ExportImport Bank of the United States Financing Renewable

Export-Import Bank of the United States “Financing Renewable Energy Exports” Craig O’Connor Environmental Liaison Officer Presentation to APEC Renewable Energy Financing Workshop May 14, 2004

U. S. Ex-Im Bank u Independent agency of the U. S. government. u Established in 1934 to finance the export sales of goods and services produced in the U. S. u Since 1934, has supported over $400 billion in exports. u Supports short, medium, and long-term financing to creditworthy international customers both public- and private-sector; working capital guarantees to U. S. exporters. u Products include Direct Loans, Guarantees, Export Credit Insurance, Working capital Guarantees, Tied Aid Fund u No minimum nor maximum project size. u Special initiatives for environmental exports, small business, and lending directly to municipalities in certain countries.

Environmental Exports Program u Support for environmentally-beneficial exports, including renewable energy, mandated in Ex-Im Bank’s Charter. u Ex-Im Bank has Environmental Standards and Guidelines applied to each project considered under its Loan and Guarantee Programs. u Environmental Exports Program Consists of pro-active business development and enhancements to existing Ex-Im Bank programs. u Environmental projects are offered enhancements: v Maximum OECD repayment term for Long-Term Loans and Guarantees of 10 -12 years after project completion. v Capitalization of interest during construction. v Up to 15% local cost support within the U. S. scope of supply. RESULTS: Transactions approved under the Program grew from 13 in FY 1994, to 71 FY 2003, totaling over $2 billion. u

Ex-Im Bank Value Proposition What does Ex-Im Bank bring to the table? v Ability to directly extend credits to municipalities, utilities, environmental companies, and government agencies v Ability to support small projects: No minimum project size helps smaller in-country deals… F Astro. Power used Ex-Im Bank to extend a $9, 000 credit line to a solar homes systems dealer in South Africa v Ability to support loan repayment terms of 12 years v Ability to support interest rates based on ½ to 2% over commercial banks cost of funds (currently 1. 5%) v Ability to help leverage USAID, GEF and other donor funds

Export Credit Insurance u Enables U. S. exporters to offer short- and medium-term credit directly to their customers. u Export credit is an attractive substitute to cash-in-advance, letters of credit and costly local bank financing. u Using Ex-Im Bank to insure a letter of credit instead of paying bank confirmation charges usually more cost effective. v Example: Insurance costs 0. 11% or $110 for a $100, 000 sight letter of credit vs. $2, 500 minimum bank confirmation charge. Supports repayment terms up to 180 days beginning from date of importation of the goods; capital goods terms of 360 days-7 years. u u Only an invoice of the sale needed for short-term credit; Ex-Im Bank provides a promissory note to document medium-term credits u Insurance lowers reserve requirements for commercial banks.

Southwest Windpower, Inc. u Southwest Windpower, Inc. , a small business in Flagstaff, Arizona, is using Short-Term Insurance to offer 30 -day “open account” credit terms to customers in Finland, Norway, France, and St. Lucia. u Example: Southwest Windpower is extending a $1, 500 30 -day credit to Regis Electronics of St. Lucia. u Premium rate for 30 -day credit is 0. 75% u Replaces costly local bank financing and payment by L/Cs, enables customers to offer credit to their customers. u Begins a “virtuous cycle” v increased open account credit leads to increased sales – for both Southwest Windpower and their foreign distributors -

Short-Term Credit Process 1. The U. S. supplier submits the application along with the required information to establish a credit limit for the foreign customer to Ex. Im Bank. 2. The information requirements from the foreign company for credit limits are as follows: u $10, 000 credit a favorable trade or bank reference. u $10, 000 -$50, 000 credit a current credit report. u $50, 000 -$100, 000 credit a current credit report plus a favorable bank or trade reference. u Over $100, 000 credit a current credit report, latest 3 years financial statements, and references. 3. Ex-Im Bank’s Loan Officer analyzes the application and makes a decision on the amount of credit to be supported.

Short-Term Credit Standards u Info on foreign buyers for credit limits of $300, 000 to $1 MM: v Obligor in same line of business last 3 years v Favorable credit report dated 6 -months from application; Two current (within 6 -months) trade references v Audited or signed unaudited financial statements with notes for the last 2 fiscal years v Ex-Im Bank’s exposure less than 50% of obligor’s net worth v Operating profit and net profit in the most recent fiscal year v Current ratio in last fiscal year greater than 1. 25% v Total liabilities/net worth ratio in last fiscal year less than 2. 5 v No material adverse issues present

Medium-Term Credit Insurance Covers commercial losses resulting from nonpayment for such reasons as a buyer’s insolvency or failure to pay an obligation within 6 months of the payment due date. Covers political losses from certain specifically defined risks such as war, cancellation of import or export license, currency inconvertibility v 100% coverage of the financed portion of the loan against commercial and political default. v Repayment terms of 1 -5 years, with 7 -year terms for environmental projects or large projects over $350, 000. v The credit must be evidenced by a valid and enforceable promissory note in the particular country. F Ex-Im Bank can provide the bank with a note to use. v The buyer makes a 15% down payment to the exporter.

