Soraya Salem | Lawyers

Admissions

UK (England & Wales), France

Services

Energy & Infrastructure

Testimonial

"I advise lenders, sponsors and other project participants on complex domestic and cross-border project finance and export finance transactions. I am passionate about enabling power and infrastructure projects where they are needed, and I enjoy working with all stakeholders on those projects."

Overview

Soraya is a Counsel in the Energy and Infrastructure Group based in Paris. French and English law qualified, she advises lenders (including DFIs, commercial banks, ECAs), sponsors and other project participants on the structuring, financing and development of complex domestic and cross-border projects with a particular emphasis on renewable power, conventional power, hydroelectric, natural resources and infrastructure sectors in France, Europe and emerging countries (in particular Africa and the Middle East).

Soraya has been seconded to the legal department of Engie Green France for 6 months in 2021.

Soraya has been recognised by Legal 500 EMEA 2023 as a Rising Star, Project Finance (France) and as One to Watch by Best Lawyers France 2025 in Banking and Finance.

Work highlights

Soraya has led and has been a key advisor on major project finance transactions including:

EIB and a Rabobank: advising on the financing for the construction, development, operation and maintenance of a battery energy storage asset with a total installed power capacity up to 105 MW located in Saucats in the département of Gironde, France
Amarenco Solar Ltd: advising on a mezzanine financing by an independent asset management firm, for the financing of solar and battery storage projects in France, Spain, Portugal, and Ireland
Lenders: advising on the construction, financing, operating and maintaining of a biogas plant, located in, Côte d'Or, France equipped to deal with at least 200 000 tonnes of biomass (cover crops and cereal by products) per year for the production of biomethane to be injected into the gas grid with a technology thermophilic wet process
ENGIE Green France: advising in relation to the financing granted by Crédit Agricole/Auxifip for the construction and operation of multiple photovoltaic and wind power plants for various SPVs belonging to the Engie Group which are eligible to the "Bonus Participatif CRE"
Facility for Energy Inclusion: assistance in relation to the financing of a 20MW solar photovoltaic facility in Senegal
Proparco, IFC and EIB: assistance in relation to the financing of two solar photovoltaic generation units with a power capacity of 80MWp held by a consortium led by Engie, Meridiam and Fonsis SA in aggregate to be developed on a greenfield basis in the respective areas of Touba and Kahone in Senegal. These two projects form part of the Scaling Solar initiative supported by the World Bank
Crédit Agricole Corporate and lnvestment Bank: assistance in relation to an export credit facility for the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Côte d'lvoire, and covered by China Export & Credit lnsurance Corporation (Sinosure) in relation to the project of extension and modernisation of San Pedro Port
Société Générale and Société Générale CIB: assistance in relation to a Framework Agreement entered into with the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire in relation to three Bpifrance Assurance Export covered credit agreements and three commercial loan credit agreements
BNP Paribas Fortis and Swedish Export Kredit (SEK): assistance in relation to the arrangement of an export credit facility (EKN backed) to finance two commercial contracts entered into between the Société Nationale de Transport en Commun de Ouagadougou in relation to Scania buses in Burkina Faso

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Experience

Soraya is a member of Infravenir an NGO which gathers young professionals in the field of Infrastructure and Energy.

Beyond the Office

Soraya holds an a Master Degree in Business Law and Tax and an LLM in Arab countries Business Law from the Paris II Panthéon-Assas University as well as undergraduate degrees in business law from the Paris II Panthéon-Assas University.

Thought Leadership

Quelles perspectives pour le marché du stockage d’électricité en France ? (What are the prospects for the electricity storage market in France?)
Linklaters LLP - 25 January 2024

Overview

Soraya has been seconded to the legal department of Engie Green France for 6 months in 2021.

Soraya has been recognised by Legal 500 EMEA 2023 as a Rising Star, Project Finance (France) and as One to Watch by Best Lawyers France 2025 in Banking and Finance.

Work highlights

Soraya has led and has been a key advisor on major project finance transactions including:

EIB and a Rabobank: advising on the financing for the construction, development, operation and maintenance of a battery energy storage asset with a total installed power capacity up to 105 MW located in Saucats in the département of Gironde, France

Amarenco Solar Ltd: advising on a mezzanine financing by an independent asset management firm, for the financing of solar and battery storage projects in France, Spain, Portugal, and Ireland

Lenders: advising on the construction, financing, operating and maintaining of a biogas plant, located in, Côte d'Or, France equipped to deal with at least 200 000 tonnes of biomass (cover crops and cereal by products) per year for the production of biomethane to be injected into the gas grid with a technology thermophilic wet process

ENGIE Green France: advising in relation to the financing granted by Crédit Agricole/Auxifip for the construction and operation of multiple photovoltaic and wind power plants for various SPVs belonging to the Engie Group which are eligible to the "Bonus Participatif CRE"

Facility for Energy Inclusion: assistance in relation to the financing of a 20MW solar photovoltaic facility in Senegal

Proparco, IFC and EIB: assistance in relation to the financing of two solar photovoltaic generation units with a power capacity of 80MWp held by a consortium led by Engie, Meridiam and Fonsis SA in aggregate to be developed on a greenfield basis in the respective areas of Touba and Kahone in Senegal. These two projects form part of the Scaling Solar initiative supported by the World Bank

Crédit Agricole Corporate and lnvestment Bank: assistance in relation to an export credit facility for the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Côte d'lvoire, and covered by China Export & Credit lnsurance Corporation (Sinosure) in relation to the project of extension and modernisation of San Pedro Port

Société Générale and Société Générale CIB: assistance in relation to a Framework Agreement entered into with the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire in relation to three Bpifrance Assurance Export covered credit agreements and three commercial loan credit agreements

BNP Paribas Fortis and Swedish Export Kredit (SEK): assistance in relation to the arrangement of an export credit facility (EKN backed) to finance two commercial contracts entered into between the Société Nationale de Transport en Commun de Ouagadougou in relation to Scania buses in Burkina Faso