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Hugues Martin-Sisteron

Partner

パリ

Hugues Martin-Sisteron is a partner specializing in energy, infrastructure, and natural resources in the Paris office.

Hugues advises on the development and financing of international projects, with a particular focus on Africa and Europe. He has extensive experience advising sponsors (investors and industrialists), developers, and lenders (export credit agencies, commercial lenders, and development banks), particularly in the energy, infrastructure, and natural resources sectors.

Hugues regularly works on transactions in Africa. Through his involvement in numerous large-scale projects, he has acquired in-depth expertise in various national and regional legal systems and regimes, particularly those of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), and the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA).

Hugues is also the author of numerous legal articles published in renowned law journals such as Lexis Nexis (France and Morocco), the Revue de droit bancaire et financier, the Revue Banque, and the Revue Contrats et Marchés Publics. In addition, he co-edits the annual editions of Lamy Droit du Financement and L’Essentiel Droits Africains des Affaires (Lextenso). He has also published the first book devoted to Islamic project financing.

  • Recent experience in renewable energy sector:

    • Advising EDF, Meridiam, and Biovea on the development and financing of a biomass power plant with a total capacity of 46 MW in the Ivory Coast (the largest biomass power plant in Africa).*
    • Advising Infinity Power in connection with the World Bank's Scaling Solar tender for the development and financing of solar projects with a total capacity of 60 MW in the Ivory Coast.*
    • Advising AXIAN Energy on the development and financing of a 60 MW photovoltaic power plant with a 72 MWh battery energy storage system (the largest photovoltaic power plant in West Africa to integrate a battery energy storage system).*
    • Advising TNS and the project company on the development and financing of a 30 MWp photovoltaic power plant with a 15 MW battery energy storage system.*
    • Advising FMO on the financing of four solar power plants in Burkina Faso developed by three sponsors (Quadran, AfricaRen, and GreenYellow) (the first independent power projects in Burkina Faso).*
    • Advising AFC, AfDB, EIB, CDC, DEG, EAIF, FMO, OFID, Proparco, and IFC, and four commercial lenders in connection with the financing of the Nachtigal hydroelectric power plant (420 MW) on the Sanaga River in Cameroon, which was awarded the PFI Global Multilateral Deal of the Year 2018 and the IJ African Power Deal of the Year 2018 (the largest power plant in sub-Saharan Africa).*
    • Advising AfDB and Proparco on the financing of a 60 MWp photovoltaic power plant with a battery storage system in Chad (the first independent power project in Chad).*
    • Advising Eneria Ren on the structuring, development, and financing of France's largest anaerobic digestion facility. *
    • Advising HSH Nordbank AG on the financing of France's third-largest wind farm, Seine Rive Gauche Nord, located in the Aube department, comprising 30 Nordex N100 wind turbines.*

    Recent experience in the infrastructure sector:

    • Advising Africa Bolloré Logistics as a shareholder in CAMRAIL, a company and concessionaire of the railway network in Cameroon, in connection with financing agreements and project agreements.*
    • Advising BII, DEG, and AfricInvest on financing the construction of hotels by Teyliom Hospitality in Central and West Africa.*
    • Advising AfDB and EAIF on financing and reorganizing GSEZ Ports, the platform for the New International Port of Owendo in Gabon.*
    • Advising A.P. Moller on an investment in the Port of Senegal and the Port of Ndayane.*
    • Advising Hitachi Rail on the acquisition of Thales' land transport systems for €1.66 billion.*
    • Advising the lenders on the long-term financing of the Bogotá-Girardot toll road in Colombia.*

    Recent experience in the oil sector:

    • Advising Perenco on its investment in Rougier Afrique International (RAI).*

    Recent experience in the mining sector:

    • Advising Rio Tinto on the development and financing of the Simandou mining project in Guinea.*

    Other experience:

    • Advising DFC on the establishment of a US securities guarantee in connection with a bond issue supporting loans to member banks in the West African Monetary Union region via the Regional Mortgage Refinancing Fund.*
    • Advising Brookfield on entering into exclusive negotiations with Impala and other shareholders to acquire a majority stake in Neoen and launch a mandatory tender offer for 100% of the company. *
    • Advising DIF Capital Partners on its investment in the Qair group.*

    *experience prior to joining Orrick