Ben Shorten is a partner and Global Project Development & Finance Practice Group Leader.

He focuses his practice on the development and finance of infrastructure projects with a particular focus on the energy transition, power & water and oil & gas projects, and regularly advises both sponsors and lenders in project financings.

Energy Transition

• NEOM Company, Saudi Arabia’s new city gigaproject development company, on a $6.5 billion green energy joint venture with ACWA Power and Air Products that will incorporate the region’s largest wind and solar renewables production projects (4 GW in total), more than 400 MW of battery storage and a ground-breaking green hydrogen / green ammonia export project. Awarded Green Project of the Year at the Global Hydrogen Summit, 2021
• A European industrial gases company in relation to the supply of hydrogen as part of a UK energy transition cluster
• An international energy company in relation to the large-scale development and supply of hydrogen to a European government
• The lenders on the $12.5 billion joint venture for the Jazan IGCC / ASU project, one of the largest project financings in 2021. Awarded Global Deal of the Year at the PFI Awards, 2021 and MENA Hybrid Energy Deal of the Year at the IJGlobal Awards, 2021

Oil and Gas 

• The Dow Chemical Company on the $10.5 billion financial and commercial restructuring of its joint venture with Saudi Aramco in relation to the $20 billion world-scale integrated Sadara chemicals complex in Saudi Arabia. Awarded MENA Petrochemicals Deal of the Year at the IJGlobal Awards, 2021
• PETRONAS on the development and financing (including bridge and long-term financing) of its approximately $28 billion RAPID (Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development) project
• PETRONAS on a Bridge Financing relating to the sale to Saudi Aramco of a 50% interest in the refinery and cracker complex and petrochemicals plants forming part of the RAPID project, as well as in other proposed joint venture arrangements in relation to the RAPID project
• The Dow Chemical Company on the financing of its $20 billion joint venture with Saudi Aramco, Sadara Chemical, which will be the largest petrochemical project ever constructed in a single phase, and the largest project sukuk closed to date
• PTT in relation to a proposed refinery and petrochemical facility in a joint venture in Asia 
• ADNOC on a $3 billion syndicated term facility with a credit risk cover from K-Sure. This constituted ADNOC’s first ever financing with cover from an ECA and was ranked the single largest ECA supported financing in 2019
• The mandated lead arrangers on the approximately $1 billion financing of the development of a natural gas field in the Eastern Mediterranean 
• Lenders in relation to the bridge and long-term financings of the development of a natural gas field in the Eastern Mediterranean
• The lenders including EIB on the financing of the $948 million methanol plant developed by EMethanex, a joint venture of Methanex Corporation of Canada and EChem, the Egyptian national chemical company
• Various affiliates of the government of a state in the Arabian Gulf on a number of downstream petrochemicals projects
• The government of a state in the Arabian Gulf on the development of a major upstream gas project
• A major energy company on the proposed development of an LNG project in the EMEA region
• ADNOC on its GASCO joint venture
• Takreer on a downstream JV with OMV and Neste Oil
• Dolphin Energy on the initial financing of the Dolphin Pipeline Project
• K-Sure and the commercial lenders on the development and financing of the Bahrain LNG terminal

