The Guide to Financing
Transport Project
Since the publication in 1996
of the first edition of Project Finance - the guide to financing transport projects by
Macquarie Corporate Finance, governments worldwide have continued to promote the
development of transport infrastructure by the private sector. This has taken many forms -
from fully privately owned and funded projects and privatisations to
build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) structures and private-public partnerships.
Over the past few years there
have been many successes in the area of privately provided transportation, including the
opening of the M2 Motorway in Sydney, Australia, the public listing of Transurban, the
company which owns and will operate the Melbourne City Link toll road, the completion of
the first phase of the privatisation of Australian airports and the opening of Chep Lap
Kok airport and its associated infrastructure in Hong Kong. Governments in countries as
diverse as China, Israel, South Africa and Hungary have embraced the private sector
provision of toll roads.
However, there have also been
some spectacular failures, many sparked by the Asian financial crisis which began in 1997,
escalated in 1998 and continued in 1999. Hopewell's giant Bangkok Elevated Road and Train
project ground to a halt, even though construction was under way. Many other projects are
having difficulty in maintaining their debt servicing requirements. Of the many transport
projects which were under way or being considered in Asia, many have been delayed or
cancelled. Seeking out attractive investments in the transport sector in many developing
economies is now more challenging than ever.
Despite these failures the
market for the private provision of transport infrastructure is growing and maturing. Both
governments and private sponsors are becoming more sophisticated in the way they deal with
each other and analyse projects, including the way they deal with actual or potential
project risks. The recent Asian financial crisis has only served to highlight risks which
have always existed in BOOT projects in all economies, not just those which are
developing. It is now even more important for organisations undertaking private transport
infrastructure projects to have a good understanding of how the project will operate and
how the financing for the project relates to its characteristics. Steps may then be taken
to mitigate risks wherever possible so that the best financing terms may be obtained and
consumers can receive transport services for the lowest price.
The second edition of this
book has been updated and expanded to provide the best possible reference for those
seeking to finance transport projects. New sections have been added on the risks specific
to developing economies and steps that can be taken to mitigate these risks. The case
studies section has been updated and expanded and now provides an analysis of the
differences between same-sector projects in different jurisdictions, and why certain
options have been followed in the financing of these projects. New techniques for
financing transport projects, such as leasing and securitisation have been discussed and
elaborated upon and a glossary section has been added to explain some of the less common
terms used in financing projects in the transport sector.
The second edition of The
guide to financing transport projects by Macquarie Corporate Finance is now, more than
ever, an essential companion for those seeking to b'ecome active in this area. The guide
is essential reading for those seeking to enhance their knowledge of the cutting edge
financing techniques that are being used to push the boundaries of finance-able projects,
and to ensure that the prices charged to consumers are as low as possible.
94 pages