Burges Salmon has advised Transport for London (TfL) on its first steps to powering the London Tube network on renewable energy. Burges Salmon’s energy and procurement teams have provided advice on the PPA tender recently launched by TfL.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, revealed that the PPA tender will support TfL’s aim of using 100 per cent renewable source electricity for all operations as soon as 2030 and generating investment into renewable infrastructure.
This initial tender aims to purchase approximately 10 per cent of TfL’s required electricity from renewable energy sources and new build assets, and guarantees that the electricity supplied to power the Tube and TfL’s operations through the contract will come from renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar power. TfL’s large demand for renewable source electricity will help increase demand for new solar and wind generation in the UK, which will help to create new green jobs and support the economy.
The Burges Salmon team advising on the deal is led by partner Nick Churchward and director Emma Andrews, alongside partner Laura Wisdom and senior associate Greg Fearn, all from the firm’s Projects team.
Nick Churchward comments: “A corporate PPA for London’s transport network is such a great project to be involved with and it has been a true team effort, working closely with TfL’s in-house legal, commercial and finance teams to bring this impactful initiative to market. It is another example of the UK public sector’s ambition to contribute to meeting our climate change commitments. We look forward to assisting the TfL team through the procurement process to conclude the corporate PPA deal.”
As a founding member of the Legal Sustainability Alliance, Burges Salmon has been championing environmental improvements across the firm and in the legal sector for many years, taking a series of progressive actions including the pursuit of year-on-year energy reductions and efficiency gains, the adoption of carbon-free energy sources and investment in accredited carbon offsetting for residual emissions as a last resort. The firm has made its own commitment to being Net Zero by the end of 2026.
At the same time, the firm has continued to cement its reputation as a well-respected leader for legal advice in environmental and low-carbon projects, establishing a Net Zero Services cross-sector team to assist its clients in driving decarbonisation in the key sectors of energy, transport, the built environment and land use and food production.