Power and Water

• NEOM Company, Saudi Arabia’s new city gigaproject development company, on a $6.5 billion green energy joint venture with ACWA Power and Air Products that will incorporate the region’s largest wind and solar renewables production projects (4 GW in total), more than 400 MW of battery storage and a ground-breaking green hydrogen / green ammonia export project. Awarded Green Project of the Year at the Global Hydrogen Summit, 2021
• The lenders on the $12.5 billion joint venture for the Jazan IGCC / ASU project, one of the largest project financings in 2021. Awarded Global Deal of the Year at the PFI Awards, 2021 and MENA Hybrid Energy Deal of the Year at the IJGlobal Awards, 2021
• Marubeni, Sojitz and Pertamina, as sponsors, on the development and financing of the Jawa 1 LNG to power project in Indonesia 
• The sponsors on all aspects of the development and financing of the Thilawa LNG to Power Project in Myanmar
• The lenders on the development and financing of the 200 MW Saih al Dahal ("DEWA Solar") independent power generation plant in Dubai using solar photovoltaic (PV) technology
• The lenders on a bid for the DEWA 800 MW Solar Photovoltaic IPP Project in Dubai
• Masdar and PJBI on the development of the 145 MW Cirata floating PV project in Indonesia 
• A European solar company on its proposed EIB financing
• The sponsors on a bid for the development and financing of five separate wind farm projects with an aggregate capacity of 850 MW in Morocco
• The lenders on the refinancing of the RAWEC IWSPP
• The note purchasers, lenders and various agents and account banks on a tiered refinancing comprising a project financing to Shuaibah Two Water Development Project Company and a private placement notes issuance by a DIFC issuer at a different level in the corporate structure
• The lenders supporting ACWA’s bid for the development and financing of the Al Dur 2 IWPP in Bahrain
• Sponsors and lenders on 2 IPPs in Vietnam and 2 IPPs in Indonesia
• The lenders on the financing of the 1,450 MW Ibri and 1,700 MW Sohar 3 IPPs in Oman
• The lenders supporting the consortium (including ACWA Power) for the Salalah 2 IPP in Oman
• The lenders (including US Ex-Im, K-Sure, commercial lenders and Islamic financing institutions) on the financing of the $2.1 billion Al Dur IWPP in Bahrain
• A consortium led by ENGIE on the development and financing of the Jawa Bali 3 IPP in Indonesia
• The lenders on Suez Energy International’s $800 million financing of the Barka 2 IWPP and Al Rusail IPP in Oman
• The lenders on Suez-Tractebel’s approximately $550 million Sohar IWPP in Oman
• The lenders on Suez-Tractebel’s approximately $490 million Al Ezzel IPP in Bahrain
• The lenders on the $1.6 billion financing of CMS and International Power’s 1,500 MW and 100 MIGD Shuweihat S1 IWPP in the UAE
• The lenders on the refinancing of Taweelah A1-10 IWPP, developed by the consortium of Total and GDF Suez
• AES Corporation on the 820 MW and 40 MIGD IWPP at Ras Laffan, Qatar
• InterGen, as sponsors, on the development and financing of three BOO Power Projects in Turkey, with a combined output of approximately 3,800 MW. Also advised InterGen on the sale of their equity interests in these projects between 2003 and 2005
• Lenders on InterGen’s 790 MW Combined Heat and Power plant located at Rotterdam, the Netherlands
• Lenders on the 860 MW Power Generation Plant located at Spalding, Lincolnshire, UK
• Lenders to various MENA IWPP bids including Az-Zour North IWPP (Kuwait), Hassyan IPP (Dubai), Barka III / Sohar II IWPPs (Oman), Fujairah 1 IWPP (UAE), Saudi Aramco Cogen (KSA)

Other

• K-EXIM and the other commercial lenders to the preferred bidder for the Muharraq Waste Water and Sewage Treatment Plant in Bahrain
• ING Barings, Midland Bank plc, National Westminster Bank plc, The Royal Bank of Scotland, as arrangers, on the project financing for the $200 million water treatment project in East Jakarta, Indonesia
• The Government of Abu Dhabi on the renegotiation of certain UAE-USSR era financings
• Lenders to Ford Otosan in relation to the ECA financing of its production plants in Turkey
• A leading technology company on financing its production facilities with various ECAs
• The lenders on the development of the Blue Curacao airport in the Dutch Antilles
• ADAC on the development of the Abu Dhabi Midfield Airport Terminal

• Ranked as "Recognized" for Oil and Gas, Power and Emerging Markets in Legal 500 UK, 2023
• Named Project Finance MVP by Law360 (2021 and 2013)
• Recognized by Best Lawyers for Project Development & Finance (2022)
• Energy and Infrastructure Lawyer of the Year by The Asia Legal Awards (2019)
• Recognized as a “Highly Regarded Leading Lawyer” in Project Development and Project Finance in Singapore by IFLR1000 (2015–2021)
• Named a leading practitioner for Project, Infrastructure and Energy in Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand by Chambers Asia Pacific (2017-2021)
• Clients commend Ben for his "technical understanding, knowledge of precedent and commercial acumen. He achieves solutions on projects and has shown aptitude in dealing with very challenging clients." Chambers Global (2020)
• Ben Shorten is admired by clients for his "extremely proactive approach and ability to provide very useful input when faced with problems." Chambers Asia Pacific (2019)
• Clients tell Chambers Asia-Pacific that he is “hard-working, fantastic with clients and incredibly organized.” (2016)