(Price of Oil, Washington, 30 October 2023) As Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) delegates prepare to meet in Paris from November 6-10, over 250 civil society organizations (CSOs) from 30 countries published an open letter calling on negotiators to support an end to OECD export finance for fossil fuels. Signatories include Amnesty International, Greenpeace International, and Friends of the Earth International. The Financial Times (FT) has revealed that the UK and the EU will put forward proposals for doing so, with Canada planning to back the UK’s proposal. These efforts can end the USD 41 billion per year flowing to fossil fuel projects from government-run OECD export credit agencies (ECAs). The OECD Arrangement on Officially Supported Export Credits sets rules that all OECD country ECAs must follow.
ECAWatch Newsletter 10
Fossil Free Export Credit Agencies – a new web resource
The climate crisis can’t be solved if export credit agencies continue to support fossil fuels. We, a group of concerned civil society organizations, call on governments to immediately end all export credit and other public support for fossil fuels.
Hai Long team confirms €3bn Taiwan wind financing deal
(ReNews, Winchester UK, 17 October 2023) Northland Power and its partners have met all conditions and completed the NT$117bn (€3bn) financing for the 1 GW Hai Long offshore wind project off Taiwan. The financing will be provided by 16 international and local banks, including China Trust, Taipei Fubon Bank, Taiwan Life, Fubon Life, HSBC, Crédit Agricole Bank, Auspreci Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Mizuho Bank MUFG Bank and Deutsche Bank. A high proportion of the funds in this joint loan case will be provided by local financial institutions. At the same time, Hai Long has obtained the highest credit guarantee ratio from Taiwan’s history, provided by seven export credit agencies, including Export Development Canada (EDC), Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Japan Trade Insurance (NEXI) and UK Export Finance Agency.
Citigroup: The future of export agency finance
(Global Trade Review, London, 24 October 2023) [In an article sponsored by CITI, GTR has published an overview of export finance by Richard Hodder, head of export agency finance at CITI.] “In today’s world of escalating environmental concerns and shifting global economic priorities, export credit agencies have the potential to play a pivotal role in advancing the transition to cleaner energy sources and sustainable development… “In terms of the energy transition, the sheer volume of financing that will be required to drive it, as well as the large size of individual projects, will necessitate a diversity of funding sources – and ECA support will be key,” says Hodder. “Looking at the enquiries across our network, we expect ECA demand to grow and remain at sustained high levels over the next decade.” [Citigroup Inc. hired HSBC Holdings Plc’s Richard Hodder in June 2023 to lead its export agency finance business as the Wall Street giant seeks to expand its trade operations.]
Germany offers cheaper export credit support in new climate policy
(Global Trade Review, London, 25 October 2023) Germany has become the latest country to offer more attractive export credit guarantee pricing and conditions for climate-friendly transactions. In a policy scheduled to take effect from November 1, applicants for export credit support from the energy, transport and heavy industry sectors will be graded based on the alignment of their transactions to the Paris Agreement target of keeping global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius. Export credit guarantees, investment guarantees and untied loans will be cheaper for transactions that support the 1.5 degrees goal. The down payment on local costs will also be waived, government coverage will be boosted from 95% to 98%, and German content will only need to form 30% of the overall transaction. Additionally, a surcharge on local currencies will be removed, meaning the premium paid will remain the same regardless of the currency used. Current pricing and terms will apply to transactions classified as compliant with the global warming limitation target. Those that are not aligned will be refused cover. Overall, the policy aims to make German export credit cover with developed countries climate-neutral by 2045 and with developing countries by 2050. Euler Hermes administers the export credit policy, overseen by Berlin’s climate and economy ministry.
SACE Meets India: Facilitating $1.6 Billion for Green Transitions
(Livemint, Mumbai, 17 October 2023) Italy’s Export Credit Agency, SACE, brought together a hundred leaders in Mumbai to explore trade and industrial synergies. SACE is currently evaluating $1.6 billion of new projects to facilitate the green transition in India. These projects are expected to promote and grow trade and industrial synergies between Italy and India in a diversified range of sectors including green technologies & renewable energy, infrastructure, automotive, and steel amongst others. In this scenario, SACE brought together a hundred leaders from the Indian and Italian business and finance communities in Mumbai for its event, “Italy meets India – A Push towards a Sustainable Future”, to explore new potential business opportunities between Italy and India. SACE has an overall transaction portfolio of $173 billion and a presence in India through its office in Mumbai since 2012,
UKEF Announces Financial Support for Ukraine’s Nuclear Fuel Supply
(Anyuak Media, Warsaw, 12 October 2023) UK Energy Secretary Grant Shapps has made a visit to Ukraine to announce fresh financial support aimed at reducing the country’s reliance on Russia for its nuclear fuel supply. The UK will provide a £192m loan guarantee to Ukraine’s national nuclear company, Energoatom, through the UK’s export credit agency, UK Export Finance. As part of the agreement, UK-headquartered Urenco will supply Energoatom with vital uranium enrichment services necessary for nuclear fuel. Currently, nuclear power accounts for more than half of Ukraine’s electricity generation
CPChem, QatarEnergy finalize financing on $6 bn Ras Laffan, Qatar, petrochemicals project
(Business Wire, San Francisco, 9 October 2023) Ras Laffan Petrochemicals, a joint venture company owned 30% by Chevron Phillips Chemical and 70% by QatarEnergy, today announced that it has secured $4.4 billion to finance an integrated polymers facility to be located in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar. The project financing comprises commercial and Islamic lenders and a group of export credit agencies. Finalizing the financing is a key milestone in the development of the 435-acre petrochemical project, which will include the largest ethane cracker in the Middle East and one of the largest in the world. The two companies also are constructing a joint venture integrated polymers facility on the Texas Gulf Coast, which is expected to be operational in 2026. [No information is available on which ECAs are involved.]
Egypt in talks to secure $2.1 bln loan for 2nd high-speed rail line
(Zawya, Dubai, 11 October 2023) The Egyptian government is currently negotiating with several international financing institutions to secure a $2.1 billion concessional loan for the implementation of the second high-speed rail line, two government officials told Asharq Business. The potential lenders include, the Italian Export Credit Agency and the German state-owned KfW Bank, one source noted. On a related note, five international firms are competing for a deal on supplying 21 trains for the first phase of Alexandria metro project at an estimated cost of up to $400 million, the sources said. The companies are the French Alstom, South Korea’s Hyundai, Spanish CAF, China’s CRRC, and Russian-based Transmashholding.
Israel-Hamas conflict: Indian exporters may face higher risk premiums, shipping costs
(Devdiscours, New Deli, 8 October 2023) Indian exporters shipping goods to Israel may face higher insurance premiums and shipping costs due to the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to experts. For merchandise exports of India, the war may lead to higher insurance premiums and shipping costs. Indian ECA ECGC may charge higher risk premiums from Indian firms exporting to Israel, think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said on Sunday. ECGC Ltd (formerly Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India Ltd) is wholly owned by the government of India. Mumbai-based exporter and founder chairman of Technocraft Industries India Sharad Kumar Saraf said the conflict may have an impact on Indian exporters in the short run. ”But if the war escalates, things may get bitter for our exporters of that region,” Saraf said.
