Sacha Ruffié
Biography
Overview
Sacha is an associate in the Project Development and Finance group of the Riyadh office of White & Case.
Sacha represents a variety of clients (sponsors, builders, operators, lenders and governments) in the development of complex international projects, primarily in Africa and Europe, in the energy (hydroelectric, photovoltaic, wind and non-renewable), water, hydrocarbon, mining and highway industries, among other infrastructures.
Sacha's expertise allows him to provide advice on the negotiation and drafting of all project contracts (PPP, concession contract, EPC, O&M, interface contract, direct agreement...) as well as on regulatory issues relating to public business law, construction law and international investment law.
Sacha spent four months at the World Bank's International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) where he honed his skills in the field of international dispute resolution mechanisms applicable to foreign investments in various countries and industries.
Since January 2020, Sacha is teaching public business contract law and international project development to master students at the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne.
Experience
Renewable energy: Representation of Eranove and the Fonds Gabonais d'Investissements Stratégiques (FGIS) in the negotiation of a concession agreement for the financing, design, construction and operation of a 73 MW hydroelectric project located in Ngoulmendjim and a 15 MW hydroelectric project located in Dibwangui in the Gabonese Republic (distinguished as "Best water deal in Africa" by EMEA Finance (2017)).
Renewable energy: Representation of a consortium of sponsors including Eiffage, Eranove and Themis for the financing, design, construction and operation of the 192 MW Sahofika hydroelectric plant in Madagascar.
Renewable energy: Representation of Desert Technologies for the financing, design, construction and operation of four solar power plants (80 MW in total) in Niger.
Renewable energy: Representation of Iberdrola Renovables Energia S.A.U. in its current and future floating solar energy projects in France.
Non-renewable energy : Representation of Atinkou (SPV) and Eranove for the financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance of a 390 MW gas-fired combined cycle power plant in Côte d'Ivoire ("Editor's Choice Africa" - IJGlobal Awards 2020).
Water: Representation of Eranove and its subsidiary SODECI for the financing and operation of a drinking water production and distribution concession covering all urban areas in Côte d'Ivoire.
Water: Representation of a consortium including Eranove, Vergnet Hydro and Uduma for the financing, design, construction and operation of two drinking water production and distribution concessions in rural areas in the Gabonese Republic.
Water: Representation of BMCE Bank, as lender to Société d'Eau Dessalée d'Agadir and Société Aman El Baraka in connection with the financing, design, construction and operation of a seawater desalination plant for the supply of drinking water and irrigation water in the Souss Massa region of Morocco. Carried out within the framework of Moroccan law n° 54-05 relating to the delegated management of public services, this is the largest desalination project in the world for the production of drinking water and irrigation.
Mines: Representation of Société Générale, Banque Centrale Populaire, Chaabi International Bank Offshore and Attijariwafa Bank, in connection with the financing of a gold mine project with an annual capacity of 2,800,000 tons in the Mandiana district of Guinea.
Hydrocarbons: Representation of Occidental Petroleum (OXY) in the context of the management of one of its major assets for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons in Africa.
Hydrocarbons: Representation of the State of Niger in the negotiation of its oil and gas contracts and on the development of a project involving the financing and construction of a cross-border Niger-Benin pipeline.
Highway: Representation of SECAA, the SPV owned by Eiffage S.A., for the financing, design, construction and operation of the Patte d'Oie-Pikine-Diamniadio-AIBD freeway in Dakar, Senegal (the first PPP in Sub-Saharan Africa and the first toll road in West Africa).
Hydrogen in France: Evolving Support systems, TEC magazine (ATEC ITS nonprofit), n°252, 2021
The Public-Private Partnership Law Review, Chapter 3: France, 8th edition, M. Job and Ch. Lefort (eds.), 2022
