(EKN, Stockholm, 15 September 2021) EKN launches a new credit guarantee to facilitate financing of green exports as well as green transition projects within Swedish exporting companies. The new guarantee covers the bank’s risk up to 80 percent instead of previously 50 percent, which increases the capacity for credit. It is offered to companies with direct or indirect exports that contribute to the climate transition. The assessment criteria’s will be based on the EU-taxonomy. EKN’s Green Guarantee covers both working capital and financing of a specific investment, in businesses contributing to the climate transition. In addition, a Scientific Climate Council, a group of academic experts, will provide advisory support to the Swedish Export Credit Agency (EKN) and the Swedish Export Credit Corporation (SEK) to assist aligning the Swedish export finance system with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal, according to a SEK press release. The climate council is the first of its kind in the world and will focus on issues such as the role of natural gas for the energy transition in low- and middle-income countries.
Sweden
Swedish ECAs establish scientific climate council to help align with Paris Agreements
(EKN/SEK, Stockholm, 26 August 2021) The Scientific Climate Council, a group of academic experts, will provide advisory support to EKN and SEK to assist aligning the Swedish export finance system with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal. The climate council is the first of its kind in the world and will focus on issues such as the role of natural gas for the energy transition in low- and middle-income countries. EKN’s and SEK’s climate transition efforts are at the forefront from a global perspective. Stringent requirements are set for projects that receive guarantees and credits and the Swedish export finance system was one of the first to cease export financing the extraction and transportation of coal.
Ghanaian rail project takes off with Swedish & South African ECA backing
(TFX News, London, 7 JUly 2021) Most recently Ghana’s Ministry of Finance (MoF) signed a landmark €600 million ($712 million) ECA-covered financing deal for the construction of a 100 km section of the country’s Western Railway Line running from Takoradi Port to Huni Valley. Deutsche Bank acted as mandated lead arranger for both loans. The first, backed by EKN and fully arranged by Deutsche Bank, is a €523 million loan covering the bulk of the cost. The second is a €75 million commercial loan arranged and structured by Investec to cover the downpayment on the EKN-backed financing. It is backed by South Africa’s ECIC and funded by a syndicate of Investec Bank, Rand Merchant Bank, Nedbank (London branch) and Sanlam life Insurance. The Western Railway line is key to the haulage of agricultural produce and minerals from the middle belt to Takoradi Port in the south of Ghana. [The corridor is home to key bauxite mines, which are the bedrock of the country’s integrated bauxite aluminium masterplan.] The involvement of EKN and SEK reflects the significant number of Swedish sub-suppliers participating in the project. The engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for the project is Amandi Investment with Bluebird Finance & Projects acting as lead financial advisor for the EPC. Given South Africa’s expertise and established trade flows in rail projects, Investec and Bluebird Finance & Projects – alongside Amandi, discovered that a multitude of South African rail suppliers could be sourced for this project and in turn reached out to ECIC to support the commercial facility, a first for the South African ECA.
Belarus isolation deepens as air links cut and Swedish ECA credit cancelled
(The Journal, Dublin, 18 May 2021) Belarus was increasingly isolated today as Europe cut air links and calls grew for more action over its diversion of an airliner and arrest of a dissident on board. The Swedish Export Credit Agency (EKN) said today it was withdrawing export guarantee offers for deals involving two state-owned Belarusian companies, citing failure to live up to human rights standards. The guarantee offers, which totalled two billion Swedish kronor (€197 million), concerned the sale of gas turbines from a Swedish subsidiary of Germany’s Siemens and state-owned Belarusian energy companies RUE Minskenergo and RUE Brestenergo.
CSOs say newly launched export finance coalition (E3F) fails to lead
(Oil Change International, Washington, 15 April 2011) In response to the launch of a new Export Finance for the Future coalition (E3F), 21 civil society organizations (CSOs) from 14 countries released a statement criticizing the lack of ambition from the coalition. The seven European countries, which according to French Finance Minister, Bruno Le Maire represent around 40% of export financing in the OECD, pledged to end formal trade and export financing directed at thermal coal mines and coal supply chain infrastructure. While welcoming the initiative as a step in the right direction, the CSOs, including Oil Change International, state that the coalition fails to take the urgent action that is required to meet climate goals: “Rather than adding new commitments, the E3F principles are simply a reiteration of what most signatories are already doing: not supporting the coal sector, increasing support for ‘green products’, and being more transparent about their support for oil and gas. For this coalition to make a real difference, it needs to take decisive action to end all export finance for fossil fuels, following at least the level of ambition shown by the UK, which put an end to virtually all new export finance for fossil fuels last month.” Seven European countries (Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom) formally pledged to end their support for agencies that finance export projects Fossil fuels. CSOs note that a few countries are embarrassingly absent from the coalition, including the US and Canada. In January, the White House published an Executive Order stating that it would “promote ending international financing of carbon-intensive fossil fuel-based energy,” including finance provided by US EXIM. And while Canada’s export finance institution, Export Development Canada (EDC), was among the first ECAs to adopt a climate change policy, it remains a top provider of export support for fossil fuels.
