Income taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Income taxes

Schedule of components of earnings before income taxes

	Year Ended December 31,
	2019		2018		2017
U.S.	$	77	$	(806)	$	(181)
Non-U.S.		—		(117)		(42)
Income (loss) before taxes	$	77	$	(923)	$	(223)

Schedule of Income tax expense / (benefit)

	Year Ended December 31,
	2019		2018		2017
Current tax expense
U.S.	$	5	$	—	$	1
Non-U.S.		—		—		—
		5		—		1
Deferred tax benefit
U.S.		—		(2)		(145)
Non-U.S.		—		(46)		(24)
		—		(48)		(169)
Income tax expense (benefit)	$	5	$	(48)	$	(168)

Schedule of reconciliation of the US statutory income tax rate to our effective income tax rate

	Year Ended December 31,
	2019			2018			2017
U.S. statutory income tax rate		21	%		21	%		35	%
Expected income tax expense (benefit) at statutory rate	$	16		$	(194)		$	(78)
Impact of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017		—			—			26
Change in statutory tax rates		—			—			(1)
Non-deductible expenses		15			6			9
Tax on international operations		(1)			(45)			(24)
Change in valuation allowance		(108)			96			(93)
Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax		5			—			—
Outside basis difference in assets held for sale		78			—			—
Tax credits		(1)			(9)			(8)
Non-deductible goodwill impairment		—			98			—
Other		1			—			1
Income tax expense (benefit)	$	5		$	(48)		$	(168)
Effective income tax rate		6	%		5	%		75	%

Schedule of significant components of deferred tax assets and liabilities

	Year Ended December 31,
	2019		2018		2017
Tax benefit of losses carried forward	$	219	$	222	$	198
Research and development tax credits		82		91		72
Construction contract liabilities		89		77		67
Property and equipment		—		15		3
Trade and other payables		41		38		25
Employee benefits		41		49		53
Unrealized foreign exchange gains and losses		6		6		5
Other		18		21		8
Deferred tax assets		496		519		431
Valuation allowance		(231)		(304)		(134)
Deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowance		265		215		297
Property and equipment		(47)		—		—
Goodwill and intangibles		(124)		(213)		(301)
Outside basis difference in assets held for sale		(78)		—		—
Other		(10)		(2)		—
Deferred tax liabilities		(259)		(215)		(301)
Deferred tax assets and (liabilities), net	$	6	$	—	$	(4)

Schedule of changes in unrecognized tax benefits

	Year Ended December 31,
	2019		2018		2017
Balance, beginning of year	$	—	$	—	$	—
Gross increases related to prior period tax positions		6		—		—
Gross increases related to current period tax positions		1		—		—
Balance, end of year	$	7	$	—	$	—