Norton Rose Fulbright earns five LatinFinance 2026 project finance awards

Norton Rose Fulbright has won five awards at LatinFinance's 2026 Project and Infrastructure Finance Awards for its work on major transactions across Latin America, spanning biofuels, critical minerals, mining and sovereign green financing in Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador and Columbia.

The recognized projects, which included teams led out of the firm's São Paulo, London and Washington, DC offices, include:

Loan of the Year: Rincón lithium brine project

Led by Jeremy Hushon (Washington, DC) and Daniel Metcalfe (London)

The firm represented a group of international lenders in a US$1.175 billion financing package supporting the development of Rio Tinto's Rincón lithium brine project in Salta Province, Argentina. With an estimated total investment of US$2.5 billion, the project is expected to produce approximately 60,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium carbonate annually once operational.

Mining Deal of the Year: Serra Verde rare earth mine financing

Led by Martin McCann (London)

The firm acted as English and Canadian counsel on the US$565 million rare earth mine financing for Serra Verde, provided by the US International Development Finance Corporation. The transaction refinanced existing loan facilities on more favorable terms and supports the expansion and optimization of the company's Brazilian operations, with production expected to increase to 6,500 tonnes of total rare earth oxide by the end of 2027.

Infrastructure Deal of the Year, Brazil: Acelen Industrial S.A. biofuels complex

Led by Daniel Spencer (São Paulo)

The firm advised Acelen Industrial S.A. on project development aspects of a biofuels complex in Bahia, Brazil, that will produce renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel, including the equipment procurement agreement and guarantee agreement with UOP LLC and certain components of the broader US$1.5 billion financing package involving development banks, commercial lenders and local debentures.

Social Infrastructure Deal of the Year: The Republic of Ecuador sovereign social and green financing

Led by Kenneth Hansen (Washington, DC)

The firm represented the Inter-American Development Bank in connection with the issuance of a US$250 million partial credit guarantee supporting a US$500 million syndicated term loan facility to the Republic of Ecuador for the financing of eligible social and green projects under the Republic's Sovereign Financing Framework for Affordable and Resilient Housing. The New York law-governed transaction was structured to comply with the Social Loan Principles and Green Loan Principles, with Goldman Sachs and Banco Santander acting as lenders.

Sustainable Infrastructure Deal of the Year: City of Bogotá green bond issuance

Led by Kenneth Hansen (Washington, DC)

The firm represented the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) as an anchor investor in a COP-denominated US$600 million green bond issuance by the City of Bogotá. The transaction was the first green bond issued by a Latin American city, the largest recorded green bond transaction by a city in the Americas and the first whose proceeds were fully allocated to green projects. Financing will support clean transportation initiatives in Bogotá, including Metro Line 2 and electric cable car lines.

Honorable mention - Pernambuco water and wastewater concession project

Led by Charles Johnson (São Paulo)

The firm received an honorable mention for its role as New York counsel to the BRK Ambiental/Acciona joint venture, as borrower, and its sponsors in connection with the financing of Lot 2 of the Pernambuco water and wastewater concession project. The transaction included a US$369 million senior secured term loan facility and a US$411 million blue bond debenture issuance.

Norton Rose Fulbright's projects practice is one of the largest in the world, with more than 350 lawyers collaborating across a global team on some of today's most innovative, complex and challenging matters. The firm is ranked as a top global projects legal advisor by volume, with deals valued at more than US$90 billion in aggregate last year (IJGlobal, Q1-Q4, 2025).