01 April 2025
Exile: Project & Export Finance

Welcoming Remarks

Welcome to Americas 2024, brought to you by TXF, Uxolo and Proximo. We draw the project, development, and ECA finance worlds together to ignite new relationships and bring exciting, innovative projects to market.

Exile: Project & Export Finance

Setting the scene: Macroeconomic keynote

To do business in the Americas, it’s essential to understand the market you’re stepping into. Following elections in a series of countries, we kick off the event with an in-depth review of the macroeconomic factors impacting the Americas today.

Exile: Project & Export Finance

Developing projects: DFI leaders’ panel

Angie Salom
Manager Energy Latin America & Caribbean at FMO,
FMO - Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank
Andreas Cremer
Director of Infrastructure and Energy,
Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG)
Isaac Solomon
President (Ag.),
Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)
Makiko Toyoda
Head of Global Trade Finance Programme,
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Ángela Pérez
Chairperson & CEO,
Cofides

DFIs have a vital role to play in project financings across the Americas, supporting investment into challenging sectors. This session gathers DFI leaders to investigate their priorities: We consider specific projects that benefited from DFI support, asking our DFI leaders how they brought the projects to close

  • How are DFIs helping to mobilize private capital into development projects, and how are they participating in blended finance, risk participation, and the capital markets?
  • Could DFIs be doing more to support governments when it comes to bringing bankable projects to market?
  • How can ECAs, DFIs, and institutional investors work together to bring more projects to the market?
Exile: Project & Export Finance

Networking Break

Grab a coffee and get networking!

Proximo: Project Finance

Sources of capital: Debt capital markets

Valentina Burger Jimenez
VP, Debt Capital Markets,
DigitalBridge

As rates stabilise and currencies appreciate, the debt capital markets are back in full force. This session considers the potential for Latin America’s bond markets:

  • Why should some investors choose to tap the debt capital markets rather than syndicated loans? 

  • What are the respective merits of the local vs international capital markets?

  • How do 144As compare to private placements in terms of liquidity and terms?

TXF: Export Finance

Export Finance Keynote: US EXIM’s strategic goals

To kick off the export finance portion of this event, we invite US EXIM’s leadership to update you on the organisation’s strategic priorities for the year, including:

  • The Make More in America (MMiA) initiative

  • Maintaining competitiveness in an evolving market

  • New initiatives to look out for

Proximo: Project Finance

Digital infrastructure and the data center revolution

Jeff Ferry
Board Member,
Elea Digital

We’ve seen 30% Year on Year growth in the Latin American digital infrastructure market, with more and more investors setting their sights on data centers, towers, and fibre. This session considers:

  • Analysing the evolving investment landscape for digital infrastructure across the region
  • Examining the emerging trends around data centers. What are the most attractive Latin American destinations, who are the key players, what are the risks?
  • Anticipating the impact of global hyperscalers expanding their regional footprint
  • What impact do regional electricity constraints and power shortages have on project development perspectives?

TXF: Export Finance

Regional focus: North America

Given the introduction of the Inflation Reduction Act, US government entities are increasingly important in energy projects across the country. This session considers:

  • The role that the Departments of Energy and Agriculture have to play in US export finance moving forward#
  • What's the Canadian government outlook for investment in the Americas?
  • The increasing opportunities for ECA finance in the US
  • How banks and borrowers should work with US and Canadian agencies to make the most of the new opportunities

Exile: Project & Export Finance

Networking lunch

Use our extended lunch break to meet with fellow guests and exchange details

Proximo: Project Finance

Country in Focus: Brazil

Marcelo Costa
Finance Director,
Alupar
Mariana Fulan de Souza
Head of Origination,
Serena

Brazil is one of the most exciting countries in Latin America when it comes to investment prospects. This session hones in on the country, considering: 

  • What should investors and developers be aware of when entering into one of the region’s most robust economies?

  • What role has BNDES played in project development over the past year, and what more should we expect to see from them? 

  • What role do the domestic capital markets play in financing Brazilian projects?

  • We consider the success of FPSOs in the region, as well as logistics and dollarised PPAs

TXF: Export Finance

Boosting exports: ECAs in the Americas

ECAs remain a vital part of the funding mix for projects in the Americas. This session gathers some of the region’s most active agencies to consider:

  • What innovative initiatives are our ECAs offering? 

  • What successes have they had with untied products? 

