Tristan Appleby
Clayton Utz
Special Counsel
Brisbane
Overview
Tristan is a leading commercial and transactional lawyer providing expert project investment and development advice to investors in Australia's energy, infrastructure and resources sectors. A trusted advisor to new and established investors in the Australian market, he advises clients on public and private M&A, foreign investment regulation and clearances, corporate structuring, joint ventures, and all stages of project development.
Tristan’s experience includes conventional and renewable energy generation and storage (solar, onshore and offshore wind, pumped hydro and BESS), hydrogen, and critical minerals (including lithium and battery minerals), non-ferrous and precious metals (gold, silver, zinc, copper), as well as ports, railways, transmission, pipelines and other major infrastructure.
He is recognised in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Australia ― Construction / Infrastructure and Mergers & Acquisitions, and Doyle’s Guide Corporate & Commercial Law Rising Stars ― Queensland.
Notable Work
- Nippon Steel: Advising leading Japanese steelmaker on its A$1.15 billion acquisition of a minority interest in the Blackwater steelmaking coal mine, including joint venture arrangements with majority owner Whitehaven Coal (ASX:WHC) and Japan's JFE Steel Corporation.
- EQT: Advised global private equity firm EQT Infrastructure on Australian aspects of its A$2.3 billion acquisition and take-private of Swedish renewable energy platform, OX2.
- Squadron Energy: Advised on its acquisition of CWP Renewables, an Australian renewable energy platform with a 5GW portfolio of wind, solar and firming projects in New South Wales and Victoria – one of Australia’s largest ever renewable energy transactions.
- Stanwell Corporation: Advising Queensland government owned utility on proposed investment and development for multiple solar, wind and storage projects in Queensland including power purchase arrangements, as part of Stanwell's strategy to build a renewables portfolio of up to 10 GW of generation and 3.5 GW of storage by 2035.
- Alinta: Advised leading Australian energy generator and retailer Alinta Energy on co-development arrangements for A$4 billion+ Spinifex offshore wind farm in Victoria, Australia, including sell-down of an initial 50% interest to Japanese offshore wind developer Parkwind.
- Enel Green Power: Advised Italian-headquartered utility developer on A$2 billion Australian renewable energy co-investment platform, 'Potentia Energy' with Japanese oil and gas major INPEX, including A$326 million sell-down of an initial 50% interest in Enel's Australian generation portfolio via competitive bid process.
- Japan Suiso Energy: Advised a Japanese consortium led by Kawasaki Heavy Industries on arrangements for the development and construction of hydrogen production, liquefaction, storage and export facilities at the Port of Hastings, Australia, targeting an export capacity of 2.55 billion cubic meters per annum by the mid-2030s, supported by a A$2.35 billion Japanese government (NEDO) grant.
- Idemitsu: Advising Idemitsu on the development its 250MW/2,000MWh Muswellbrook PHES project (joint venture with AGL) and 135MW Muswellbrook Solar Farm project (joint venture with ESCO Pacific), and past transactions including sale of its interest in Ensham coal mine (operated in joint venture with LG) and acquisition of 15% of Western Australian lithium explorer Delta Lithium Limited (ASX:DLI).
- Brookfield: Advised Brookfield Renewable Partners (NYSE:BEP) on Australian aspects of its acquisition of European renewable energy developer X-Elio from KKR at a valuation of US$1.8 billion, including interaction with Brookfield's proposed A$18.7 billion takeover of Origin Energy and Australian foreign investment clearances.
- Pacific Equity Partners: Advising on the A$1 billion sale of 50% of PEP's Intellihub smart metering business to Brookfield and concurrent acquisition of WINConnect embedded network meters from Origin Energy by Intellihub, including negotiation of transaction agreements and regulatory advisory.
Insights
The Commonwealth Government launches Australia's Hydrogen Strategy 2024
10 Oct 2024 | Article
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Media Release: Clayton Utz advising Nippon Steel Corporation on its acquisition of a stake in the Blackwater Mine
29 Aug 2024 | Media Release
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Media Release: Clayton Utz announces 1 July 2024 senior promotions
1 Jul 2024 | Media Release
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Capacity investment in Australian renewable energy projects – applications now open and first set of tender guidelines released for Government revenue underwriting scheme
13 Jun 2024 | Article
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Media Release: Clayton Utz assists Osisko Bermuda Limited on US$150m copper and silver stream transactions with Metals Acquisition Limited
20 Jun 2023 | Media Release
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Media Release: Clayton Utz advises on ENERPARC AG's sale of Australian solar portfolio
12 Apr 2023 | Media Release
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Media Release: Clayton Utz advises Squadron Energy on acquisition of CWP Renewables
8 Dec 2022 | Media Release
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Media release: Clayton Utz advises Mitsui on the disposal of its interests in the BHP Mitsui Coal (BMC) Joint Venture
12 Aug 2022 | Media Release
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Toward net zero: Australia and Korea ink $100 million deal on clean energy technology and critical minerals investment
23 Dec 2021 | Article
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The hydrogen revolution: Federal Government offering grants to establish Regional Hydrogen Hubs
28 Oct 2021 | Article
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Clean energy transition: NSW to offer revenue underwriting for selected renewable projects
19 Aug 2021 | Article
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China's unofficial trade ban on Australian commodities: Does your supply contract provide relief if you can no longer perform?
23 Dec 2020 | Article
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