Credit risk

Credit risk is the risk of financial loss to the Company if a customer or counterparty to a financial instrument fails to meet its contractual obligations, and arises principally from the Company’s other financial assets, trade and other receivables (including committed transactions), derivative financial instruments and cash and cash equivalents.

Credit risk

The Company maintains and reviews its policy on cash investments and limits per individual counterparty are set to:

• BBB- to BBB+ rating: US$25 million or 10% of cash available.
• A- to A+ rating: US$75 million or 20% of cash available.
• AA- to AA+ rating: US$100 million or 20% of cash available.
• Above AA+ rating: no limit.

As per December 31, 2023, cash investments above AA+ rating do not exceed US$100 million per individual counterparty. Cash held in banks rated A+ has been diversified in cash investments above AA+ rating since year-end.

Cash held in banks rated AA- is mainly linked to cash pledged to loan reimbursements to those same banks. Cash held in banks rated below A- is mainly related to the Company’s activities in Brazil (US$8 million). Cash held in Angola has significantly decreased since 2021 following cash repatriation.

For trade debtors, the credit quality of each customer is assessed, taking into account its financial position, past experience and other factors. Bank or parent company guarantees are negotiated with customers. Individual risk limits are set based on internal or external ratings, in accordance with limits set by the Management Board. At the date of the financial statements, there are two customers that have an outstanding balance with a percentage over 10% of the total of trade and other receivables. Reference is made to note 4.3.19 Trade and Other Receivables for information on the distribution of the receivables by country and an analysis of the ageing of the receivables. Furthermore, limited recourse project financing removes a significant portion of the credit risk on finance lease receivables.

For other financial assets, the credit quality of each counterpart is assessed, taking into account its credit agency rating when available or a comparable proxy.

Regarding loans to joint ventures and associates, the maximum exposure to credit risk is the carrying amount of these instruments. As the counterparties of these instruments are joint ventures, the Company has visibility over the expected cash flows and can monitor and manage credit risk that mainly arises from the joint venture’s final client.