Allen Leuta
Partner, Head of Banking and Finance | Johannesburg
Contact
T: +27 11 669 9615
E: allen.leuta@bowmanslaw.com
Overview
Allen Leuta is the Head of our Banking and Finance Department. He also co-heads our Infrastructure Sector Group. Allen is principally based in our Johannesburg office where he is a member of our Projects Energy and Infrastructure Practice. Allen has extensive experience on project development and financing transactions acting for finance parties (including development finance institutions and export credit agencies) and developers across a wide range of sectors in Africa.
Allen contributed to a PPA handbook “Understanding Power Purchase Agreements”, as part of a group of international experts brought together by the U.S Department of Commerce’s Commercial Law Development Program in partnership with ALSF. Published in November 2014, the handbook provides an overview of PPAs and the obligations, risks and remedies that are found within them. The group of experts, all whom contributed their time on a pro-bono basis, also included contributors from governments, development banks and private banks including AfDB, the World Bank, OPIC and AFC.
Experience
Allen has advised:
- A listed South African mining company on the negotiation of a corporate power purchase agreement with a large-scale solar energy developer in the corporate and industrial electricity supply sector.
- EDF Renewables on its joint venture with Anglo American to establish Envusa Energy to develop a regional renewal energy system that is expected to generate 3 – 5 gigawatts of clean energy by 2030.
- Standard Bank and TDB on a facility for Zimbabwe Power Corporation to finance certain refurbishment works for the Hwange Power Station
- IFC on a USD 100 million loan facility for CRDB Bank PLC to support the growth of CRDB Bank’s micro, small and medium enterprises as well as women owned and led small and medium enterprises in Tanzania.
- Development Bank of Southern Africa on a limited recourse financing for Upgrade Africa for the design, development, construction and operation and maintenance of a 40MW private solar facility intended to supply private industrial consumers in the corporate and industrial sector.
- A confidential bidder on the proposed Mpanda Nkuwa Hydro Power Project in Mozambique.
- A multilateral lender on the proposed development of a geothermal power project in Menengai, Kenya.*
- Revego on its portfolio acquisitions of equity interests in operating renewable energy projects developed under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme implemented by the South African government.*
- Standard Bank and IFC on the refinancing of the limited recourse facilities for the Gulf Energy Thermal Station developed by Gulf Energy Consortium in Kenya.*
- Standard Bank as mandated lead arranger on the financing of the Wesley wind farm project being developed by Innowind (a preferred bidder in Round 4 of the South African Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme).*
- Absa Bank Limited in connection with a standby letter of credit facility provided to ARM-Harith Infrastructure Fund (International) Limited to support its equity contribution obligations relating to the Cenpower project Kpone IPP in Ghana.*
- Absa Bank Limited in connection with a standby letter of credit facility provided to Pan African Infrastructure Development Fund 2 SA to support its equity contribution obligations relating to the Cenpower projectKpone IPP in Ghana.*
- CfC Stanbic Bank Limited on a loan facility for from Agence Francaise de Developpement to finance renewable power projects in Kenya.*
- A potential bidder in connection with the acquisition of an equity interest in a thermal power plant in Kayes, Mali.*
- Gemcorp Capital LLP on a loan to Caldera Energy Holdings to finance the construction of a modular oil refinery in Liberia.*
- Standard Bank on a bridge facility for Puma Energy for the financing of the construction of an oil products storage facility in Beira, Mozambique.*
- A club of development finance institutions including International Finance Corporation, African Development Bank and European Investment Bank on a limited recourse facility to finance the construction of a cement plant in Derba, Ethiopia.*
- A developer on the development, financing and construction of a health care facility in Soweto, South Africa.*
- Gemcorp Capital LLP on the development, financing and construction of the Cabinda Oil Refinery in Cabinda Province, Angola.*
- Nedbank on a proposed limited recourse facility for Sefateng Chrome Valley Development Proprietary Limited.*
- Pan African Infrastructure Development Fund 2 in relation to the proposed financing and development of a 37km rail link in the Waterberg region in South Africa.*
- Stanbic Bank IBTC on a limited recourse credit facility from a syndicate of commercial lenders including Standard Bank for Golden Sugar Company, Nigeria.*
- Standard Bank as mandated lead arranger, on the financing of the development, construction, operation and maintenance of Burgan Cape Terminal bulk fuel storage facility in Cape Town, South Africa.*
- Standard Bank on a USD 40 million, ECA backed facility for RRL Grinrod to finance the supply of ore wagons to AML.*
- Standard Bank on a USD 90 million loan facility for African Minerals Limited to finance the purchase and supply of ore wagons and other mining equipment for the Tonkolili Iron Ore project in Sierra Leone.*
- Standard Bank on a limited recourse credit facility for Ndola Lime Company Limited, Zambia to support the development and modernisation of its production facilities.*
- Standard Bank on a limited recourse facility for Maputo Ports Dredging Company (EDPM) to finance the dredging of the Maputo Port.*
- Standard Bank on its participation in a USD 261 million Export Credit Insurance Corporation of South Africa backed facility for Eurochem from syndicate of commercial lenders to finance the construction of a mine.