Case Study: GE Wind u GE Wind Energy, LLC used Ex-Im Bank’s new 10 -year Insurance product to offer a 10 -year repayment term to finance the $820, 000 sale of a single 1. 5 MW wind turbine. u The project replaces a smaller wind turbine for Apasco Cement, S. A. of Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, who will use the wind turbine to power a conveyer belt and provide power to their facility. u The Insurance offers up to 10 -year financing support for environmentallybeneficial projects under $10 million. u The Insurance is designed to be a streamlined approach, requiring less documentation, to provide long-term project finance for smaller-sized environmental transactions. u Insurance requires documents only in the event of buyer default. F Promissory note (use Ex-Im Bank notes) F Copy of invoice F Export bill of lading F Exporter Certificate

Medium-Term Insurance Process 1. The U. S. supplier or their bank submits the application along with the required information to establish a credit limit for the foreign customer to Ex-Im Bank. 2. The information requirements from the foreign company for Medium-Term credit limits are as follows: u A current credit report. u A current commercial bank reference. u Latest 3 years financial statements and an interim statement if the latest year’s financial statement is older than 1 year. v Note: audited statements required for credits over $1 MM 3. Ex-Im Bank’s Loan Officer analyzes the application and makes a decision on the amount of credit to be supported.

Medium-Term Credit Standards u Positive Operating Profit over last 2 years u Positive Net Income over last 2 years u Positive Cash-Flow-From-Operations (latest year) u EBITDA/Debt Service greater than 150% u Total Liabilities/Total Net Worth less than 175% u Ex-Im Bank Exposure/Total Net Worth less than 40% Borrowers that meet these standards very likely to be approved. If the borrowers misses one or more of the standards, Ex-Im Bank will conduct further analysis of the borrowers’ business to determine whether to grant approval.

Financing Medium-Term Insurance u Lender: directly applies or accepts assignment from exporter u Documentary Assignment: financial institution protected against fraud, disputes and other defects of the transaction v Lender has duty to obtain: FPromissory note (use Ex-Im Bank notes) FCopy of invoice FExport bill of lading FExporter Certificate

Loan & Guarantee Program u Guaranteed Loans made by commercial banks (U. S. or foreign) to a foreign buyer with a 100% unconditional repayment guarantee from Ex-Im Bank v Guarantee covers 85% of the U. S. content of the transaction. v Negotiated interest rates, usually a floating rate based on spread over 6 -month U. S. dollar LIBOR rate v Loan fully transferable, can be securitized v Banks often finance the 15% required cash payment v Guarantee available in major foreign currencies

Case Study: Facileasing, S. A. u PNC Bank, Pittsburgh, PA arranged a 5 -year loan for Facileasing, S. A. , Mexico City, to purchase $1 million in U. S. -made equipment. u The equipment includes a desalination plant, solar panels, laundry equipment, and golf carts which Facileasing, S. A will lease to the Hotel Marival – Cancun on 5 -year lease payment terms. u Facileasing, S. A, based in Mexico City, offers both finance and operating leases with payment terms ranging from 12 -60 months. u Facileasing, S. A. ’s customers include both Mexican and U. S. and other multinational companies, in the food, pharmaceutical, and printing sectors. u Facileasing, S. A. retains title to the leased assets for the entire term of the lease.

Case Study: Philippines Geothermal u Direct Loan of $49. 7 million to the sponsor Ormat Leyte Co. Ltd. , to build, own and operate four geothermal plants 530 km from Manila. u Philippine National Oil Company signed a contract with Ormat to purchase power from the new plants, supply power to them. u Ormat provided 25% in equity totaling $16. 7 million with Ex- Im Bank supporting the remaining 75% as the sole senior lender. u During the construction phase, loans provided by a syndicate of banks with Ex-Im Bank providing a political risk guarantee. u Project has a number of important strengths: v The contract between Ormat and the PNOC, whose commercial obligations fully supported by Government of the Philippines. v Ormat equipment has a record of reliable performance. v The engineering evaluation showed the geothermal fields to be a reliable power source, generating a high capacity of steam. v Project's revenues mostly denominated in U. S. dollars to cover dollar-based fixed charges such as debt service.

