Yuanta Securities (Cambodia) acted as the lead manager and underwriter for a transaction with three tranches worth a total of $49m; the proceeds will finance a 60MWac solar photovoltaic (PV) plant with an integrated battery energy storage system.
Apac's largest social bond issuance will be used to finance or refinance the loans under the special 100% loan guarantee of Hong Kong's SME Financing Guarantee Scheme.
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is an anchor investor in SPV Bauhinia 2, which contains a $107m sustainability tranche; meanwhile, the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation will have a new CEO in December.
The transaction is one of the largest HKD-denominated issuances to date; however, the SAR's property market is tough, with giant New World Development set to announce its first loss in 20 years.
The deal marks the first facility arranged in Asia’s syndicated loan market to combine both green and sustainability-linked features, and the first such issuance by a Chinese multinational.