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Showing posts with label OPIC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OPIC. Show all posts

12/26/14

US Development Assistance: OPIC Achieves $3 Billion in Commitments for 2014, While Supporting American Business Growth in Developing Countries

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. Government’s Development Finance Institution, today announced $3 billion in financing and insurance commitments made during fiscal year 2014. Consistent with its mission to catalyze private capital flows, OPIC anticipates that these commitments will also mobilize an additional $3.2 billion in private-sector investment into emerging markets.

“OPIC’s trajectory is a testament to the powerful and growing role of the private sector in international development. Because OPIC’s model is fully self-sustaining, the Agency can achieve our development mission at no cost to the taxpayer, while enabling U.S. companies, small and large, to tap into dynamic markets abroad,” said Elizabeth Littlefield, OPIC’s President and CEO.

OPIC’s commitment to economic development and growth has led to a focus on investments in the world’s lowest income countries, especially in Africa, which accounted for over a quarter of the Agency’s overall 2014 commitments. Projects in Africa ranged from support for a healthcare facility in Angola to increased lending access for Zambian small and medium-sized businesses.

Highlights for the year included a new record of more than $1.2 billion in renewable energy commitments, supporting both large and small-scale projects across four continents, including what will be the largest solar project in Latin America once complete. This represents a nearly 10-fold increase in support to the sector over the last five years and a resounding confirmation of the economic opportunities that U.S. companies and investors are realizing in these fast-growing regions and sectors.

OPIC-supported projects were diverse in size, sector, and region. Examples include a small agricultural expansion project in Senegal, large partnerships to expand small and medium enterprise lending in Asian and Middle Eastern markets, and a major telecommunications modernization project in Colombia.

OPIC continued its strong financial performance in fiscal year 2014. Through its financing and insurance products, OPIC generated $358 million for the U.S. Treasury and produced its 37th consecutive year of reducing the Federal budget deficit. In addition, the Agency’s credit portfolio once again performed with lower than 1% write-offs (net of recoveries), an extraordinary accomplishment for a development finance institution taking risks in some of the world’s most challenging markets.
 
Read more: OPIC Achieves $3 Billion in Commitments for 2014, Catalyzing Billions More, While Supporting American Business Growth in Developing Countries | OPIC : Overseas Private Investment Corporation

1/9/14

Germany: Deutsche Bank and OPIC announce fund supporting microfinance and Smart Campaign principles

Deutsche Bank and OPIC announced their commitment to the $100 million Global Commercial Microfinance Consortium II (“Consortium II”), a fund supporting the growth of microfinance institutions that pursue a high level of client care, transparency of operations and pricing as well as product innovation.

The fund is a partnership with investors, including OPIC, who share a focus on responsible microfinance in order to help stabilize and improve the lives of the underbanked. In addition to loan capital, the fund borrowers have access to technical assistance to improve customer service and achieve Smart Campaign certification for the Microfinance Client Protection Principles, which aims to embed client protection practices into the institutional culture and operations of the microfinance industry.

The goal of the fund is to encourage and facilitate a renewed focus on client service and product innovation in microfinance, while continuing to develop the field of social investing. To learn more about the fund, click here to read a press release or here to view a video explanation of how the fund will help improve the lives of borrowers.

EU-Digest

12/11/13

Solar Power: SunEdison, OPIC, IFC and Rabobank finalize US$100.4MM Project Financing Arrangement for the Largest Merchant Solar Plant in Latin America

SunEdison, Inc. a leading worldwide solar energy services provider recently  announced the closing of a $100.4 million non-recourse debt financing arrangement with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. Government’s development finance institution and IFC, a member of the World Bank Group. The debt proceeds will be used in Chile for the construction of a 50.7 MWp solar power plant, to inject energy directly into the Central Interconnected System (SIC), selling all its production in the spot market (merchant solar).

OPIC is providing $ 62.9 million of debt, IFC is providing a parallel loan of U.S. $37.5 million and Rabobank is providing a local Chilean Peso VAT facility for the equivalent of U.S. $25.6 million.

Interconnection of the 50.7 MWp plant is expected to take place during the first quarter of 2014. Once completed, the project, called "San Andrés" and located in the Atacama region, is set to become the largest solar photovoltaic merchant plant in Latin America in 2014 and one of the largest in the world.

Pancho Pérez, SunEdison President for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America, stated: “This plant represents significant growth for SunEdison and Chile’s PV industry, and significant value creation for SunEdison, investors and the region. The San Andrés merchant PV plant highlights SunEdison’s ability to deploy innovative energy solutions that address consumers’ electricity needs, contribute to national economic growth by reducing energy cost, and serve as a reference for the industry worldwide. We are very proud to partner once again with OPIC, IFC and Rabobank in Chile to enable this worldwide flagship project”.

Pérez added, “When completed, San Andrés will be the one of the first merchant PV plants and will demonstrate that solar photovoltaic is already a competitive energy source in countries like Chile. This project reinforces SunEdison’s leadership in the Latin American renewable energy market and reaffirms our commitment to clean energy industry development in Chile”

Read more: SunEdison, IFC and OPIC close US$100.4MM Project Financing Arrangement for the Largest Merchant Solar Plant in Latin America | OPIC : Overseas Private Investment Corporation