Our people

Alex Hirom

‘Very experienced in international construction, including in civil law countries’ - Legal 500, 2018

Partner, Construction, Engineering & Environmental
London

Expertise

Alex leads the negotiation of complex construction, operation and maintenance arrangements in energy, manufacturing and infrastructure in the UK and internationally. He is particularly appreciated by clients for his enthusiasm for working in multi-disciplinary teams with engineers, project managers and procurement professionals. He is noted for strength and commerciality of risk analysis and management. Alex's expertise includes: FIDIC, IChemE and NEC forms of contract, project finance, PPP, alliancing and collaborative working contracts.

Power projects – delivering more than 50 power generation projects across all technology classes, on three continents
Cracker conversion – delivering a nationally significant project for SABIC to convert its olefins cracker to utilise an ethane feed from North American shale beds
EfW - advising the developer on the EPC and long-term servicing agreements for the development of a fluidised bed advanced gasification energy from waste plants in East London and Merseyside
Advising the owner of a CCGT power plant on contracts to for the conversion of the plant to operate in open cycle and bid in to the UK Capacity Market auctions
Project alliance agreement - a UK rail infrastructure owner on the tendering and implementation of a Project Alliancing Agreement for a major track construction and refurbishment project
London 2012 Olympics – advising the ODA on the ODA’s standard forms of construction contract and a concession agreement for a multi-utilities concession on the Olympic Park
A power plant developer on the EPC contract, long term maintenance contract and operating agreement for the development of a new 850MW CCGT power plant to be located at near Istanbul, Turkey

Power Generation & Transmission

Solar PV – advising developers and investors on EPC and maintenance contracts in relation to more than 100MW of installed solar PV in the UK
Solar Thermal - advising the lenders on a 30MW solar thermal IPP project in Spain.
Capacity Market – owners of sub-10MW projects bidding in to the Capacity Market on the market rules and appeals, construction and O&M contracts.
CATO – structure and risk analysis of the CATO regime for onshore transmission for Ofgem
EfW - advising ATCO Power on the EPC and long-term servicing agreements for the development of a fluidised bed advanced gasification energy from waste plants in East London and Merseyside
CCGT conversion - advising Barking Power Limited on the conversion of Barking power station to open cycle to bid into the Capacity Market
STOR – development of a biodiesel generating plant contracted to the STOR mechanism
Innovation – UKAEA on the NEC contracts for the procurement of the Tokomak reactor fleet
EFR - battery projects bidding in to the EFR auction to provide frequency services
Onshore wind – construction and maintenance contracts for project financed onshore wind farms across the UK
Offshore wind - developers, investors and suppliers on contracts for the Sheringham Shoal, Thanet, Teesside, Gwynt-y-Mor and West of Duddon Sands wind farms
Project Finance – advising sponsors, investors and funders including MLAs on the EPC and O&M contracts for large project financed independent power plants in: the UK, France, Greece, Netherlands, Turkey, Romania, Russia, UAE, and South Africa
Big Six – a big six energy utility on contracts in preparation for a new CCGT Plant to bid into the Capacity Market
Nuclear – Horizon Nuclear Power (then a joint venture between RWE and Eon) on EPC contracts, JV establishment, policy formulation, competition issues
Commissioning and claims – managing and settling claims in relation to defects and commissioning issues in relation to an 800MW CCGT plant
Olympics – the ODA on a concession agreement for a multi-utilities concession on the Olympic Park to serve the London 2012 Olympics

Refining, Basic Manufacturing, Oil & Gas

Cracker conversion – delivering a nationally significant project for SABIC to convert its olefins cracker to utilise an ethane feed from North American shale beds
Plant restoration – strategic advice and delivery to Venator on the reinstatement of its fire-damaged Tioxide plant at Pori, Western Finland
EPCm - strategic advice on procurement and EPCm contracting to a speciality chemicals manufacturer. Implementing small (£5m to £10m capex) projects in the UK, France, US and Germany
Refinery - process technology and commissioning issues during the completion of a major oil refinery at Sohar, Oman
Offshore - a joint venture between Gazprom, Total and Statoil on EPIC contracts for the sub-sea infrastructure for phase 1 of the development of the Shtokman gas field in the Barents Sea
Offshore - major European national energy company on the development of a gas field off-shore Brazil
Redevelopment – South Tees Site Company & South Tees Development Corporation on decontamination and other contracts in relation to the site of the former SSI steelworks at Redcar

Infrastructure

Redevelopment – South Tees Site Company & South Tees Development Corporation on decontamination, demolition and construction contracts in relation to the site of the former SSI steelworks at Redcar
Project alliance agreement - a UK rail infrastructure owner on the tendering and implementation of a Project Alliancing Agreement for a major track construction and refurbishment project
Transport – Canary Wharf Contractors on the contract for the construction of the Isle of Dogs Crossrail station
Southern Water – contract for the refurbishment and maintenance of the Thanet sewer network.
Utilities - London 2012 Olympics – advising the ODA on a concession agreement for a multi-utilities concession on the Olympic Park and the ODA’s standard forms of construction contract
Utilities – a joint venture between EDF and RWE/Thames Water entering into a £100m utilities infrastructure works contract as part of £8bn Allenby & Connaught PFI project