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Note 6 - Aemetis Biogas LLC, Series A Preferred Financing and Variable Interest Entity
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2022
Notes to Financial Statements  
Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block]

6. Aemetis Biogas LLC – Series A Preferred Financing and Variable Interest Entity

 

On December 20, 2018, ABGL entered into a Series A Preferred Unit Purchase Agreement for the sale of Series A Preferred Units to Protair-X Americas, Inc., with Third Eye Capital acting as an agent.

 

ABGL is authorized to issue 11,000,000 common units, and up to 6,000,000 convertible, redeemable, secured, preferred membership units (the “Series A Preferred Units”). ABGL issued 6,000,000 common units to the Company at $5.00 per common unit for a total of $30,000,000 in funding. Additionally, 5,000,000 common units of ABGL are held in reserve as potential conversion units issuable to the Purchaser upon certain triggering events discussed below.

 

The Preferred Unit Agreement includes (i) preference payments of $0.50 per unit on the outstanding Series A Preferred Units commencing on the second anniversary, with any outstanding preference payments shall have an interest per annum rate equal to ten percent (ii) conversion rights for up to 1,200,000 common units or up to maximum number of 5,000,000 common units (also at a one Series A Preferred Unit to one common unit basis) if certain triggering events occur, (iv) one board seat of the three available to be elected by Series A Preferred Unit holders, (iii) mandatory redemption value at $15 per unit payable at an amount equal to 75% of free cash flow generated by ABGL, up to $90 million in the aggregate (if all units are issued), (iv) full redemption of the units on the sixth anniversary, (v) minimum cash flow requirements from each digester, and (vi) $0.9 million paid as fees to the Agent from the proceeds. Until paid, the obligations of ABGL under the Preferred Unit Agreement are secured by the assets of ABGL in an amount not to exceed the sum of (i) $30,000,000, plus (ii) all interest, fees, charges, expenses, reimbursement obligations and indemnification obligations of ABGL.

 

Triggering events occur upon ABGL’s failure to redeem units, comply with covenants, any other defaults or cross defaults, or to perform representations or warranties. Upon a triggering event: (i) the obligation of the Purchaser to purchase additional Series A Preferred Units is terminated, (ii) cash flow payments for redemption payments increases from 75% to 100% of free cash flows, and (iii) total number of common units into which preferred units may be converted increases from 1,200,000 common units to 5,000,000 common units on a one for one basis. As of September 30, 2022, ABGL has not generated minimum quarterly operating cash flows by operating the dairies. As a result of the violation of this covenant, free cash flows, when they occur, may be applied for redemption payments at the increased rate of 100% instead of the initial rate of 75% of free cash flows.

 

On August 8th, 2022, ABGL, Protair-X America, Inc. (“Protair”), and Third Eye Capital entered into a Waiver and Amendment to Series A Preferred Unit Purchase Agreement (“PUPA Amendment") which amends that certain Series A Preferred Unit Purchase Agreement (“PUPA”) dated as of December 20, 2018. The PUPA Amendment provides for: (i) a waiver of certain covenants prohibiting the internal reorganization of ABGL subsidiaries and the incurrence of indebtedness by ABGL and its subsidiaries pursuant to a USDA loan, provided that, among other things, Third Eye Capital shall have received a repayment of at least $7.3 million to be applied to the Carbon Revolving Line contemporaneously with the closing of the Construction Loan Agreement; (ii) a waiver of certain operational defaults under the PUPA; and (iii) an amendment which (a) requires ABGL to redeem all of the outstanding Series A Preferred Units by December 31, 2022 (the “Final Redemption Date”) for $116 million; and (b) provides ABGL the right to redeem all of the outstanding Series A Preferred Units by September 30, 2022 for $106 million. The PUPA Amendment further provides the failure to redeem the Series A Preferred Units by the Final Redemption Date would constitute a triggering event requiring ABGL to enter into a credit agreement with Protair and Third Eye Capital effective as of January 1, 2023. We evaluated the terms of the PUPA Amendment and applied extinguishment accounting treatment in accordance with ASC 470-50 Debt – Modification and Extinguishment and recorded a loss on extinguishment of $49.4 million.

 

From inception of the agreement to date, ABGL issued 3,200,000 Series A Preferred Units on first tranche for a value of $16.0 million and also issued 2,800,000 of Series A Preferred Units on second tranche for a value of $14.0 million, reduced by a redemption of 20,000 Series A Preferred Units for $0.3 million. The Company is accreting these tranches from an initial fair value at August 8, 2022 of $105.8 million to the redemption value of $116 million over the next three months ending December 31, 2022 using the effective interest method. In addition, the Company identified freestanding future tranche rights and the accelerated redemption feature related to a change in control provision as derivatives which required bifurcation. These derivative features were assessed to have minimal value as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021 based on the evaluation of the other conditions included in the agreement.

 

In the three months ended March 31, 2021, ABGL issued 626,000 of Series A Preferred Units for incremental proceeds of $3.1 million as part of the second tranche of the Preferred Unit Agreement and redeemed 20,000 of Series A Preferred Units for $0.3 million. Consistent with the previous issuances which were treated as a liability as the conversion option was deemed to be non-substantive, the current issuances are treated as a liability as the conversion option was still deemed to be non-substantive.

 

The Company recorded Series A Preferred Unit liabilities, net of unit issuance costs and inclusive of accretive preference pursuant to this agreement, and accrued preference payments, classified as current portion of Series A Preferred Units, of $109.4 million and $3.2 million, and long-term liabilities of $0 and $45.0 million as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.

 

Variable interest entity assessment

 

After consideration of ABGL’s operations and the above agreement, we concluded that ABGL did not have enough equity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support. ABGL is capitalized with Series A Preferred Units that are recorded as liabilities under U.S. GAAP. Hence, we concluded that ABGL is a VIE. Through the Company's ownership interest in all of the outstanding common stock, its current ability to control the board of directors, the management fee paid to Aemetis and control of subordinated financing decisions, Aemetis has been determined to be the primary beneficiary and accordingly, the assets, liabilities, and operations of ABGL are consolidated into those of the Company. Total assets, before intercompany eliminations, of ABGL as of September 30, 2022 were $67.2 million which serve as collateral for the Series A Preferred Unit totaling $109.4 million. The Series A Preferred Units are not collateralized by any other assets or guarantees from Aemetis or its subsidiaries.