Overview
Alexandro M. Padrés is a partner in the Project Development & Finance practice.
He focuses on infrastructure projects as they relate to the electricity (both conventional and clean/renewable), oil and gas telecommunications and mining sectors, with a particular emphasis on Mexico and Latin America. Most recently, Alexandro’s practice has consisted of portfolio financings in several jurisdictions in Latin America (in various modalities and levels of complexity), including advising sponsors and lenders on the financing of renewables projects being developed under the auspices of power purchase agreements under the new legislative framework in Mexico arising from the constitutional energy reform of 2013, as well as the development and financing of gas transportation infrastructure and legacy independent power producer projects in Mexico issued by the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE). Alexandro also represents sponsors and lenders throughout Latin America, including more recently on the financing of contracted transmission line projects and desalination projects in Chile.
Alexandro advises various sponsors, such as Engie, AES Corporation and numerous multilateral agencies, regional and local development banks and export credit agencies in all aspects of project and infrastructure finance.
Experience
- GDF International S.A.S. (“ENGIE”) and its affiliates, including Engie Eólica Tres Mesas 3, Eólica Tres Mesas 4, Recursos Solares PV de México IV, BNB Villa Ahumada Solar, Buenos Días Energía, Engie Abril PV and Helios Intermediate 1 on the limited recourse financing and related interest rate hedging structured as a hybrid portfolio greenfield project financing in respect of four solar parks and two wind farms located in Mexico with a combined nominal capacity of approximately 721 MW, including a construction phase individualized per project financing, an operations phase portfolio holding company financing and, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, the option to finance an additional solar park or wind farm project in either the construction or operations phase.The project financing is ENGIE’s first green loan financing for renewables projects in the world
- Syndicate of lenders on the financing of the construction by ENR AGS, a subsidiary of Neoen (a subsidiary of Impala SAS), of a 300 MWac solar photovoltaic project known as “El Llano,” to be located in the state of Aguascalientes, Mexico, and related transmission lines
- Axia Power and Termonorte on a private placement of senior secured notes in the aggregate principal amount of $65 million, the proceeds of which will be used to refinance certain existing debt in respect of Termonorte’s 93MW gas-fired power plant in Santa Marta, Colombia
- Purchasers on a private placement of secured notes, in connection with the refinancing of the construction of the Longitudinal de la Sierra Norte Tramo 2 toll road project in Peru, wherein the notes are secured by the securitized payment rights due from the Government of Peru to the concessionaire for the project, including negotiation of a purchase agreement for the underlying true sale transaction. The transaction is of particular note because it constitutes the first securitization of PAMPI rights in Peru
- Commercial and development banks on the Enel Green Power portfolio project financing of three solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in Mexico – Don Jose, Villanueva I and Villanueva III – with an aggregate project value of approximately $1 billion. Each project is contracted under a 15-year energy and 20-year clean energy certificate power purchase agreement awarded pursuant to auctions held by the Centro Nacional de Control de Energía (CENACE) of Mexico, following the historic energy reform of December (“Renewable Energy Financing of the Year” (2019) by LatinFinance, Commended for “Accessing New Markets and Capital” (2019) by FT Innovative Lawyer Awards, “Corporate Deal of the Year” (2019) by S&P Global Platts Global Energy Awards, “Americas Solar Deal of the Year” (2018) by PFI)
- Transelec Concesiones, an affiliate of Transelec, on the approximately $358 million loan facility and associated interest rate hedging for the individualized portfolio construction financing of four independent transmission lines (each with a capacity of between 2x220 kV and 2x500 kV) and four associated independent substations in Chile, with EDC, KfW IPEX-Bank and MUFG acting as mandated lead arrangers
- Orion Resource Partners and The Blackstone Group, as lenders and investors, on the debt and equity financing of approximately $400 to $450 million of the Fruta del Norte gold and silver mining project in Ecuador
- NAFIN as lender on the $205 million financing for the development, construction and operation of two greenfield solar photovoltaic projects in Mexico – Helios, a 187.5 MW DC nameplate capacity solar project being developed by Helios Generación, and Tuli, a 187.5 MW DC nameplate capacity solar project being developed by Tuli Energía, both of which are wholly owned subsidiaries of Pattern Energy Group and CEMEX
- Transmisora Eléctrica Norte (TEN) on the financing of the construction of a double circuit 600 km 500 kV transmission line connecting the two major electrical grids in Chile (“Latin America Transmission Deal of the Year” (2017) by IJGlobal)
- FMO as lender and mandated lead arranger, and DEG as facility agent on the senior and sub-senior financing of the construction of Pacific Solar Energy’s 50 MW solar-powered electric generating facility in Honduras
- EDC on the provision of a revolving loan of up to $80 million to Grupo Petrotemex, S.A. de C.V.