* Includes experience gained prior to joining Bowmans
AREA OF EXPERTISE
Qualifications
- LLM, LLB (with distinction), BA (with distinction)
INSIGHTS
Overview
Allen Leuta is the Head of our Banking and Finance Department. He also co-heads our Infrastructure Sector Group. Allen is principally based in our Johannesburg office where he is a member of our Projects Energy and Infrastructure Practice. Allen has extensive experience on project development and financing transactions acting for finance parties (including development finance institutions and export credit agencies) and developers across a wide range of sectors in Africa.
Allen contributed to a PPA handbook “Understanding Power Purchase Agreements”, as part of a group of international experts brought together by the U.S Department of Commerce’s Commercial Law Development Program in partnership with ALSF. Published in November 2014, the handbook provides an overview of PPAs and the obligations, risks and remedies that are found within them. The group of experts, all whom contributed their time on a pro-bono basis, also included contributors from governments, development banks and private banks including AfDB, the World Bank, OPIC and AFC.
Experience
Allen has advised:
- A listed South African mining company on the negotiation of a corporate power purchase agreement with a large-scale solar energy developer in the corporate and industrial electricity supply sector.
- EDF Renewables on its joint venture with Anglo American to establish Envusa Energy to develop a regional renewal energy system that is expected to generate 3 – 5 gigawatts of clean energy by 2030.
- Standard Bank and TDB on a facility for Zimbabwe Power Corporation to finance certain refurbishment works for the Hwange Power Station
- IFC on a USD 100 million loan facility for CRDB Bank PLC to support the growth of CRDB Bank’s micro, small and medium enterprises as well as women owned and led small and medium enterprises in Tanzania.
- Development Bank of Southern Africa on a limited recourse financing for Upgrade Africa for the design, development, construction and operation and maintenance of a 40MW private solar facility intended to supply private industrial consumers in the corporate and industrial sector.
- A confidential bidder on the proposed Mpanda Nkuwa Hydro Power Project in Mozambique.
- A multilateral lender on the proposed development of a geothermal power project in Menengai, Kenya.*
- Revego on its portfolio acquisitions of equity interests in operating renewable energy projects developed under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme implemented by the South African government.*
- Standard Bank and IFC on the refinancing of the limited recourse facilities for the Gulf Energy Thermal Station developed by Gulf Energy Consortium in Kenya.*
- Standard Bank as mandated lead arranger on the financing of the Wesley wind farm project being developed by Innowind (a preferred bidder in Round 4 of the South African Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme).*
- Absa Bank Limited in connection with a standby letter of credit facility provided to ARM-Harith Infrastructure Fund (International) Limited to support its equity contribution obligations relating to the Cenpower project Kpone IPP in Ghana.*
- Absa Bank Limited in connection with a standby letter of credit facility provided to Pan African Infrastructure Development Fund 2 SA to support its equity contribution obligations relating to the Cenpower projectKpone IPP in Ghana.*
- CfC Stanbic Bank Limited on a loan facility for from Agence Francaise de Developpement to finance renewable power projects in Kenya.*
- A potential bidder in connection with the acquisition of an equity interest in a thermal power plant in Kayes, Mali.*
- Gemcorp Capital LLP on a loan to Caldera Energy Holdings to finance the construction of a modular oil refinery in Liberia.*
- Standard Bank on a bridge facility for Puma Energy for the financing of the construction of an oil products storage facility in Beira, Mozambique.*
- A club of development finance institutions including International Finance Corporation, African Development Bank and European Investment Bank on a limited recourse facility to finance the construction of a cement plant in Derba, Ethiopia.*
- A developer on the development, financing and construction of a health care facility in Soweto, South Africa.*
- Gemcorp Capital LLP on the development, financing and construction of the Cabinda Oil Refinery in Cabinda Province, Angola.*
- Nedbank on a proposed limited recourse facility for Sefateng Chrome Valley Development Proprietary Limited.*
- Pan African Infrastructure Development Fund 2 in relation to the proposed financing and development of a 37km rail link in the Waterberg region in South Africa.*
- Stanbic Bank IBTC on a limited recourse credit facility from a syndicate of commercial lenders including Standard Bank for Golden Sugar Company, Nigeria.*
- Standard Bank as mandated lead arranger, on the financing of the development, construction, operation and maintenance of Burgan Cape Terminal bulk fuel storage facility in Cape Town, South Africa.*
- Standard Bank on a USD 40 million, ECA backed facility for RRL Grinrod to finance the supply of ore wagons to AML.*
- Standard Bank on a USD 90 million loan facility for African Minerals Limited to finance the purchase and supply of ore wagons and other mining equipment for the Tonkolili Iron Ore project in Sierra Leone.*
- Standard Bank on a limited recourse credit facility for Ndola Lime Company Limited, Zambia to support the development and modernisation of its production facilities.*
- Standard Bank on a limited recourse facility for Maputo Ports Dredging Company (EDPM) to finance the dredging of the Maputo Port.*
- Standard Bank on its participation in a USD 261 million Export Credit Insurance Corporation of South Africa backed facility for Eurochem from syndicate of commercial lenders to finance the construction of a mine.
* Includes experience gained prior to joining Bowmans
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