press release

CSP Equity Investment SARL v. Kingdom of Spain - press release

Litigation

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Sabin Litigation

Filing Year For Action

Background: 
The case of CSP Equity Investment S.à r.l. v. Kingdom of Spain arose from a dispute over sweeping reforms to Spain’s renewable energy sector. CSP Equity Investment, a Luxembourg-based subsidiary of the Spanish multinational Abengoa, held equity interests in six thermosolar power plants located across Spain. The claim was brought under the ECT. CSP initiated arbitration under the rules of the SCC, with proceedings seated at the PCA in The Hague. The dispute came to public attention after Abengoa disclosed it in a prospectus filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, ahead of its planned Nasdaq listing.

The origin of the dispute lies in a series of regulatory changes implemented by the Spanish government in 2013. Aimed at reducing a €26 billion tariff deficit in the national energy market, the reforms introduced a 7% tax on the revenues of all power generation companies and significantly curtailed the subsidies that had previously been guaranteed to renewable energy producers. These measures were intended to stabilize Spain’s energy system and had been encouraged by both the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund. However, they were met with sharp criticism from investors in the renewables sector, who claimed the reforms were retroactive and undermined the financial foundations of their investments.

CSP claimed that these regulatory changes amounted to indirect expropriation and violated the fair and equitable treatment standard under the ECT. It argued that Spain had frustrated its legitimate expectations, particularly as it had invested based on the stability and predictability of the earlier regulatory framework. According to CSP, the reforms slashed anticipated revenues by approximately one-third and jeopardized the economic viability of its solar plants. The company did not initially disclose the precise amount of damages sought, but Spanish media reported that CSP would seek €60 million per year in losses until the matter was resolved. CSP’s parent company, Abengoa, added that the reforms had disproportionately affected its solar division, which constituted roughly a quarter of its total revenues.
In parallel to the international arbitration, Abengoa also pursued a claim in a civil court in Seville. That action was dismissed on procedural grounds, with the court holding that the company was required to exhaust administrative remedies before litigating. That ruling is currently under appeal.

Spain’s legal defense in this case was conducted by its Government Legal Service, and it remains unclear whether it retained external counsel specifically for this claim. Related claims were brought by other international investors under the ECT, including Deutsche Bank’s RREEF Infrastructure, Germany’s RWE, and Japan’s Mitsubishi. 



Decision of the Tribunal: (Award not public)
The final award in CSP’s arbitration was rendered on 16 November 2021. The tribunal declined jurisdiction and dismissed CSP’s claims. No compensation was awarded to the claimant. 