Abreu Advogados provided legal advice to the Veolia Group in the limited tender by prior qualification, a contract that secured it the management of the Energy Recovery Plant of Lipor, an entity representing eight municipalities in the Greater Porto area, for a further 15 years.
This project is based on a strategy of decarbonisation, energy efficiency and digitalisation, in line with the sustainability goals of the intermunicipal entity, which serves around one million inhabitants in the municipalities of Espinho, Gondomar, Maia, Matosinhos, Porto, Póvoa de Varzim, Valongo and Vila do Conde.
Lipor’s Energy Recovery Plant processes around 390,000 tonnes of urban waste annually, converting it into enough electricity to supply approximately 150,000 people. In addition to continuing the operation and maintenance of the Energy Recovery Plant, the aim is for the plant to become one of the most decarbonised waste-to-energy facilities in Portugal.
Among other initiatives, the contract provides for studies to install a solar photovoltaic unit for self-consumption, a carbon capture unit with the potential to reduce CO₂ emissions by more than 90%, and the diversification of the energy produced, moving from the current exclusively electrical production to the potential inclusion of thermal energy.
Lipor also plans to explore the establishment of an energy community, moving from a regulated tariff to a market tariff that will directly benefit the municipalities served by the plant, closing the cycle of transforming waste into resources with economic benefits.
Advisors
Abreu Advogados’ advice consisted of support throughout the contract formation process, from the application phase, with assistance in reviewing documents and defining the structure of the Candidate, to the proposal phase, with assistance in supporting documentation and analysing competing proposals. After the adjudication, Abreu supported Veolia in the qualification phase of the competing group and proceeded to set up an SPV to be assigned to the operation. The intervention of the Competition Authority was also analysed in view of the operation to be carried out.
The team involved in the operation was led by Mafalda Teixeira de Abreu and supported by Marta Romano de Castro, Sónia Gemas Donário, Guilherme Mata da Silva and Catarina Miguéis Picado.