Simon Williams

Simon leads the English real estate team as an experienced energy project and development specialist, with a particular interest in emerging technologies including hydrogen and marine clean gas derivatives. Our energy team routinely supports European and UK-based developers, investors and landowners with the delivery of legal services for various projects including real estate, CPO and planning for linear cable routes, energy park assembly and oversail and overrun. These schemes are offshore, Island and mainland GB.

Simon is an active member of Hydrogen Scotland, Scottish Renewables, Solar Energy UK, the Law Society Energy Sub-Committee and contributes regularly to working groups and Government Consultations.

Simon also undertakes a number of pro bono activities for communities and local organisations.

Sector experience includes:

• Advising on the onshore real estate aspects of the acquisition of land for the converter and sub-stations required for an offshore wind project hitting land fall in England, including the structuring and terms of options, lease, easements, licences
• Advising on option and lease variations for the Gordonbush windfarm in Scotland Gordonbush | SSE Renewables
• Advising REG Power in relation to the Greenburn onshore wind project near New Cumnock, dealing with the land agreements, dealing with reports on title, advising on restoration obligations, oversail and overrun requirements Greenburn Wind Park | Reg Greenburn Ltd
• Advising a corporate landowner in relation to one of the largest solar projects in Scotland, involving agricultural leases, private wire arrangements, subleases, renunciations of part, irritancy protection agreements, ranking and direct agreements
• Acting for BSR Energy in relation to a multi-technology project, including wind, solar, battery, securing the land and advising on title matters, all in Scotland
• Acting for Greentech in relation to securing land for its Scottish solar project portfolio pipeline, putting in place options, leases, servitudes, access arrangements, and advising in relation to community benefit and planning matters Project development of Photovoltaic Systems and Battery Energy Storage Systems (greentech.energy)
• Advising the Hutton Institute in relation to the real estate and oversail aspects of the Glensaugh wind and hydrogen project HydroGlen Renewable Hydrogen Powered Farm (hutton.ac.uk)
• Advising Ampyr Energy in relation to its solar project in Dunfermline, securing the land, advising on title and section 75 matters Home – Dunfermline Solar
• Advising an English landowner in relation to a number of solar park and battery projects in Wiltshire, dealing with financial close, lease completion, direct agreements and lease and BNG variations
• Advising a European developer in relation to multi-technology energy parks in Northumbria, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, putting in place land agreements and reporting in title matters, advising on section 50 consents
• Advising a European fund and developer in relation to a multi-technology energy park on the border of England and Scotland, drafting template option and lease agreements and collaborating with other panel firms to improve and simplify the standard onshore wind, battery and solar documents
• Advising a European battery developer in relation to a number of sub 50MW projects in England and Scotland, negotiating options, lease, securities and cable servitudes
• Acting for a corporate landowner in relation to necessary wayleaves, a number of very large 350+MW battery projects, negotiating options, leases, securities, access arrangements