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Il Project Finance all’estero e la nuova operatività di Sace. Un caso studio. Il portafoglio in essere . Volume di attività: circa 1,5 -2 miliardi di euro l’anno Settori principali: Oil & Gas Metallurgico Energia Zone geografiche Medio Oriente Russia America Latina.
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Il Project Finance all’estero e la nuova operatività di Sace. Un caso studio
Il portafoglio in essere • Volume di attività: circa 1,5 -2 miliardi di euro l’anno • Settori principali: • Oil & Gas • Metallurgico • Energia • Zone geografiche • Medio Oriente • Russia • America Latina
I principali cambiamenti • Sviluppo delle operazioni insieme agli sponsors fin dalle fasi iniziali ed intervento da consulente a favore delle imprese in fase iniziale. • Innovazione prodotti esistenti (copertura 100%, flessibilità su termini e condizioni, tempi di istruttoria, etc.). • Sviluppo nuovi prodotti (garanzia autonoma su loans e project bonds, etc.).
I principali cambiamenti: lo sviluppo dei progetti • Analisi dettagliata delle proiezioni economiche e della viabilità finanziaria; • Verifica della fattibilità tecnica; • Valutazione delle controparti e dei partecipanti; • Negoziazione diretta della documentazione finanziaria e delle garanzie; • Ricorso a consulenti esterni per determinati aspetti specialistici.
Dal “Made in Italy” al “Made by Italy” Ampliamento accordi di riassicurazione Dalle polizze assicurative alle garanzie finanziarie Copertura 100% (effetti: riduzione dei costi totali, effetto moltiplicatore) 4) Flessibilità su termini e condizioni (durate fino a 14 anni, strutture finanziarie, schemi contrattuali) 5) Tempi di istruttoria I principali cambiamenti: innovazione prodotti esistenti
Nuova Polizza Investimenti Polizza Fideiussioni Finanziamenti al capitale circolante Internazionalizzazione PMI Emissioni Obbligazionarie Principali Cambiamenti : Nuovi Prodotti
Some figures • Project financings in GCC countries in the last 8 years: $1.4 billion SACE loans ($16.4 billion project value); • 2004 projects in GCC: 25% of total; • Structured finance in Middle East: $4.3 billion loans in portfolio; • Projects in Middle East: 43% of total portfolio.
The Project • Two 7.78 MMTA LNG production facilities designed to supply gas to the UK (1 train) from natural gas reserves in Qatar’s North Field. Sponsored by Qatar Petroleum and Exxon Mobil (& Total). The projects includes offshore production facilities, onshore liquefaction facilities, construction and chartering of several new 200 MT LNG tankers as well as the construction of regasification facilities and a new national gas transmission line in the UK and a variety of shared facilities in Qatar. • Capital cost (both trains): $9 million approximately. • The biggest integrated energy project ever; • One of the largest limited recourse financing to date; • The largest liquefaction trains in the world (7.78 MMTA each). • The largest LNG tankers in the world (200 MT vs 40-145)
Some trends • Consumption growth 2,5-3% p.a. 2000-2030 (x 2, from 2500.109 m3 in 2001 to 5000.109 m3 in 2030) • 28% of world energy consumption in 2030 vs 23% today • North America, Western Europe & former USSR will remain the main consumption areas but with a decreased % • Asia will build up in % terms • Powergeneration main source of consumption increase (progressive substitution of coal - & nuclear ?- )
Polarization of the market Two regional blocks within which the majority of exchanges take place: an Atlantic Basin market and one involving the countries of the Pacific. In this context, the Middle Eastern countries are well-positioned to supply both areas, though with different intensities.
1) Eligibility constraints;2) New and higher risks that ECAs/banks were not used to take;3) ECAs involvement at early stage in the process to negotiate the essential terms of the deal;4) High level of flexibility as to contractual schemes;5) Maximum flexibility as to final financial plan and final financial terms and conditions;6) 100% insurance coverage. The new approach
The new approach: contractual schemes • Priority objective: Competitiveness in terms of costs and prices; • Nature of counterparties: Many final purchasers. Sales to “quasi-SPC” acting as canalizing agent to fragmented group of buyers • Duration of contracts: Sometimes still 25 y. More often medium term (5-15 y); Spot; • Take-or-Pay clauses: Present, but with greater flexibility as to: volumes to be lifted deferring deliveries to succeeding years, final customer risk, LPG sales, etc.; • Prices: Netback mechanism based on end-prices. Spot market prices, influenced by exogenous factors (ex: kWh price) • Risks: Full market risk (volume & price). Moreover production projects exposed to risks of downstream projects (re-gas terminal, trading co, distribution networks); • Securities: Financial securities & covenants heavily downsized (reduced ratios – including debt/equity - , collaterals to downstream financiers, senior shareholders loans)
The new approach: eligibility constraints Two sub-supply contracts- Italy: 43,57%;- UE: 36,50%;- Extra UE: 19,93%;
The new approach: specifics of securities • No pledge on QGII shares; • No mortgage on the facilities (Qatar law issue); • Assignment of Trade Co’s rights under “Material Third Party Contracts” (Terminal Capacity Agreement; GSPA; Esso UK guarantee); • Completion Guarantee; • Pledge on trust account receiving third party payments under Material Third Party Contracts; • In case of enforcement, QGII must share proceeds with Terminal Co; • Terminal Co & its lenders will be the sole beneficiaries of: • a re-gas fees payment reserve account (“TCA Reserve Account”); • the assignment of the re-gas contract rights (“Terminal Capacity Agreement”) between Trade Co & Terminal Co; • the re-gas cost reimbursement agreement between Trade Co & QGII.
The new approach: flexible financial structure • Several sourcing options trigger search for maximum flexibility as to final financing plan and financial terms and conditions; • Flexible financial plan: • US Exim • Exxon Mobil / US Exim • SACE • Exxon Mobil / SACE • Islamic • Exxon Mobil / islamic • Commercial • Exxon Mobil / Commercial • Flexible repayment schedule: deferral mechanism.
The new approach: full coverage • 100% both for commercial and political risks; • Conditions: • Early involvement in the negotiation of essential terms of the deal (technical, economic, financial due diligence and long form term sheet); • Risk profile; • Risk sharing (multi-sourced structure). all-in cost reduction
Elements of “good practice”… • Involve a limited group of institutions as early as possible in the process, to negotiate the essential terms of the deal (technical, economic, financial due diligence & long-form Term Sheet at least); • Proceed with re-insurance or “fast-track” for smaller risk takers in the end, if needed; • Sponsors to guarantee minimum amount of financing or drop-dead fee to parties involved early that ECAs/banks were not used to take;