EQS-News: EVN AG: Business development in the 2023/24 financial year
EQS-News: EVN AG / Key word(s): Annual Results
EVN AG: Business development in the 2023/24 financial year
17.12.2024 / 07:30 CET/CEST
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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Highlights
• Decline in Group net result by 11.0% to EUR 471.7m
• Negative earnings contribution of roughly EUR 162m from the Austrian
electricity and natural gas supply company
• Increase in share of renewable generation to 84.4% (previous year:
77.0%)
• Dynamic expansion of wind power and photovoltaic capacity to 477 MW
and 93 MWp
• Start of construction on a biomass combined heat and power plant in
St. Pölten
• Austria‘s largest charging station operator for e-mobility with 3,000
charging points
• Record investments of EUR 753.0m for the energy future (thereof 88.8%
taxonomy-aligned)
• Dividend proposal: EUR 0.90 per share
Energy sector environment
The weather in EVN’s three core markets was again characterised by milder
temperatures during the 2023/24 financial year. The heating degree total –
which defines the temperature-related demand for energy – was clearly
below the previous year as well as the long-term average in Austria,
Bulgaria and North Macedonia. Both water and wind flows were very
positive. Primary energy and energy prices continued to decline. Also, the
prices of CO[2] emission certificates were lower year-on-year as a result
of general economic conditions. These developments also had an impact on
the market prices for electricity, which again declined significantly
during the reporting year. Due to the steadily increasing share of
renewable generation capacity in the energy system, price developments
during the year are now also significantly influenced by seasonal effects.
EBITDA, EBIT and Group net result below previous year
Revenue recorded by the EVN Group declined by 13.6% to EUR 3,256.6m in
2023/24. This development resulted primarily from the downward trend in
wholesale prices for electricity and natural gas in all three EVN core
markets. The price-related revenue decline in renewable production was
offset in part by an increase in generation volumes. Other factors
included the reduced use of the Theiss power plant for network
stabilisation and a weather-related decrease in heat sales volumes as well
as lower network tariffs in Bulgaria in accordance with the regulation
methodology. Revenue in the international project business was also lower
following the completion of the wastewater treatment plant in Kuwait.
In line with the development of revenue, declining wholesale prices for
electricity and natural gas also led to a reduction in the cost of
electricity purchases from third parties and primary energy expenses in
South East Europe and in electricity and heat generation. The cost of
electricity purchases from third parties and primary energy expenses fell
by a total of 18.7% to EUR 1,362.8m in 2023/24. The cost of materials and
services declined by 14.6% to EUR 565.8m corresponding to the development
of revenue in the international project business.
Personnel expenses rose by 13.1% year-on-year to EUR 473.9m. The primary
reasons were adjustments required by collective bargaining agreements and
an increase in the average workforce. Other operating expenses were 5.3%
higher year-on year at EUR 212.8m. They include an impairment loss of EUR
22.5m which was recognised to a receivable in the international project
business during the first quarter of 2023/24 following a court of
arbitration judgment. This position also includes the energy crisis
contribution levy for electricity generation.
The share of results from equity accounted investees with operational
nature was again influenced by a negative contribution from the energy
supply company EVN KG, which amounted to EUR –162.3m (previous year: EUR
–240.3m). Two valuation effects were the main reasons for this
development: the impairment of EUR 39.7m to natural gas inventories
previously purchased as a strategic reserve and the addition to
provisions. Challenging framework conditions – above all intensified
competition combined with customers’ energy savings measures and supplies
from private photovoltaic equipment – also reduced electricity and natural
gas sales volumes and made planning for sales volumes more difficult. An
additional positive effect was the further revaluation of EUR 16.8m to the
Ashta hydropower plant (previous year: EUR 11.1m). The share of results
from equity accounted investees amounted to EUR 30.8m (previous year: EUR
–67.6m). Based on these developments, EBITDA recorded by EVN declined by
8.0% year-on-year to EUR 799.4m.
The higher pace of investments led to an increase of 3.5% in scheduled
depreciation and amortisation to EUR 348.3m. Impairment losses of EUR
–24.9m were recorded in 2023/24 (previous year: EUR –3.9m). Therefore EBIT
for the EVN Group amounted to EUR 426.2m in 2023/24 (previous year: EUR
528.5m).
Financial results totalled EUR 135.3m (previous year: EUR 127.6m) and
resulted chiefly from a higher dividend from Verbund AG for the 2023
financial year. In total, Group net result for the 2023/24 financial year
was 11.0% lower year-on year at EUR 471.7m.
Solid balance sheet structure, rise in investment programme and EU
Taxonomy Regulation
The capital structure is stable and solid and provides a sound foundation
for the realisation of the investments planned as part of the EVN Strategy
2030. Net debt totalled EUR 1,129.3m as of 30 September 2024 (30 September
2023: EUR 1,364.3m).
