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Entrusted Loan Payable
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2025
Entrusted Loan Payable [Abstract]  
ENTRUSTED LOAN PAYABLE

8. ENTRUSTED LOAN PAYABLE

 

Entrusted Loan Payable (HYREF Loan)

 

The HYREF Fund was established in July 2013 with a total fund of RMB460 million ($77 million) invested in Xi’an Zhonghong for Zhonghong’s three new CDQ WHPG projects. The HYREF Fund invested RMB3 million ($0.5 million) as an equity investment and RMB457 million ($74.5 million) as a debt investment in Xi’an Zhonghong; in return for such investments, the HYREF Fund was to receive interest from Zhonghong for the HYREF Fund’s debt investment. The loan was collateralized by the accounts receivable and the fixed assets of Shenqiu Phase I and II power generation systems; the accounts receivable and fixed assets of Zhonghong’s three CDQ WHPG systems; and a RMB27 million ($4.39 million) capital contribution made by Xi’an TCH in Zhonghong. Repayment of the loan (principal and interest) was also jointly and severally guaranteed by Xi’an TCH and the Chairman and CEO of the Company. In the fourth quarter of 2015, three power stations of Erdos TCH were pledged to Industrial Bank as an additional guarantee for the loan to Zhonghong’s three CDQ WHPG systems. In 2016, two additional power stations of Erdos TCH and Pucheng Phase I and II systems were pledged to Industrial Bank as an additional guarantee along with Xi’an TCH’s equity in Zhonghong.

 

The term of this loan was for 60 months from July 31, 2013 to July 30, 2018, with interest of 12.5%. The Company paid RMB50 million ($7.54 million) of the RMB280 million ($42.22 million), and on August 5, 2016, the Company entered into a supplemental agreement with the lender to extend the due date of the remaining RMB230 million ($34.68 million) of the original RMB280 million ($45.54 million) to August 6, 2017. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company negotiated with the lender again to further extend the remaining loan balance of RMB230 million ($34.68 million), RMB100 million ($16.27 million), and RMB77 million ($12.08 million). The lender had tentatively agreed to extend the remaining loan balance until August 2019 with interest of 9%, subject to the final approval from its headquarters. The headquarters did not approve the extension proposal with interest of 9%; however, on December 29, 2018, the Company and the lender agreed to an alternative repayment proposal as described below.

 

Repayment of HYREF loan

 

1. Transfer of Chengli project as partial repayment

 

On December 29, 2018, Xi’an Zhonghong, Xi’an TCH, HYREF, Guohua Ku, and Chonggong Bai entered into a CDQ WHPG Station Fixed Assets Transfer Agreement, pursuant to which Xi’an Zhonghong transferred Chengli CDQ WHPG station as the repayment for the loan of RMB188,639,400 ($27.54 million) to HYREF, the transfer of which was completed on January 22, 2019.

 

Xi’an TCH is a secondary limited partner of HYREF. The FV of the CDQ WHPG station applied in the transfer was determined by the parties based upon the appraisal report issued by Zhonglian Assets Appraisal Group (Shaanxi) Co., Ltd. as of August 15, 2018. However, per the discussion below, Xi’an Zhonghong, Xi’an TCH, Guohua Ku and Chonggong Bai (the “Buyers”) entered into a Buy Back Agreement, also agreed to buy back the Station when conditions under the Buy Back Agreement are met. Due to the Buy Back agreement, the loan was not deemed repaid, and therefore the Company recognized Chengli project as assets subject to buyback and kept the loan payable remained recognized under ASC 405-20-40-1 as of December 31, 2020. The Buy Back agreement was terminated in April 2021 (see 2 below for detail).

 

2. Buy Back Agreement

 

On December 29, 2018, Xi’an TCH, Xi’an Zhonghong, HYREF, Guohua Ku, Chonggong Bai and Xi’an Hanneng Enterprises Management Consulting Co. Ltd. (“Xi’an Hanneng”) entered into a Buy Back Agreement.

 

Pursuant to the Buy Back Agreement, the Buyers jointly and severally agreed to buy back all outstanding capital equity of Xi’an Hanneng which was transferred to HYREF by Chonggong Bai (see 3 below), and a CDQ WHPG station in Boxing County which was transferred to HYREF by Xi’an Zhonghong. The buy-back price for the Xi’an Hanneng’s equity was based on the higher of (i) the market price of the equity shares at the time of buy-back; or (ii) the original transfer price of the equity shares plus bank interest. The buy-back price for the Station was based on the higher of (i) the FV of the Station on the date transferred; or (ii) the loan balance at the date of the transfer plus interest accrued through that date. HYREF could request that the Buyers buy back the equity shares of Xi’an Hanneng and/or the CDQ WHPG station if one of the following conditions is met: (i) HYREF holds the equity shares of Xi’an Hanneng until December 31, 2021; (ii) Xi’an Huaxin New Energy Co., Ltd., is delisted from The National Equities Exchange And Quotations Co., Ltd., a Chinese over-the-counter trading system (the “NEEQ”); (iii) Xi’an Huaxin New Energy, or any of the Buyers or its affiliates has a credit problem, including not being able to issue an auditor report or standard auditor report or any control person or executive of the Buyers is involved in crimes and is under prosecution or has other material credit problems, to HYREF’s reasonable belief; (iv) if Xi’an Zhonghong fails to timely make repayment on principal or interest of the loan agreement, its supplemental agreement or extension agreement; (v) the Buyers or any party to the Debt Repayment Agreement materially breaches the Debt Repayment Agreement or its related transaction documents, including but not limited to the Share Transfer Agreement, the Pledged Assets Transfer Agreement, the Entrusted Loan Agreement and their guarantee agreements and supplemental agreements. Due to halted trading of Huaxin stock by NEEQ for not filing its 2018 annual report, on December 19, 2019, Xi’an TCH, Xi’an Zhonghong, Guohua Ku and Chonggong Bai jointly and severally agreed to buy back all outstanding capital equity of Xi’an Hanneng which was transferred to HYREF by Chonggong Bai earlier. The total buy back price was RMB261,727,506 ($37.52 million) including accrued interest of RMB14,661,506 ($2.10 million), and was paid in full by Xi’an TCH on December 20, 2019.