  • How do sustainability goals impact how ECAs operate in the Americas?

Proximo: Project Finance

Catalysing transition: Battery storage in focus

Diego Rausei
CFO LATAM,
Zelestra Energy
Nikolaos Nikolaidis
Vice President, Finance,
Innergex

If we are truly committed to the energy transition, then we need to significantly improve battery storage deployment across the region. This session considers why this important, and how we can finance more projects in the space: -Will battery storage help to solve grid management issues?

  • To what extent is technology risk preventing investment in the sector?
  • Examining emerging business models around battery storage: merchant vs capacity payments
  • Are local, regional, and international banks familiar enough with batteries in a Latin American context?
  • Given recent successes in Chile with battery storage as a mitigation tool for transmission woes, what other regions offer the best opportunity to implement these strategies?
  • Understanding battery storage project asset lifecycles, evaluating repowering costs

    TXF: Export Finance

    Customer feedback: The exporters panel

    Patricia Holzmann
    Director Strategic Ventures,
    Mitsubishi Power Americas
    Lenny Floria
    Head of Regional Treasury and Structured Finance for the Americas,
    Nokia
    Matheus Piorino
    Head of Customer Finance North America - Director,
    Embraer

    We’ve heard from the ECAs, and now it’s time to hear from their customers. Are the initiatives we’ve just discussed working, and what more do exporters need?

    • Where do our exporters see the biggest opportunities in the Americas? Which countries are the most exciting export destinations?

    • How would increased ECA flexibility, such as the availability of untied products, support exporters in the Americas?

    • How are geopolitical shifts across the region impacting exporters in the Americas?

    Exile: Project & Export Finance

    Networking Break

    Take this chance to exchange business cards over a cup of coffee

    Exile: Project & Export Finance

    Power to the people: Financing the energy transition

    Maria Ignacia Varela
    Head of corporate and project finance,
    HIF Global
    Jaime Guillen
    Partner & Founding Principal,
    Mexico Infrastructure Partners
    Gerardo Aguilar
    Senior Managing Director,
    MGM Innova Capital
    Jake Vlok
    Director Project Finance,
    Siemens Energy
    Anmay Dittman
    Managing Director,
    Blackrock
    Moderator
    Anne Marie Thurber
    Managing Director,
    Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)

    As the world sinks deeper into the climate emergency, financing the energy transition is vital. It’s also a prime opportunity for the export, project, and development finance communities to work together to bring projects to market. This session considers:

    • Examining project pipelines, structuring trends and new market entrants
    • What sources of financing can developers look to for capital? 
    • What role will natural gas play in the regional energy transition roadmap
    • Beyond wind and solar, which technologies will play an important role in the energy transition? Should ECAs be taking on more risk for emerging technologies such as hydrogen, CCUS, SAF/e-fuels, biogas, fuel cells, enhanced geothermal systems? Are any of these technologies approaching bankability faster than others?

    Exile: Project & Export Finance

    Closing gameshow: Who wants to be a project financier?

    Informed by Proximo and TXF Intelligence, our hotly anticipated gameshow tests industry leaders’ knowledge on the latest trends in project and export finance. Keep your phones at the ready, as our contestants might need your help!

    Exile: Project & Export Finance

    Closing Remarks

    Thanks for joining the first day of Americas 2025!

    Exile: Project & Export Finance

    Cocktail Reception

    Grab a drink and take the chance to get to network with your fellow delegates in a more relaxed setting. Don’t forget to pop by our photo booth!

    02 April 2025
    Exile: Project & Export Finance

    Celebrating women in project & export finance

    At Exile Group, we’re proud to work with WEXIF to amplify the voices of the amazing women who make up our industry. Join one of our interactive discussion groups to consider:

    • How do we build meaningful female networks in the industry to drive personal growth and development?

    • How do we ensure that women are promoted beyond middle management?

    • How do we acknowledge the ‘invisible work’ that women often take on in the workplace, and ensure people from all backgrounds have opportunities to perform more visible duties?

    Exile: Project & Export Finance

    Welcoming Remarks

    Welcome to the second day of Proximo and TXF Americas 2025

    Exile: Project & Export Finance

    Delving into the details: What does the data say?

    Data is the bedrock of investment decisions in project and export finance. This session gives you a comprehensive, data driven overview of project and export finance in the Americas, taken directly from Proximo and TXF’s Intelligence platform.

