transition strategies, and compliance with sustainable finance taxonomies and climate disclosure requirements.
• Dispute Resolution: Representing clients in international arbitration (ICSID, ICC) and local proceedings related to PPA terminations, regulatory changes, force majeure claims, or construction disputes.
• Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs): We work with clients, including private entities and governments, in the financing, designing, and construction of energy projects. 

Why Clients Choose ALN

• Pan-African Reach: Coordinated on-the-ground support across Africa’s key energy markets, integrating local regulatory knowledge with international project standards.
• Regulatory Fluency: Extensive experience in energy market liberalisation, renewable incentives, and transition policies to anticipate and mitigate risks.
• Integrated Teams: Specialists in Projects & Infrastructure, Finance, Regulatory, ESG, and Dispute Resolution collaborate seamlessly to deliver commercially robust outcomes.
• Cross-border Delivery: Aligning African energy frameworks with global financing, sustainability, and bankability expectations for future-proof projects.