What has Covid meant for ECAs and their ability to attract smaller companies? How are ECAs responding to the needs of these new clients and how are they broadening their financing partners? Once the pandemic imperative is over, will those smaller businesses be back for more? TXF talks to four ECAs about their experience with SMEs – and finds out things may have changed for good.

TXF Research’s Global Export Finance Industry Report 2021 shows that 42% of the ECAs surveyed have unlimited access to CIRR and that 30% plan to increase their direct lending facilities in 2021.

Smile Telecoms is awaiting one lender’s vote in support of its ECA debt restructuring plan, alongside creditors approval for $51 million of new money from shareholders. However, if the lender holds out against the deal, the UK courts could force the African telecom company to accept the existing terms of the plan - or if it fails completely the company will go bust.

TXF spoke with Tor Mosegaard, head of European power trading at Danske Commodities, to discuss the Danish energy trading house’s role in accelerating the energy transition, having last year signed a 15-year PPA to offtake electricity from the world's largest offshore wind farm - Dogger Bank A and B in the UK.

Increasing pressure is being put on lenders to drop hydrocarbon projects, but this is much easier said than done and a proper transition period allows for all parties to develop sustainable alternatives. Jonathan Bell assesses some of the issues.