On April 9, 2021, Xi’an TCH, Xi’an Zhonghong, Guohua Ku, Chonggong Bai and HYREF entered a Termination of Fulfillment Agreement (termination agreement). Under the termination agreement, the original buyback agreement entered on December 19, 2019 was terminated upon signing of the termination agreement. HYREF will not execute the buy-back option and will not ask for any additional payment from the buyers other than keeping the CDQ WHPG station from Chengli project. The Company recorded a gain of approximately $3.1 million from transferring the CDP WHPG station to HYREF as partial repayment of the entrusted loan and accrued interest of RMB188,639,400 ($27.54 million) to HYREF resulting from the termination of the buy-back agreement.

 

3. Transfer of Xuzhou Huayu Project and Shenqiu Phase I & II project to Mr. Bai for partial repayment of HYREF loan

 

On January 4, 2019, Xi’an Zhonghong, Xi’an TCH, and Mr. Chonggong Bai entered into a Projects Transfer Agreement, pursuant to which Xi’an Zhonghong transferred a CDQ WHPG station (under construction) located in Xuzhou City for Xuzhou Huayu Coking Co., Ltd. (“Xuzhou Huayu Project”) to Mr. Bai for RMB120,000,000 ($17.52 million) and Xi’an TCH transferred two Biomass Power Generation Projects in Shenqiu (“Shenqiu Phase I and II Projects”) to Mr. Bai for RMB127,066,000 ($18.55 million). Mr. Bai agreed to transfer all the equity shares of his wholly owned company, Xi’an Hanneng, to HYREF as repayment for the RMB247,066,000 ($36.07 million) loan made by Xi’an Zhonghong to HYREF as consideration for the transfer of the Xuzhou Huayu Project and Shenqiu Phase I and II Projects.

 

On February 15, 2019, Xi’an Zhonghong completed the transfer of the Xuzhou Huayu Project and Xi’an TCH completed the transfer of Shenqiu Phase I and II Projects to Mr. Bai, and on January 10, 2019, Mr. Bai transferred all the equity shares of his wholly owned company, Xi’an Hanneng, to HYREF as repayment of Xi’an Zhonghong’s loan to HYREF as consideration for the transfer of the Xuzhou Huayu Project and Shenqiu Phase I and II Projects.

 

Xi’an Hanneng is a holding company and was supposed to own 47,150,000 shares of Xi’an Huaxin New Energy Co., Ltd. (“Huaxin”), so that HYREF will indirectly receive and own such shares of Xi’an Huaxin as the repayment for the loan of Zhonghong. Xi’an Hanneng already owned 29,948,000 shares of Huaxin; however, Xi’an Hanneng was not able to obtain the remaining 17,202,000 shares due to halted trading of Huaxin stock by NEEQ for not filing its 2018 annual report.

 

On December 19, 2019, Xi’an TCH, Xi’an Zhonghong, Guohua Ku and Chonggong Bai jointly and severally agreed to buy back all outstanding capital equity of Xi’an Hanneng which was transferred to HYREF by Chonggong Bai earlier. The total buy back price was RMB261,727,506 ($37.52 million) including accrued interest of RMB14,661,506 ($2.10 million), and was paid in full by Xi’an TCH on December 20, 2019. On December 20, 2019, Mr. Bai, Xi’an TCH and Xi’an Zhonghong agreed to have Mr. Bai repay the Company in cash for the transfer price of Xuzhou Huayu and Shenqiu in five installment payments. The 1st payment of RMB50 million ($7.17 million) was due January 5, 2020, the 2nd payment of RMB50 million ($7.17 million) was due February 5, 2020, the 3rd payment of RMB50 million ($7.17 million) was due April 5, 2020, the 4th payment of RMB50 million ($7.17 million) was due on June 30, 2020, and the final payment of RMB47,066,000 ($6.75 million) was due September 30, 2020. As of December 31, 2020, the Company received the full payment of RMB247 million ($36.28 million) from Mr. Bai.

 

4. The lender agreed to extend the repayment of RMB77.00 million ($11.06 million) to July 8, 2023. However, per court’s judgement on June 28, 2021, the Company should repay principal $11.06 million and accrued interest of RMB2,418,229 ($0.35 million) within 10 days from the judgment date to Beijiang Hongyuan Recycling Energy Investment Center (Limited Partnership). In the end of 2022, Beijing No.4 Intermediate People’s Court of Beijing entered into the judgment enforcement procedure, which, in addition to the loan principal with interest amount, Xi’an Zhonghong Technology Co., Ltd. was to pay judgment enforcement fee, late fee and other fees of RMB80,288,184 ($11.53 million) in total, the Company recorded these additional fees in 2022. The Company has not paid it yet as of this report date.

 

Xi’an TCH had investment RMB75.00 million ($11.63 million) into the HYREF fund as a secondary limited partner, and the Company recorded an impairment loss of $11.63 million for such investment during the year ended December 31, 2021 due to uncertainty of the collection of the investment. This was impaired as Hongyuan does not have the ability to pay back (see Note 15 – Litigation).

 

In November 2024, Xi’an TCH repaid a principal of RMB77 million ($10.55 million), with interest still outstanding.