Contributors
John Yeap, Nick Wang, James Harris
John Yeap leads Pinsent Masons’ energy and power practice across the region. By combining his detailed understanding of Asia’s power sector, gained through close to a decade working within one of Asia’s leading IPPs, and over two decades of advising on power transactions in Asia, Europe, Australia and Africa, he assists his clients in delivering robust, pragmatic and commercial solutions for Asia’s complex power sector.
Nick Wang is an Energy & Infrastructure lawyer based in Hong Kong. He has extensive experience in advising on all stages of the project cycle for various types of infrastructure projects, including roads, railways, metros, power plants (both conventional and renewable), and free trade zones. The majority of his projects are located in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Southern Africa, and Eastern Africa.
Nick regularly assist clients in drafting, revising, and negotiating on various Financing Documents, such as Loan Agreements, Direct Agreements, Escrow Agreements, and Debt Service Agreements, as well as all types of Project Agreements, such as Concession Agreements, Implementation Agreements, Power Purchase Agreements, Operation and Maintenance Agreements, Coal Supply Agreements, and is particularly experienced working with Chinese sponsors, contractors, lenders (both policy banks and commercial banks) and insurer. Nick speaks English, Mandarin and Taiwanese natively, as well as Japanese and Cantonese conversationally.
With over 30 years of experience in Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Middle East, James Harris has successfully closed greenfield and brownfield projects across numerous industry sectors. These sectors have included conventional power/renewables, mining/resources, climate/carbon, transport, water treatment and distribution, waste management, biomass, health, education, telecoms, and defence. He advises project developers/sponsors, host governments, and funders (commercial banks, export credit agencies, and multilaterals). James is a founding member of the Asia Pacific Loan Market Association (APLMA) Project Finance Committee, Asia chair for the International Project Finance Association, and an adjunct professor of law at Singapore Management University teaching Project Finance.
Jos� Mar�a Figueres Olsen
José María Figueres Olsen is the former President of Costa Rica. He currently serves as the President of The Carbon War Room and is a co-chair of the Global Ocean Commission.
Justin Payne
Justin leads and manages the delivery of low carbon economy transition projects across Australia and Asia Pacific, including renewable hydrogen production and potential applications. With over 20 years of experience, Justin has an extensive track record across operational, safety and risk management in the production, distribution and use of cryogenic and high-pressure gases. He has held general management, finance and project management roles in Australia, New Zealand and Japan, across the heavy industrial, minerals processing and industrial gas industries. Prior to joining ERM, he held various leadership roles in Air Liquide, including as Industrial Director in Japan, Country Managing Director in New Zealand, and earlier as the Finance Manager in Western Australia. Justin is able to lend insights and share best practices from both practitioner and advisor perspectives, to help organisations on their journey towards a low carbon economy. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Justin Wu
Justin Wu is the Head of Wind Industry Research of Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
Kate Lazarus
Kate Lazarus is the team leader for IFC’s hydro advisory program in Asia. Since Kate joined IFC in 2012, she has been developing and managing an advisory program on environmental and social (E&S) standards for the hydropower sector in Asia including Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.
Kate Lazarus & Amy Luinstra
Kate Lazarus is the team leader for IFC’s hydro advisory program in Asia. Since Kate joined IFC in 2012, she has been developing and managing an advisory program on environmental and social (E&S) standards for the hydropower sector in Asia including Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. Amy Luinstra is the program manager and gender advisor at East Asia Pacific International Finance Corporation, World Bank Group. She manages gender programs and advises colleagues on gender issues across East Asia and the Pacific at the International Financial Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group.
Keith Khoo
Keith Khoo is the Head of Marketing Power Systems Southeast Asia. A trained engineer, with a Bachelors in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Nanyang Technological University, he has worked in product marketing and management for almost 20 years.
Kishore Butani
Kishore Butani is the Founder of CARBONyatra in India. His specialties include carbon project aggregation, project sourcing, offset documentation and VCS/ ISO 14064 offset trading.
Commentary
Offshore wind power needs Singapore’s expertise as Asia’s reliance on fossil fuels rises