Investments reached an all-time high of EUR 753.0m in 2023/24 and are
scheduled to rise to roughly EUR 900m annually in the years up to 2030.
The main drivers for this increase include the demands on the network
business to create the necessary basis for the integration of the steadily
growing feed-in volumes of renewable energy and the expansion of wind
power and photovoltaic capacity. EVN is also continuing to enlarge its
natural heat offering through the consolidation of district heating
networks and the expansion of generation capacity. In 2023/24,
construction started on the fifth biomass combined heat and power plant
which will be located in St. Pölten, with commissioning planned for the
end of 2025. It will be able to supply roughly 30,000 households with
environmentally friendly heat and 15,000 households with green
electricity. These measures demonstrate EVN’s measurable contribution to
contain global warming and to support the transition to a CO[2]-free
energy future.
The installation of an additional 500 charging points during 2023/24
increased the number of EVN charging points to 3,000 and make the company
Austria’s largest charging station operator. Further investments of EUR
100m are planned by 2030 and will service e-autos and e-buses as well as
e-lorries and ships. The comprehensive, cross-industry electrification of
traffic will play an important role in reaching the climate goals set by
Lower Austria.
Energy. Water. Life. – Developments in the energy and environmental
services business
EVN Climate Initiative
As an integral part of the Strategy 2030, the EVN Climate Initiative
defines precise decarbonisation goals. It bundles measures for the
expansion of renewable generation capacity and sets targets for the
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The existing goals were revised in
2023/24 and adapted to meet the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Climate Agreement.
A transition plan aligned with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting
Directive (CSRD) was also prepared. These revised goals will be submitted
to the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) in 2024/25 for external
scientific review and validation. The main lever to reduce emissions lies
in the expansion of renewable generation capacity. Substantial progress
was again made in this area during 2023/24, and EVN is well underway to
meeting its expansion goals for 2030 (wind power 770 MW, photovoltaics 300
MWp).
Energy business
EVN’s renewable electricity generation rose by 22.0% year-on-year to 2,799
GWh. Water as well as wind flows were higher than in the previous year
whereas hydrological conditions even exceeded the long-term average.
Electricity generation from wind power also benefitted from the
construction of new wind and photovoltaic parks and the repowering of
existing wind parks. In contrast, thermal generation fell by 24.4% to 519
GWh due to the reduced use of the Theiss power plant for network
stabilisation during the reporting year.
Environmental and water business
Improving the security and quality of drinking water supplies in Lower
Austria is also a focal point of EVN’s investments. The current major
project in this context is the construction of a 60 km cross-regional
transport pipeline from Krems to Zwettl. The second section is largely
complete, and construction on the third and final section started in
summer 2024. The entire transport pipeline is scheduled for commissioning
in 2025/26. Also, a further natural filter plant was commissioned during
the reporting year, and preparations started for construction of another
plant of this type in Reisenberg in the Lower Austrian Industrieviertel.
In the international project business, WTE Wassertechnik was working on
the planning and construction of eight projects in Germany, Romania, North
Macedonia, Bahrain and Kuwait as of 30 September 2024. A decision by the
Executive Board of EVN in September 2023 confirmed the Group’s focus on
the core energy business. On 10th December 2024, EVN announced ad-hoc that
EVN AG and STRABAG SE have reached an agreement on key terms of a
potential sale of all shares in WTE Wassertechnik. Signing of the
transaction documents is envisaged for the end of February 2025.
Dividend and outlook on the 2024/25 financial year
The Executive Board will make a recommendation to the 96th Annual General
Meeting which calls for the distribution of an ordinary dividend of EUR
0.90 per share for the financial year 2023/24. For the 2024/25 financial
year, EVN expects Group net result within a range of EUR 400m to EUR 440m
– under the assumption of a stable regulatory and energy policy
environment. The dividend policy was confirmed and is unchanged. As of the
2024/25 financial year, the dividend will equal at least EUR 0.82 per
share in the future, whereby EVN wants its shareholders to appropriately
participate in any additional earnings growth. In the medium term, a
payout ratio equalling 40% of Group net result, adjusted for extraordinary
effects, is targeted.
For the complete Full Report on the 2023/24 financial year, see
[1] www.investor.evn.at.
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17.12.2024 CET/CEST This Corporate News was distributed by EQS Group AG.
www.eqs.com
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Language: English
Company: EVN AG
EVN Platz
2344 Maria Enzersdorf
Austria
Phone: +43-2236-200-12294
E-mail: info@evn.at
Internet: www.evn.at
ISIN: AT0000741053
WKN: 074105
Indices: ATX
Listed: Vienna Stock Exchange (Official Market)
EQS News ID: 2052137
End of News EQS News Service
2052137 17.12.2024 CET/CEST
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