    Exile: Project & Export Finance

    Exploring the regional transportation infrastructure pipelines: Financial structures and funding strategies

    Jean-François Joachim
    CFO,
    VG Mobility
    Marie-Laure Mazaud
    CEO,
    STOA

    Transportation infrastructure is vital across the Americas, and globally, but it’s a carbon hungry industry. This panel considers how to decarbonise the Latin American transport industry, and the role that agencies have to play in the shift.

    • Evaluating regional transportation project pipelines: where are the opportunities?
    • Understanding innovative financial mechanisms and overcoming challenges like currency risk; considering risk management tools
    • How comfortable are investors with technology risk, and could ECAs alleviate some of the pressure?

    Exile: Project & Export Finance

    Networking Break

    Take a breather from our sessions and grab the opportunity to meet new contacts

    Proximo: Project Finance

    Using the Elements: Renewables in the Americas

    Benigno Villarreal
    Director General,
    Vive Energía
    Renato Valdivia
    Head of Commercial,
    Atlas Renewable Energy
    Luis Arizaga
    Partner,
    Exus Management Partners
    Susana Lopez
    Investment Director,
    Climate Fund Managers

    Even as attention shifts to new technologies, wind and solar projects remain a vital puzzle piece when it comes to energy transition in the Americas. This session considers:

    • Will corporate PPAs play a big role in the future of the Latin American renewables market? How are they structured? Who are the leading and emerging offtakers?
    • Are DFI’s crowding out commercial lending and capital markets when it comes to providing debt? How will the situation develop?
    • How do project financiers distribute risk across renewables panels?
    • Examining the success of BESS projects in LatAm. Which destinations stand to benefit from the battery boom next? What regulatory frameworks are needed to accelerate deployment?

    TXF: Export Finance

    Safety net: Insuring the Americas

    Mariana Primera
    Managing Director,
    Manulife

    The private insurance market has an important role to play in deals across the Americas. This panel gathers product users and providers to discuss:

    • What are our banks’ experiences with the insurance product, and what feedback do they have for providers?

    • How can the private insurance market collaborate with ECAs, and where have we seen this succeed?

    • Where can DFIs support the private insurance market?

    Proximo: Project Finance

    Chilean renewables: Back on track

    Graham Erion
    VP M&A and Structured Finance,
    CarbonFree Group of Companies
    Adio Stefoni
    Country Manager, Chile,
    Luminous Energy

    Despite the DiscoPPA crisis of 2022, the Chilean renewables sector seems stronger than ever. In this session, we will discuss financing mechanisms and investment opportunities of the booming industry.

    • Examining key recent deals in solar, storage and wind
    • Risk rundown: evaluating curtailment, marginal costs of zero, and location-based risk, as well as other traditional renewable development risks
    • Analysing the current state of the PMGD market
    • Discussing the implications of the 2024 regulated tender
    • Anticipating electricity market reforms, especially as pertaining to transmission and distribution
    • To what extent will the proliferation of green and sustainability linked bonds drive project deployment?
    • What’s next for the renewables industry in Chile? Can Chile leapfrog to capitalise on any emerging technologies?
    • Evaluating Chilean renewables M&A

    TXF: Export Finance

    Powering transition: Critical minerals

    The role that critical minerals have to play in the energy transition is, well, critical. This session considers how we can bolster support for mining in the Americas, and what financing will be needed to get there:

    • What supporting infrastructure is needed to propel Latin America’s mining industry? 

    • Posco Lithium won 2023’s Americas Deal of the Year Award - what can be learned from this transaction? 

    • What role do ECAs have to play in the development of critical minerals projects?

    Exile: Project & Export Finance

    Networking Lunch Break

    We close the event with a networking lunch break, giving you one last chance to exchange business cards and spark relationships that will lead directly to new business

    Proximo: Project Finance

    Digital infrastructure and the data center revolution

    Jeff Ferry
    Board Member,
    Elea Digital

    We’ve seen 30% Year on Year growth in the Latin American digital infrastructure market, with more and more investors setting their sights on data centers, towers, and fibre. This session considers:

    • Analysing the evolving investment landscape for digital infrastructure across the region
    • Examining the emerging trends around data centers. What are the most attractive Latin American destinations, who are the key players, what are the risks?
    • Anticipating the impact of global hyperscalers expanding their regional footprint
    • What impact do regional electricity constraints and power shortages have on project development perspectives?