With energy reserves dwindling and increasing pressure on the sector to harness secure and sustainable sources of energy, now is the time to invest in innovative energy infrastructure projects.

Wragge & Co's dedicated cross-firm Energy Infrastructure team includes experts with the skill-sets required to deliver a successful energy project. The best brains in energy, construction, corporate, finance, property, environmental and planning combine to deliver advice to developers, funders and construction contractors.

Each team member is fully conversant with the law and policy applying in the energy sector (from the Renewables Obligation Order to the Connection and Use of System Code). And clients see the benefit of that in commercially focused and relevant advice delivered to the highest standards.

The team and its lawyers, including project finance partner Kieron Dwyer, energy experts Derek Goodban and Gus Wood and planning specialist Graham Wrigglesworth, are recognised nationally for their energy infrastructure expertise. Chambers UK praised the team's "fantastic response times", while Legal 500 also recognises the team's "comprehensive, high-level service to clients".

A lack of preparation in the initial stages of an energy project, including identifying and obtaining the necessary consents, authorisations and permits, will lead to its failure. The team's lawyers have advised on the planning aspects of major energy developments in conventional, wind (onshore and offshore) and biomass sectors for clients including E.ON and RWE npower. Experience at every stage of the process, including advising on the scope of environmental statements through to acting on statutory and judicial review challenges, adds to the team's track record.

When it comes to acquiring the necessary land and associated property rights to deliver an energy infrastructure project, the team has experience of advising developers, including E.ON, Eclipse Energy, Partnerships for Renewables and Wind Direct, on the drafting and negotiation of all property documents.

Energy is an attractive sector for investment. The team has experience of a variety of financial structures, whether the project is being funded on-balance sheet, off-balance sheet, or through debt and equity. Notable examples include advising Wind Direct on its innovative joint venture with private equity firm HgCapital to put in place financing to facilitate a project development programme. The team also steered BP plc on its $400 million biofuels investment deal with Associated British Fuels and DuPont.

Actually building the project is, of course, key. The team's construction experts act for developers, employers and funders. They have advised E.ON on the turbine supply and construction contracts for Robin Rigg, a £325 million offshore wind farm in the Solway Firth.

In the case of generation projects, income will be dependent on secure fuel purchase and energy sale arrangements. The team has experience of contracting on bespoke and standard terms, including drafting off-take agreements for project financed wind farms (including Crystal Rigg, Ardrossan, Rothes, Paul's Hill, Bagmoor, Port of Liverpool and West Durham) and biomass projects (including Wilton 10).

Big-ticket infrastructure projects require a range of specialists with niche expertise. The team helped E.ON to create one of the world's largest CHP stations in the Isle of Grain in Kent. Advising on this project saw the firm provide advice on planning, property, construction and heat off-take arrangements for the state-of-the-art 1200MW CCGT power station (which is to incorporate a 340MW combined heat and power element).

The team's broad client base also includes Welsh Power Group (Carron Energy, Uskmouth Power, Haven Power), Ocean Power Technologies, National Grid, Morgan Est, St Modwen, Eclipse Energy and EdF.

For more information on energy infrastructure projects, contact Derek Goodban (derek_goodban@wragge.com).