Full year results for the twelve months ended 31 December 2020

^{Drax Group plc
(“Drax” or the “Group”; Symbol:DRX)
RNS Number : 2751Q}

Financial highlights

• Adjusted EBITDA from continuing and discontinued operations up £2 million to £412 million (2019: £410 million)
  • Includes estimated impact of Covid-19 of around £60 million, principally SME customers
  • Strong performance in Pellet Production and Generation
• Strong cash generation and balance sheet
  • 1.9 x net debt to Adjusted EBITDA, with £682 million of cash and committed facilities at 31 December 2020
  • New carbon-linked RCF, Eurobond and infrastructure facilities with maturities to 2030 and reduced cost of debt
• Sustainable and growing dividend up 7.5% to 17.1 pence per share (2019: 15.9 pence per share)
  • Proposed final dividend of 10.3 pence per share (2019: 9.5 pence per share)

Operational highlights

• Pellet Production – 7% increase in production, improved quality and 5% reduction in cost
• Generation – 11% of UK’s renewable electricity, strong operations and system support performance
• Customers – lower demand and an increase in bad debt provisions, principally SME customers
• Sustainability – sale of gas assets, end of coal generation, CDP Climate A- rating (2019: C) and TCFD Supporter

Train carrying sustainably sourced compressed wood pellets arriving at Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire [click to view/download]

Will Gardiner, CEO of Drax Group said:

“Drax has supported its customers, communities and employees throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and I want to thank colleagues across the Group for their commitment and hard work over the last year. We have delivered strong results, a growing dividend for shareholders and excellent progress against our business strategy.

Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner in the control room at Drax Power Station [Click to view/download]

“Our focus is on renewable power. Our carbon intensity is one of the lowest of all European power generators. We aim to be carbon negative by 2030 and are continuing to make progress. We are announcing today that we will not develop new gas fired power at Drax. This builds on our decision to end commercial coal generation and the recent sale of our existing gas power stations.

“The proposed acquisition of Pinnacle Renewable Energy will position Drax as the world’s leading sustainable biomass generation and supply business, paving the way for us to develop bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) – taking us even further in our decarbonisation.”

2021 outlook

• Targeting carbon negative
  • No new gas generation at Drax Power Station, retain options for system support gas in next capacity auction
  • Completion of sale of existing gas generation (January 2021) and end of commercial coal (March 2021)
• Progressing biomass strategy
  • Proposed acquisition of Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. (Pinnacle) – supports long-term options for third-party supply, BECCS and biomass generation
  • BECCS – commencement of DCO planning process, potential FEED study and clarity on regional clusters

• Operations
  • Major planned outage on CfD unit and continued impact of Covid-19 on SME customers
  • Strong contracted power sales (2021–2023) 24.4TWh at £48.5/MWh

Operational review

Pellet Production – capacity expansion, improved quality and reduced cost

• Adjusted EBITDA up 63% to £52 million (2019: £32 million)
  • Pellet production up 7% to 1.5Mt (2019: 1.4Mt)
  • Reduction in fines (larger particle-sized dust)
  • Cost of production down 5% to $153/t⁽⁴⁾ (2019: $161/t⁽⁴⁾)
• Cost reduction plan – targeting $35/t (£13/MWh⁽⁵⁾) saving vs. 2018 on 1.9Mt by 2022 – annual savings of $64 million
  • $28 million of run-rate savings from projects delivered 2019-2020
  • Low-cost fibre, LaSalle (improved rail infrastructure, woodyard and sawmill co-location) and HQ relocation
  • $36 million of additional run-rate savings to be delivered by end of 2022
  • Expansion of Morehouse plant completed Q4 2020
  • Expansion of Amite and LaSalle, increased use of low-cost fibre and improved logistics
• Additional savings from $40 million investment in three 40kt satellite plants in US Gulf – commissioning from 2021, with potential for up to 0.5Mt – targeting 20% reduction in pellet cost versus current cost

 Power Generation – flexible and renewable generation

• Adjusted EBITDA up 9% to £446 million (2019: £408 million)
  • Biomass generation up 5% to 14.1TWh (2019: 13.4TWh) – record CfD availability (Q2 2020 – 99.5%)
  • Good commercial availability across the portfolio – 91% (2019: 88%)
  • Strong contracted position provided protection from lower demand and reduction in ROC⁽⁶⁾ prices
  • Includes £46 million from discontinued gas (2019: £39 million)

Water cooling tower at Drax Power Station [click to view/download]

• System support (balancing mechanism, Ancillary Services and optimisation) of £118 million (2019: £120 million)
  • Hydro and gas – one-off hydro contracts in 2019, offset by higher demand for system support services in 2020
  • Lower level of biomass activity due to higher value in generation market
  • 2019 included benefit of buying back coal generation
• Pumped storage / hydro – excellent operational and system support performance
  • £73 million of Adjusted EBITDA (Cruachan, Lanark Galloway schemes and Daldowie) (2019: £71 million)

Aqueduct supplying water into the reservoir at Cruachan pumped hydro storage plant in Scotland [click to view/download]

• Coal – 8% of output in 2020 and short-term increase in carbon emissions – utilisation of coal stock by March 2021
• Covid-19 – business continuity plan in place to ensure continued operation and two major outages completed

Customers – managing the impact of Covid-19 on SME customers

• Adjusted EBITDA loss of £39 million (2019: £17 million profit) inclusive of estimated £60 million impact of Covid-19
  • Reduced demand, MtM loss on pre-purchased power and increase in bad debt, principally SME customers
  • Continue to evaluate SME options to maximise value and alignment with strategy
• Development of Drax Customers Industrial & Commercial portfolio – increased sales to high-quality counterparties providing revenue visibility, while supporting the Group’s flexible and renewable energy proposition
• Renewable and energy services expand Group system support capability and customer sustainability objectives

Other financial information

• Total operating loss from continuing operations of £156 million reflects:
  • £70 million MtM loss on derivative contracts
  • £239 million obsolescence charges, principally coal (includes £13 million associated with decision not to develop new gas generation at Drax Power Station)
  • £34 million of costs associated with coal closure (redundancy, pensions and site reparations), with annual run-rate savings once complete of c.£30-35 million
• Total loss after tax of £158 million includes £18 million reduced valuation of deferred tax asset resulting from UK Government’s reversal of previously announced corporation tax rate change (adjusted impact of £14 million, 3.5 pence per share)
• Capital investment of £183 million⁽⁷⁾ – continued invest in biomass strategy, some delay into 2021 due to Covid-19
  • 2021 expected investment of £190-210 million (excludes proposed acquisition of Pinnacle), includes expansion of LaSalle and Amite pellet plants and satellite plant development
• Net debt of £776 million, including cash and cash equivalents of £290 million (31 December 2019: £404 million)
  • • 1.9 x net debt to EBITDA, with £682 million of total cash and total committed facilities
    • Expect around 2 x net debt to EBITDA by end of 2022 inclusive of proposed acquisition of Pinnacle