April 2002 (Revised May 2003)
Supplement
HBS Case Collection

An Overview of Project Finance-2002 Update

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Irina L. Christov

Format:Print
| Pages:27

Abstract

This case introduces to the field of project finance and provides a statistical overview of the project-financed investments over the last five years. It consists of four sections. The first section defines project finance and contrasts it with other well-known financing structures. The second section describes the evolution of project finance from its beginnings in the natural resources industry in the 1970s to the U.S. power industry in the 1980s and to a much wider range of industry applications and geographic locations in the 1990s and 2000s. The third section provides a statistical overview of the project-financed investment over the last five years (1998-2002) in terms of industry, project, and participant data. The final section discusses current and likely future trends. Besides providing an overview of recent trends, the note provides terminology and institutional details for readers unfamiliar with project finance.

Keywords

Measurement and Metrics; Project Finance; Investment

Citation

Esty, Benjamin C., and Irina L. Christov. "An Overview of Project Finance-2002 Update." Harvard Business School Supplement 202-105, April 2002. (Revised May 2003.)