The hydrogen economy is being created, block by block. At Mayer Brown, we are advising the creators on transactions involving everything from upstream hydrogen production to downstream hydrogen usage in refined products such as e-fuels.

It is a dynamic time for the sector with substantial rewards for those who achieve first-mover advantage. Our global hydrogen team has a strong track record of bringing clients’ innovative hydrogen transactions to a successful outcome by applying experience and knowledge gained over decades of advising on energy transactions worldwide and working as executives within energy companies. For example, we have team members who have helped to operate a hydrogen unit in a large refinery prior to becoming a lawyers, as well as others who have served as in-house counsel to leading international energy companies.

We are entrepreneurial, enthusiastic and solutions-oriented, all of which are qualities needed to help our clients build out the hydrogen economy.

Americas

Advising a confidential sponsor on the development of a large greenfield green hydrogen/ammonia project in west Texas, with our work to date involving drafting and negotiating ammonia and hydrogen offtake term sheets, undertaking a bankability analysis and negotiating land access rights.

Advising a client on the development of an upstream hydrogen exploration and production project involving white (natural) hydrogen in Brazil.

Advising an international energy company on the drafting and negotiation of a long-term supply agreement for the hydrogen gas required to operate the Motiva Refinery in Port Arthur, Texas.

Advising two clients and the US government on drafting legislative language for tax credits or incentives to encourage the production, transportation and storage of hydrogen (blue and green).

Advising a client on US federal incentives for hydrogen-based energy generation projects.

Advising on the tax structuring for a joint venture to own a US hydrogen separation project.

Asia Pacific

Advising a Japanese trading company on a proposed hydrogen project in Australia. The client is negotiating non-binding commercial terms of a contract with a party to provide raw materials for the facility.

Serving on a hydrogen working group that advises participants in the Australian National Hydrogen Strategy market and globally.

EMEA

Advising a renewable energy refinery as majority shareholder in the formation of a joint venture with a subsidiary of an offshore wind energy company and a French electricity company. The JV will construct and operate a 30 MW electrolysis plant to produce green hydrogen from wind power.

Advising a financial services company and the lender group in relation to a £192 million refinancing of the Saltend, Indian Queens and Deeside power plants, which are owned by a UK power- generating company. The Saltend power plant forms part of the Zero Carbon Humber industrial cluster, which aims to deliver low carbon hydrogen production facilities and CCUS, and the plant is intended to switch from natural gas to low carbon hydrogen. The Zero Carbon Humber consortium recently won £75 million to accelerate decarbonization in the UK’s most carbon-intensive industrial region through a grant from the UK government.

Advising an African government on several prospective hydrogen projects, including a $40 billion green hydrogen project that would consist of 30 GW of solar- and wind- powering electrolyzers, a desalination plant, an ammonia plant and an export facility.

Advising a developer on the development and operation of a renewable power to e-fuels plant to be constructed in Portugal, including advising on project structuring issues, Portuguese energy regulatory matters and various commercial agreements, including biogenic CO2 supply, renewable energy supply arrangements, hydrogen supply and e-fuel offtake arrangements.

Advising an electrolyser supplier on arrangements to supply equipment and services and participation in various e-fuels projects, including advising on commercial agreements, supply chain arrangements and capacity expansion.

Advising an electrolyser supplier on proposed equipment supply, construction and project development arrangements for a green ammonia plant to be developed in Oman, including advising on potential ECA involvement, intellectual property license arrangement and risk/liability structures.