New Financing Capabilities to Support Investment Activities in Critical Minerals, Clean Energy and Hydrogen Projects
- Joshua Hawley
- 7 days ago
- 7 min read
Mining Critical Minerals Middle East Conference & Exhibition 2025
Title: New Financing Capabilities to Support Investment Activities in Critical Minerals, Clean Energy and Hydrogen Projects
Presented by: Joshua Hawley, CEO
Company: IGA Capital Finance Brokers LLC
Phone: +971 50 764 0788
Email: joshua@iga.capital
Who We Are
IGA Capital Finance Brokers LLC
US EXIM Authorized Vendor listed on SAM.gov as an approved service provider for U.S. government and agency-backed finance applications
Founded in 2023
Headquartered in Dubai, UAE, with clients across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and North America
Project Finance Advisors for Global Energy, Infrastructure & Strategic Minerals Ventures
Specialists in sourcing and structuring ECA-backed financing instruments, including direct loans, buyer credits, and guarantee structures tailored to capital-intensive, cross-border strategic sector projects
Work with ECA's globally, including major institutions such as U.S. EXIM, EIFO (Denmark), SACE (Italy), EFA Australia, and others involved in critical mineral and infrastructure financing across key strategic markets
Work with Bank ECA desks globally, including leading institutions such as JP Morgan, Citi, HSBC, Standard Chartered, and Deutsche Bank, to align commercial banking facilities with sovereign and agency credit frameworks
IGA Capital EXIM Authority & Capabilities
As a registered US EXIM vendor, IGA Capital Finance Brokers LLC is authorized to:
Apply for a non-binding Letter of Interest (LOI) to receive a preliminary indication of support from US EXIM based on project scope, structure, and proposed U.S. content
Apply for Insurance Policy or Medium-Term Guarantee to cover political and commercial risks associated with repayment by foreign buyers or borrowers. These tools enhance the creditworthiness of the transaction and enable longer repayment terms through enhanced lender confidence.
Act on Quote Submissions by engaging directly with EXIM and related underwriting teams to validate indicative terms, refine structuring assumptions, and prepare a preliminary package for internal credit consideration.
Apply for Special Buyer Credit Limit (SBCL) to assess and establish a credit limit for a foreign buyer. This pre-approval enables exporters or lenders to confidently proceed with medium- and long-term financing supported by EXIM, reducing uncertainty and transaction delays.
Apply for Issuing Bank Credit Limit (IBCL) to determine whether EXIM can support transactions involving letters of credit or guarantees issued by a particular foreign bank. This process establishes the creditworthiness of the issuing institution and enables smoother financing execution across cross-border trade flows.
File Claims on Behalf of Clients by managing the preparation and submission of claim documentation in the event of a default or political risk event under an EXIM-backed loan, insurance, or guarantee. IGA Capital ensures that all procedural and evidentiary requirements are met to maximize client recovery under U.S. EXIM protocols.
We act as the structuring and compliance interface between Clients, Commercial Contractors, EPCs, Vendors, Local and International Banks, Private & Institutional Equity, and EXIM/ECA underwriting authorities, ensuring cohesive alignment across technical, financial, and regulatory workstreams.
What is an ECA?
Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) are government-backed institutions that provide financing, insurance, and guarantees to promote international trade and investment. In the context of project financing, ECAs play a vital role in enabling long-term capital deployment in emerging markets and high-risk jurisdictions.
ECAs support national exporters by mitigating political and commercial risks.
They provide direct loans, buyer credits, or guarantees to lenders financing large-scale infrastructure, energy, and resource projects.
ECA-backed financing can reduce borrowing costs, improve terms, and attract private co-investment.
For mining and critical minerals, ECAs like US EXIM act as catalytic capital anchors to support strategic sourcing and supply chain resilience.
Their involvement significantly enhances a project's bankability and can unlock additional funding from DFIs, commercial banks, and institutional investors.
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US EXIM's CTEP Program Overview
China and Transformational Exports Program (CTEP)
$27 billion in lending capacity reserved under EXIM for strategic sectors identified as critical to U.S. national interest, including critical minerals, clean energy, and transformational technologies
Priority areas: Critical Minerals, Clean Energy, Hydrogen, Semiconductors
Enhanced support includes:
Flexible U.S. content thresholds
Extended repayment terms (up to 18 years)
Political risk insurance and working capital guarantees
Minimum funding requests typically exceed $10 million, with priority given to transactions involving U.S. exports. However, most ECA Lenders won't get involved for less than $100M.
Eligible project categories include clean energy infrastructure, hydrogen production and storage, critical mineral supply chains, and high-tech manufacturing.
EXIM supports projects with 25%–85% U.S. content, with waivers available under CTEP for critical sectors like clean energy and critical minerals, where thresholds may drop as low as 10% for qualifying transactions exceeding $100M or with significant U.S. supply chain impact.
Timeline: Application to Disbursement Process
Preliminary Consultation & Eligibility Check – Project sponsor shares high-level details for initial assessment of EXIM fit.
LOI Submission & Response – A Letter of Interest is submitted and typically responded to within 7–10 business days.
Full Application & Due Diligence – EXIM requests full technical, legal, environmental, and financial documentation.
Credit Review & E&S Clearance – Underwriting teams and E&S evaluators assess risk and compliance.
Board Approval or Delegated Authority – Large transactions go to the EXIM Board; smaller deals may be approved via staff authority.
Final Commitment & Loan Documentation – Legal and commercial terms are finalized, signed, and executed.
