Shearman & Sterling is advising the consortium selected as preferred bidder by the South African Department of Energy for the building of the €150 million Dorper wind farm on South Africa's Eastern Cape. The consortium is led by the Japanese company Sumitomo (60%) and includes Dorper Wind Development Pty (15%) and Black Economic Empowerment holding (25%).

Financing for the project is expected to be signed by mid-2012 with the 100MW wind farm operational in 2014. The electricity generated will be sold under a 20-year power purchase agreement to be concluded with Eskom Holdings SOC Limited, a South African-owned utility company, with a payment guarantee from the South African Department of Energy.

The Shearman & Sterling team of lawyers in the firm's London and Abu Dhabi offices includes Project Development & Finance partner Nick Buckworth and associates Julien Bocobza, Nadia Bardawil, and Robin Bayley