Bristol-based lawyers at international legal practice Osborne Clarke have advised Bluefield Partners LLP on the acquisition of an 80MW battery storage portfolio by Bluefield Solar Income Fund.

The two development stage battery storage projects – Whitehouse Farm in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, and Breach Farm in Malvern, Worcestershire - were acquired from Green Hedge, a developer and operator of large-scale grid-connected energy storage projects across the UK.

Bluefield acts as investment adviser to Bluefield Solar, and is a leading investor in renewable energy, particularly solar.

The Osborne Clarke team assisting Bluefield was led by head of decarbonisation James Watson and included Bristol-based partner Chris Yeo and associate Hannah Stevens, advising on corporate aspects, partner Charlotte Walker (real estate), senior associate Josh Taylor and associate Arthur Hopkinson (planning), and associate director Duncan Parker and senior associate Alistair Russell (construction), all of whom are based in the Bristol office.

Bluefield has instructed Osborne Clarke on a number of acquisitions in the renewable energy sector over the past 18 months, with the majority involving battery storage projects.

Marius Biedka, investment manager at Bluefield Partners, said: “Battery storage is an exciting growth area for Bluefield and we are pleased to have completed this important investment with Osborne Clarke’s support. The Osborne Clarke team played a key role in enabling us to achieve this by promptly working through the due diligence and advising us effectively on the transaction.”

James Watson, head of decarbonisation at Osborne Clarke, said: “Battery storage constitutes an important element of the UK’s renewable generation mix and will play a vital role in providing flexibility solutions and increasing efficiency as the sector seeks to deliver on Net Zero targets. The potential of storage solutions has been highlighted both in the Energy White Paper and the Energy Security Strategy. In the presently volatile market, battery storage offers great opportunities to investors seeking to capitalise on price fluctuations.”