Risk allocation and mitigation methods for financing cross border projects

Abstract

Compared to other areas of Finance, the field of Project Finance is a relatively unexplored area for both empirical and theoretical research. And in particular, most of the research to date has focused more narrowly on risk management through financial instruments. From another point of view and by looking at different types of projects, Cross Border projects are usually considered 'high risk', mostly due to a lack of adequate overseas environmental information and overseas project experience. Given this setting, this research aims to explore risks attributed to Cross Border Project Financed projects and understand why South African companies should or should not use Project Finance for their Cross Border projects.There were two phases to the research. The first phase consisted of an analysis of literature on Project Finance, the Cross Border project context and Risk Management processes and, the further analysis of fourteen case studies where Cross Border projects have used Project Finance. This was with the aim of extracting risks and relevant allocation and mitigation methods. The second phase consisted of ten interviews with South African Project Finance experts, based on findings from phase one. This phase’s aim was to explore the practical risk allocation and mitigation methods and compare them to what was said in theory, making recommendations for further research into Project Finance in South Africa.The first phase resulted in a broad description of the theory of risks associated with Cross Border Project Financed projects and those specific risks and allocation or mitigation methods addressed in Cross Border projects that have used Project Finance as their financing vehicle. The second phase produced a comparative scheme between what is being addressed in theory as risk allocation and mitigation methods and what is being exercised in South African Project Financed projects. This comparison showed that Project Finance is a recommended financing vehicle for Cross Border projects provided that required due diligence and homework are done upfront. It was concluded that there is a gap between theory and practice in terms of risk allocation and mitigation methods developed for Cross Border Project Financed projects. This research provided a framework to introduce similarities and differences between theory and practice and ended up with a set of recommendations for further research into Project Finance.