Ireland-based Kenmare Resources returned to the debt markets in December to refinance the remaining debt backing its Moma titanium mine in Mozambique. But this time round, the deal has a new lender line-up, vanilla structure, looser covenants and cheaper pricing, which all reflect the strength of the mine’s cash flows and its expansion capacity.

Anglo American agreed a £405 million ($527 million) rescue deal with Sirius Minerals this week. The takeover is a lifeline for Sirius which faced collapse if it could not find alternative funding for its struggling Woodsmith polyhalite mining project in the UK. But what is the benefit for Anglo?’

Given its status as the world's second largest aluminium producer, Rusal's sustainability-linked loan debut is good news for the growing ESG movement. But like other deals in the commodity sector that have closed before it, the financial structure in Rusal's deal lacks the teeth to leave no doubt that it is not tinged with a bit of greenwash.

De-dollarisation in Russia is on the rise. And with already limited access to the international syndicated loan markets in the face of US sanctions, euro-denominated funding is providing a lower cost of debt for commodity-linked Russian borrowers.

Nachtigal set the financing template for hydro in Cameroon in late 2018. Now a very ambitious project more than four times the size of Nachtigal is underway, but is it too much too soon in terms of of bankability?