About Kate Axup
Kate leads the Allens energy team and is co-chair of our Clients & Pursuits Committee. She acts for participants across the energy sector, including sponsors, banks, investors, energy companies and government.
"A go-to lawyer in the energy sector who values long-term relationships. She has a deep understanding of her clients, the ability to respond quickly and be well informed: a delight to deal with" - Chambers 2025
Kate's transactional practice covers mergers and acquisitions, major energy infrastructure projects, joint ventures and energy contracting. Chambers Asia-Pacific 2025 noted that clients come to Kate for her deep understanding of the energy sector and for her commercial, pragmatic approach.
During her career, Kate has been based in the firm's Melbourne, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing offices.
Recent experience
M&A and capital partnerships
- HMC Capital: the establishment of its energy transition fund and the acquisition of its interest in seed assets Stor Energy and Green Gravity
- ZEN Energy: the creation of a battery investment platform jointly owned and managed by ZEN and HDRE, a Taiwanese publicly listed company
- Neoen: the $950m sale of its Victorian renewable energy portfolio to HMC Capital
- Tilt Renewables: various matters ranging from the initial establishment of the Powering Australian Renewables Fund (acting for AGL), the sale and project financing of the seed assets into that structure and on various investor-level issues and arrangements
- Confidential bidder: on its bid for Statkraft’s portfolio of Australian renewable assets
- Tilt Renewables: on its bid to acquire the CWP Renewables business pursuant to a competitive sale process
- Skip Capital and Stonepeak: the proposed acquisition of Genex Power Limited
- Brookfield/EIG: the Brookfield and EIG consortium on its proposed acquisition by scheme of Origin Energy for an implied enterprise value of $18.4bn.
- Meridian Energy: the $740m sale of the Meridian Australian assets (wind and hydro) to Shell and Infrastructure Capital Group
- John Laing: the $285m sale of its Australian wind farm portfolio to First Sentier Investors, consisting of six different assets across South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania
- KKR, Ontario Teachers and PSP: the $5.2bn acquisition of Spark Infrastructure (including the Spark Renewables business) by way of inter-conditional creditor and trust schemes.
Project development
- Pacific Green: the development and sale of the Limestone Coast North BESS in South Australia
- Acciona Energy: the development of the 923MW Macintyre wind farm project in Queensland, including the joint venture with Ark Energy
- Energy Corporation of NSW: on the procurement of the 700MW Waratah Super Battery, as part of the NSW Government’s Electricity Infrastructure Investment Roadmap
- Iberdrola Australia: on its successful application for a feasibility licence in the Gippsland offshore wind process
- CWO REZ and South West: applicants for access rights in the Central West Orana REZ and the South West REZ.
Energy contracting
Kate has advised clients on a wide range of power purchase agreements, government revenue support contracts (including successful applicants under the Capacity Investment Scheme) and energy retail contracts. Her clients include ZEN Energy, Pacific Green, Mint Renewables, Lightsource bp, Sydney Airport, Newmont, CBA and WestConnex.