Leigh Holder

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Energy, Infrastructure and Resources; Project Development; Joint Ventures; Corporate Transactions; Mergers and Acquisitions; Project Financing and Construction

AWARDS

• Legal 500 General Counsel Powerlist 2019 and 2022 – Australia – Yara International ASA

QUALIFICATIONS

• Global Executive MBA – The University of Sydney
• Bachelor of Laws – The University of Western Australia
• Bachelor of Economics – The University of Western Australia
• Graduate Certificate in Applied Finance and Investment – Financial Services Institute of Australia (FINSIA)
• Company Directors Course (AAICD) – Australian Institute of Company Directors
• Admitted to practice in Western Australia and the High Court of Australia

SELECTED REPRESENTATIONS

• Led the origination and financing of Project Yuri the first green hydrogen to ammonia project to reach financial close in Australia.
• Assisted Project Yuri to secure AUD$47.5 million in funding from ARENA’s Renewable Hydrogen Deployment Funding Round, AUD$2 million from the Western Australian Government, and an initial AUD$1 million ARENA to support the original feasibility study.
• Assisted to develop the first Australian pre-certification of green ammonia molecules produced by Project Yuri under the Smart Energy Council’s Zero Carbon Certification Scheme in conjunction with the Clean Energy Regulator.
• Led the origination of Yara’s third-party carbon capture and storage (CCS) initiatives to decarbonise the Yara Pilbara ammonia plant, including leading negotiations for CO2 offtake, associated CCS hub infrastructure and the development of blue ammonia supply chains into North Asia.
• Negotiated a collaboration agreement with Pilbara Ports and the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation to facilitate the world’s first ship-to-ship transfer of ammonia to test safety protocols for the use of ammonia as a marine fuel along the Pilbara iron ore corridor to North Asia.
• Acted for Yara regarding various contractor claims associated with over AUD$300 million worth of construction projects implemented on the Pilbara ammonia plant and technical ammonium nitrate plant, near Karratha in Western Australia.
• Assisted Yara to secure land in the Maitland Strategic Industrial Area as part of the WA Government’s development of the Pilbara Hydrogen Hub.
• Acted on the divestment of Yara’s East Coast Australian agribusiness assets to Incitec Pivot Limited valued at AUD25 million known as Yara Nipro.
• Acted for Yara on its acquisition of Apache’s 49% share in the Pilbara ammonia plant for a total purchase price of US$391 million.
• Advised Yara on the divestment of a 5% interest in its Yara Pilbara Nitrates joint venture to Orica, and the associated corporate restructure of the Yara Pilbara Group of entities.
• Supported Yara in complex portfolio domestic gas supply negotiations with various parties for domestic gas supply to its liquid ammonia plant, including transport and shipping arrangements along the Dampier Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline (DBNGP).
• Acted for Yara to negotiate a priority berthing deed with Qube Holdings for the construction of a AUD$50 million heavy load out facility at the Port of Dampier to load modules valued at over AUD$220 million transported from Batam in Indonesia.
• Negotiated revised financing arrangements Yara’s Pilbara ammonia plant associated with Woodside’s US$2.82 billion acquisition of Apache’s Wheatstone LNG assets in Western Australia.
• Acted for High River Gold Mines Ltd in relation to the negotiation of its EPCM arrangements with Lycopodium Limited regarding the development of its AUD$200 million Bissa Gold project in Burkina Faso.

*Experience was undertaken at a previous firm