- Joint lead arrangers on the approximately $230 million project financing for the Roadrunner natural gas pipeline, sponsored by ONEOK Partners and Fermaca
- Grupo Carso and IDEAL on the $535 million project financing for the development of the natural gas pipeline running from Samalayuca, Chihuahua, to Sásabe, Sonora, in Mexico: advised Carso Energy, as sponsor, on the $240 million secured bridge financing of the natural gas pipeline running from Samalayuca, Chihuahua, to Sásabe, Sonora, in Mexico
- Energy Transfer Partners, MasTec and Carso Energy as sponsors on the $1.2 billion project financing of the Waha-San Elizario and Waha-Presidio natural gas pipeline projects, to carry gas for CFE
- Abengoa on the $200 million bridge loan facility for the Norte III project, a 778 MW ± 15% combined cycle gas turbine power plant in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico
- Lenders on the approximately $890 million senior secured financing related to the development, construction, operation and maintenance of the Los Ramones II Sur gas transportation system in Mexico
- AES Gener S.A. on its $425 million senior Rule 144/Reg. S notes offering
- Empresa Electrica Guacolda S.A., a Chilean joint venture between AES and Global Infrastructure Partners, on its $500 million fixed rate investment grade Rule 144/Reg. S notes offering
- Empresa Electrica Guacolda on its 4.560% Senior Notes due 2025 and its $330 million five-year unsecured syndicated loan facility with various financial institutions
- Pueblo Viejo Dominicana Corporation, a joint venture between Barrick Gold and Goldcorp, on the $1.035 billion project financing for the gold/copper resource in the Dominican Republic, comprising of the reopening of the existing open pit gold mineas well as the development of related infrastructure
- EDC on its $140 million financing of an approximately $300 million co-financing with EXIM and Israel Aerospace Industries Limited, as a vendor finance provider, for the Space-Communication Ltd. AMOS-6 satellite program
- MUFG as mandated lead arranger, and EDC as arranger on the financing of two energy projects of InterGen in Mexico, the 205 MW San Luis de la Paz natural gas-fired power project in Guanajuato and the Altamira gas compression project in Tamaulipas
Qualifications
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Education
Instituto Tecnológico Autonómo de México, A.C. (ITAM)
Licenciado en Derecho, with honors
New York University School of Law
LL.M.
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Admissions
- New York
- United Mexican States
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Languages
Of Note
Award-Winning Deals
- Enel Green Power (“Renewable Energy Financing of the Year” (2019) by LatinFinance, Commended for “Accessing New Markets and Capital” (2019) by FT Innovative Lawyer Awards, “Corporate Deal of the Year” (2019) by S&P Global Platts Global Energy Awards, “Americas Solar Deal of the Year” (2018) by PFI)
- TEN Transmission Line (“Latin America Transmission Deal of the Year” (2017) by IJGlobal)
- Waha-Presidio & Waha-San Elizario Gas Pipelines (“Best Infrastructure Financing” (2015) by LatinFinance, “North America Oil & Gas Deal of the Year” (2015) by IJGlobal)
- Abengoa Transmisión Sur (“Latin American Transmission Deal of the Year” (2014) by IJGlobal, “Americas Bond Deal of the Year” (2014) by Project Finance International)
- Los Ramones II (Sur) Pipeline (“Latin America Downstream Oil & Gas Deal of the Year” (2014) by IJ Global, “Project Finance Deal of the Year” (2014) by Latin Lawyer, “Americas Oil & Gas Deal of the Year” (2014) by Project Finance International)
Recent Listings and Commendations
- Foreign Expert in Latin America and Ranked Band 4 in Projects-Latin America-wide (2020) by Chambers Global
- “Next Generation Lawyers: Project Finance” (2019) by Legal 500
- “Leading US Attorneys in Mexico” (2019) by Legal 500 Private Practice Powerlist
- Foreign Expert in Latin America-wide (2019) by Chambers Global: Projects-USA
- “Up and Coming” for Projects Latin America-wide (2017) by Chambers Latin America
- “Rising Legal Star” by Latin Business Chronicle
- Clients tell Chambers that Alexandro is a “very trusted adviser on the project finance side” and described as a “strong finance partner.”He is described in Legal 500 as a “great lawyer,” “very smart” and has “risen to prominence within the group,” and that he is “especially well positioned for financings related to Mexico’s energy reforms.”
Regional Experience
Key Issues