Swedish ECA under pressure to break ties with Belarus
(Intellinews, Berlin, 15 March 2021) International multinational firms including Swedish ECA EKN are coming under increased pressure to break business ties with Belarus as opposition leaders apply a “name and shame” campaign as part of their struggle to oust incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko. Belarus has been wracked by mass demonstrations since last year’s disputed August 9 presidential elections. German heavy engineering firm Siemens and Norwegian agricultural company Yara have found themselves in the firing line in recent months, as both have significant business with Belarus. The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), which was set up as a joint venture between Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus to invest into things like infrastructure, funded its credit line by raising financing from the German state-owned banks KfW IPEX Bank and Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen (Helaba), while the loan was insured by the state export credit agency of Sweden (EKN). Meanwhile, the Russian State Duma has ratified a protocol to amend the Belarusian-Russian intergovernmental agreement on state export credit to the Belarusian government to build a nuclear power plant.
Swedish ECAs propose $2-billion credit for aviation development in Vietnam
(VnExpress International, Hanoi, 6 December 2020) Swedish financial institutions have proposed a commercial loan to develop aviation projects in Vietnam, including the Long Thanh International Airport. The Swedish Export Credit Agency and the state-owned Export Credit Corporation in Sweden have now proposed increasing the credit limit to $2 billion to cover upgrade projects and air traffic management expansion. To be eligible for the credit line, Vietnam will have to use 30% of the loan to purchase Swedish technologies and equipment. In addition to the Long Thanh and Tan Son Nhat airports, Vietnam plans to upgrade other airports. The country currently has 22 civilian airports. They served near 116 million passengers last year, up 12 percent from 2018.
New report calls for end to export credits to coal
(Swedwatch, Stockholm, 25 September 2020) The coal industry is well-known for its serious climate implications and effects on local communities. Still, European export credits have contributed to expand the coal industry in countries already dependent on coal, including South Africa, a new Swedwatch report finds. In the last decade, ECAs from Germany, Sweden and France have provided significant export credits to South Africa’s coal sector. The country derives 90% of its electricity from coal and is currently constructing two new, large-scale coal-fired powerplants while establishing several new coal mines. Through their export support, the ECAs have contributed to the expansion of the country’s coal industry, which has a well-documented history of adverse environmental and human rights impacts. As European ECAs generally adhere to export guidelines from the OECD, which do not prohibit support for coal-related exports, the report urges France, Sweden and Germany – who have taken vital steps in this direction – to actively push for other OECD member countries to follow suit. The report makes it clear that there is an extensive lack of transparency in relation to export credits, guarantees, insurances and other means of export support.
Volvo signs EKN guaranteed US$1.1 billion credit facility
(Automotive World, London, 20 May 2020) Volvo has signed a new 2-year US$1.1 B revolving credit facility with a 1-year extension option with a group of Nordic banks (DNB, Nordea, SEB and Swedbank (coordinator)) as well as a new 2-year US$424 M credit facility with a 1-year extension option with the Swedish Export Credit Corporation (SEK). Both facilities are partly guaranteed by the Swedish Export Credit Agency (EKN) as they utilize the new working capital credit guarantee set up as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Could ECAs help Africa mitigate Covid-19 pushed recession?
(Global Trade Review, London, 15 April 2020) The outbreak of Covid-19 has left Africa facing the prospect of its first recession in 25 years, with countries dependent on oil exports or struggling with political instability on the frontline. Significant efforts to keep African trade moving have already been undertaken by export credit agencies (ECAs) active on the continent, as well as by global organisations such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. But for Angelica Adamski, director of the board at the Sweden-Africa Chamber of Commerce, there are other steps that ECAs in particular could consider taking to bring some relief to African exporters. For instance, she suggested more ECAs should consider extending coverage to short-term credit and trade receivables. “Some ECAs are already covering working capital programmes, but we need to put more emphasis on this” she noted.
