Our Corporate Energy Transition team has advised Frontier Power Ltd. (Frontier) on its landmark strategic joint venture with an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. (Cerberus), aimed at accelerating the development of Frontier’s portfolio of long-duration energy storage (LDES) projects under the UK’s Cap and Floor regime managed by Ofgem.

As part of the joint venture, Frontier has secured an initial £44 million investment from Cerberus, marking the first stage of a broader commitment of up to £159 million to advance Frontier’s LDES projects across the United Kingdom.

The partnership will deploy long-term capital into LDES infrastructure that enhances grid stability, reinforces energy security, and supports the reliability of the UK’s power system. Together, the parties aim to deliver at least 16 Cap and Floor–eligible projects, representing over 20 GWh of storage capacity nationwide.

The team was led by Corporate Energy Transition Principal Associate Chelsie Taylor and Partner and Global Co-lead of ENNRI, Gareth Baker. They were supported by Consultant Chris Brierley (Banking & Finance), Partners Gus Wood (Energy Regulatory), Jonathan Brufal (Energy Projects), Will Glover (Corporate Energy Transition) and Lee Nuttall (Tax), Principal Associate Orest Matviichuk (Banking & Finance), Senior Associates George Nixon (Energy Regulatory) and Michael Tushingham (Tax), Associates Alicia Dominique, Grace Kemp, and Charles Couvreur (Energy Projects), and Christy Morgan (Corporate Energy Transition) and Trainee Solicitor Hope Abraham Makenga (Banking & Finance).

Humza Malik, CEO of Frontier Power, commented: "This partnership marks an important milestone for Frontier. Cerberus’ support provides both immediate momentum and enduring institutional backing to scale our LDES portfolio under the Cap and Floor framework. Together, we are building the next generation of storage assets that will strengthen the resilience and flexibility of the UK’s electricity network." He added, "The transaction was significant for Frontier Power and its future growth ambitions which required high quality and sector focussed legal advice delivered at a very fast pace. Gowling WLG delivered, I'd like to thank the team for their hard work and I'd particularly like to single out Chelsie Taylor for her responsiveness and insightful support in helping us close out this transaction."

Gowling WLG's multi-disciplinary Energy Transition team has an international, market-leading reputation and this deal is another example of the team's standing in the energy sector. Other recent work includes advising Statkraft on PPAs with Gresham House Energy Storage Fund plc (GRID) covering 412MW of existing BESS BESS assets, and acting for Strioga Family Foundation on its £8.6 million investment into GRID’s Glassenbury battery projects. The team also advised long-standing client Eelpower on its participation in a £500 million platform to construct, own, and operate UK BESS assets.