Disbursement & Monitoring – Funds are disbursed as per draw schedule; monitoring continues throughout repayment.
Citation: EXIM CTEP Overview
Focus on Critical Minerals
US EXIM + State Department Partnership under the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP)
Targeted support for mineral exploration, extraction, processing, and refining, particularly in resource-rich but capital-constrained regions such as Africa, with a strategic emphasis on countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where critical mineral reserves are abundant but underdeveloped
EXIM funds upstream and midstream stages critical to U.S. supply chains
Strong interagency support improves underwriting confidence
Supported minerals include lithium, graphite, cobalt, nickel, rare earth elements, manganese, and copper.
Projects linked to U.S. industrial supply chains or co-financed with MSP partners receive enhanced eligibility review.
EXIM and MSP-aligned transactions often benefit from coordinated policy backing and financial support.
Waived or Relaxed Criteria under CTEP
U.S. content thresholds may be reduced below standard 51% to 10% if the Project cost is is above $100M or more
Local cost support increased to 30%
Repayment terms extended to 18 years (vs. 10–12 years standard) with a built-in interest reserve of up to 2 years
Political and commercial risk guarantees strengthened
Eligible for MSP-aligned international joint ventures
Transactions exceeding $50 million may be eligible for bespoke structuring terms, including hybrid finance options.
CTEP also allows aggregation of smaller mining projects under a single syndicated structure if aligned with U.S. strategic sourcing.
Citation: CTEP Program Guidelines – EXIM
Underwriting Criteria
Technical Feasibility: Proven reserves, feasibility study, NI 43-101 or equivalent
Commercial Viability: Offtake agreements, U.S. buyer/vendor linkage
U.S. Content: Equipment, IP, services, and management expenditures sourced from the United States that qualify under EXIM's content policy. Projects may also qualify for working capital or supply chain support through EXIM’s Engineering Multiplier Program (EMP), which helps cover pre-project soft costs like Engineering, Legal, FEED, Consulting, this can include the costs incurred and recovered from engaging IGA Capital as a consultant to structure your funding package.
Environmental & Social Review: Adherence to EXIM Environment & Social policy
Risk Analysis: Sovereign, counterparty, and market risk assessments
Loan tenors may be extended up to 18 years for critical mineral extraction, processing, or refining projects.
Sovereign or development bank support for host country infrastructure or offsite utilities is viewed positively in risk assessment. This typically involves institutions such as the Central Bank, Ministry of Finance, a lead commercial lender, and the domestic branch or partner of an Export Credit Agency. Programs like Power Africa or regional DFIs may also provide technical assistance or government advisory to strengthen infrastructure readiness and institutional frameworks in mineral-rich countries.
Real-World Examples of EXIM Mining & Minerals Funding
$400M to support graphite processing and refining in Sub-Saharan Africa
$800M toward rare earth mineral extraction and separation facility in South America
$1.2B in loan guarantees for integrated lithium-hydroxide production linked to U.S. auto supply chain
Select Project Sponsors:
Syrah Resources Limited (Graphite – Mozambique)
MP Materials (Rare Earths – USA)
Lithium Americas (Lithium – Argentina)
Bar Chart: Increase in EXIM Mineral-related Funding (2020–2025)\
Source: EXIM Public Transaction Records & Case Studies EXIM Press Room
Why Work with IGA Capital
Deep track record with complex, multi-jurisdictional deals
Strong access to Multi Jurisdiction Export Credit Agencies, DFIs, and private and commercial co-finance networks
Exclusive focus on structured finance, insurance, and guarantees
Active deal origination across Africa, MENA, Central Asia and Latin America
Our Structuring Services:
Feasibility & Market Assessment:
Comprehensive evaluation of geological surveys, reserve validation, extraction methods, project scalability, operational logistics, and cost efficiency.
Ensures economic and environmental viability.
Aligns with regulatory frameworks.
Supports qualification for export credit and blended financing programs.
Project Preparation (Bankability Audit):
Detailed readiness analysis including permitting status, ESG alignment, stakeholder mapping, and capital expenditure validation.
Ensures project documentation and compliance meet international financing norms.
Pre-screening for EXIM Eligibility
Assessment of project structure against EXIM Bank's eligibility criteria.
LOI Application and U.S. Content Justification
Preparation and submission of Letter of Interest.
Documentation and analysis supporting U.S. export content thresholds.
Financial Modeling for ECA + Commercial Lender Tranche Structuring and Private or Institutional Equity
Custom financial models for ECA-backed and blended financing structures.
Integrated analysis for debt/equity mix, repayment terms, and sponsor returns.
Final Thoughts
The global energy transition, demand for clean technologies, and strategic mineral independence have elevated the importance of ECA-backed funding for developers and governments alike.
CTEP and the U.S. government’s strategic focus on Critical Minerals represent significant pools of unlocked capital for eligible developers. These programs are designed to accelerate project execution and ensure secure supply chains for vital raw materials needed in clean energy and advanced manufacturing.
Projects must be technically feasible, legally sound, and financially structured to meet stringent ECA underwriting standards, with clearly defined cash flows, contractual clarity, and risk mitigants aligned with global financing benchmarks
IGA Capital Finance Brokers LLC is uniquely positioned to lead clients through the Export Credit Agency underwriting process with precision and speed.
Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter, go to our website for comprehensive materials related to ECA funding. #CTEP #CriticalMinerals #MSP #NewFundingOpportunities #CleanEnergy #Renewables #Hydrogen #Africa #EmergingMarkets
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