What Can Ex-Im do for “Small” Projects? u Ex-Im Bank can make a credit decision about a potential project in one of three ways: u 1) Based strictly on the balance sheet of the borrower or a guarantor; u 2) As limited recourse project finance with a special purpose company borrower and project cash flows as the source of repayment; u 3) Or, as a structured finance transaction with the borrower’s balance sheet enhanced by special features. u Many projects are too large to be feasible strictly on a balance sheet… but too small to merit the time and expense associated with project finance transactions. u “Structured” finance may be an alternative.

What Makes a Financing “Structured”? u Structured finance involves elements of both corporate and limited recourse project finance. Like corporate finance, it involves full recourse to the project sponsor’s balance sheet. u Like project finance, it involves special features to enhance the credit of the borrower, including (but not necessarily limited to) one or more of the following: 1. Special purpose accounts, including offshore payment accounts, escrow or reserve accounts, or other accounts that would be subject to Ex-Im Bank’s control; 2. Covenants and default provisions such as financial ratios or debt service coverage requirements that would, if violated, prevent payment of dividends to the sponsors; 3. Insurance requirements that might be more strict than those typically applicable under corporate insurance policies; 4. Letters of credit or other sources of funds that would be pledged by the sponsor to Ex-Im Bank through a bank or other third party.

Case Study: Structured Finance 1. Northrop Grumman wins contract to supply equipment/services to Sakaeronavigatsia (SAK) of Georgia Challenge: Ex-Im Bank closed in Georgia at the time 2. SAK and Intl. Air Transport Assn. (IATA) contract for billing and collection of overflight revenue…Airlines, both western and NIS, pay over-flight fees into an escrow account in Switzerland. 4 Transaction creditworthy based on ability of SAK to perform billing, ability of airlines to pay over-flight into escrow account 5. Bank of New York made the loan to SAK to purchase the equip/services with Ex-Im Bank Guarantee. 6. Semi-annual P&I payment made from escrow account; Excess funds, above reserve and debt service, paid to SAK 7. Renewable energy companies could use this structure to sell “energy” to creditworthy international customers.

New Initiative: Sub-sovereign Lending u Recognizes emerging market for U. S. environmental firms: foreign cities, states, and other sub-sovereign government entities. u Ex-Im Bank supports Loans/Guarantees to sub-sovereign entities: v foreign currency debts are not in default v rated B/B 2 or stronger by accepted global credit rating agency. u The global credit rating agencies whose ratings may be used: v Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, Duff & Phelps, Fitch/IBCA, and Japan Credit Rating. u New initiative immediately qualifies subsovereign entities in: v Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Colombia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Malaysia, Poland, Slovakia, and South Korea.

Tied Aid Capital Projects Fund u A U. S. trade policy tool aimed at countering “tradedistorting” foreign tied aid offers. u Tied aid is government-to-government concessional financing of public sector projects in developing countries. u Tied Aid concessional terms typically include: v Total maturities longer than 20 years v Interest rates equal to ½ to 2/3 of prevailing rates v Large grants equal to more than 35% of contract value u Ex-Im Bank will seek OECD agreement to withhold tied aid from a project by issuing a “Common Line” request. u Ex-Im Bank will consider “matching” a tied aid offer if OECD agreement is not reached.

Case Study: China Tied Aid u Ex-Im Bank made a Direct Loan of $12. 5 MM to finance 3 wind energy projects for Zond Systems, Inc. in China that matched Danish “soft loan” terms. u Ex-Im Bank sought a “Common Line” with the OECD that no softloan terms should be offered for the projects. u Upon the Danish government’s rejection of the Common Line, Ex. Im Bank approved a Tied Aid Preliminary Commitment. v Final Commitment issued upon China’s selection of Zond. u Direct Loan made to the Bank of China at an interest rate of 0. 0% and 0. 75%, respectively. u Ex-Im Bank support enabled China’s power companies to base their selection on technology and quality.

Working Capital Guarantee Program u Helps small business who need funds to produce goods/services for export. u Provides guarantees to banks in the U. S. for working capital loans made to U. S. exporters. u Enables exporters to finance materials, labor, and overhead to produce goods/services for export. u Enables exporters to cover standby letters of credit for bid and performance bonds, guarantees.

Conclusion u Ex-Im Bank: top priority to support renewable energy exports u Ex-Im Bank supports short, medium, and long-term financing to creditworthy international customers, and working capital guarantees to U. S. exporters. u Ex-Im Bank enables U. S. exporters to arrange the most attractive source of credit directly for their customers. u Ex-Im Bank’s programs provide the most attractive financing option foreign small- and medium-sized firms to purchase of U. S. goods and services u Ex-Im Bank is interested in any size project. u Internet u e-mail craig. oconnor@exim. gov http: //www. exim. gov