| Nature of the business |
Note 1.- Nature of the business
Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure plc (“Atlantica” or the “Company”) is a sustainable infrastructure company with a majority of its business in
renewable energy assets. Atlantica currently owns, manages and invests in renewable energy, storage, efficient natural gas and heat, electric transmission lines and water assets focused on North America (the United States, Canada and Mexico),
South America (Peru, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay) and EMEA (Spain, Italy, Algeria and South Africa).
Atlantica’s shares trade on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “AY”.
On January 17, 2022, the Company closed the acquisition of Chile TL4, a 63-mile transmission line and 2 substations in Chile for a
total equity investment of $38.4 million (Note 5). The Company expects to expand the transmission line in 2023-2024, which would
represent an additional investment of approximately $8 million. The asset has fully contracted revenues in US dollars, with annual
inflation adjustments and a 50-year remaining contract life. The off-takers are several mini-hydro plants that receive contracted
or regulated payments.
On April 4, 2022, the Company closed the acquisition of Italy PV 4, a 3.6 MW solar portfolio in Italy for a total equity investment of $3.7
million (Note 5). The asset has regulated revenues under a feed in tariff until 2031.
On September 2, 2022, the Company completed its third investment through its Chilean renewable energy platform in a 73 MW solar PV plant, Chile PV 3, located in Chile, for $7.7
million corresponding to a 35% of equity interest (Note 5). The Company expects to install batteries with a capacity of
approximately 100 MWh in 2023-2024. Total investment including batteries is expected to be in the range of $15 million to $25 million
depending on the capital structure. Part of the asset’s revenue is currently based on capacity payments. Adding storage would increase the portion of capacity payments.
On November 16, 2022, the Company closed the acquisition of a 49%
interest, with joint control, in an 80 MW portfolio of solar PV projects in Chile, Chile PMGD, which is currently starting
construction. Atlantica´s economic rights are expected to be approximately 70%. Total investment in equity and preferred
equity is expected to be approximately $30 million and Commercial Operation Date (“COD”) is expected to be progressive in
2023 and 2024. Revenue for these assets is regulated under the Small Distributed Generation Means Regulation Regime (“PMGD”) for projects with a capacity equal or lower than 9MW, which allows to sell electricity through a stabilized price.
During the year 2021, the Company completed the following investments:
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In 2021, the Company closed the acquisition in two stages of the 85% equity interest in
Rioglass Solar Holding S.A. (“Rioglass”) that it did not previously own for a total investment of $17.1 million,
resulting in a 100% ownership (Note 5). Rioglass is a supplier of spare parts and services in the solar industry and the
Company gained control over the asset in January 2021.
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On
January 6, 2021, the Company closed its second investment through its Chilean renewable energy platform in a 40 MW solar
PV plant, Chile PV 2, located in Chile, for $5.0 million corresponding to a 35% of equity interest.
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On April 7, 2021, the Company closed the acquisition of Coso, a 135 MW
geothermal plant in the United States with 18-year average contract life Power Purchase Agreements (“PPAs”) in place.
The total equity investment was $130 million (Note 5). In addition, on July 15, 2021, the Company repaid $40 million to reduce project debt.
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On May 14, 2021, the Company closed the acquisition of Calgary District Heating, a district heating asset in Canada for a total equity investment of $22.9 million (Note 5). The asset has availability-based revenue with inflation indexation and 20 years of weighted average contract life at the time of the acquisition.
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On June 16, 2021, the Company acquired a 49% interest in Vento II, a 596 MW wind portfolio in the United States for a total equity investment net of cash consolidated at the transaction date of
approximately $180.7 million (Note 7). EDP Renewables owns the remaining 51%. The assets have PPAs with investment grade off-takers with a five-year average remaining contract life at the time of the investment.
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On August 6, 2021, the Company closed the acquisition of Italy PV 1 and Italy PV 2, two
solar PV plants in Italy with a combined capacity of 3.7 MW for a total equity investment of $9 million (Note 5). On December 14, 2021, the Company closed the acquisition of Italy PV 3, a 2.5 MW solar PV portfolio in Italy for a total equity investment of $4 million (Note 5). These assets have regulated revenues under a feed in tariff until 2030, 2031 and 2032, respectively.
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On November 25, 2021, the Company closed the acquisition of La Sierpe, a 20 MW solar PV plant in Colombia for a
total equity investment of $23.5 million (Note 5). The asset was acquired under a Right of First Offer (“ROFO”)
agreement with Liberty GES.
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In addition, the following three
assets that the Company had under construction during 2022, finished construction and reached or are about to reach COD:
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Albisu, a 10 MW PV asset wholly owned by the Company reached COD in
January 2023. Albisu is located in the city of Salto (Uruguay). The asset has a 15-year PPA with Montevideo
Refrescos, S.R.L, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Femsa., S.A.B. de C.V. The PPA is denominated in local currency with a maximum and minimum price in U.S. dollars and is adjusted monthly based on a formula referring to U.S. Producer
Price Index (PPI), Uruguay’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the applicable UYU/U.S. dollar exchange rate.
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La Tolua and Tierra Linda, two solar PV assets in Colombia with a
combined capacity of 30 MW. Each plant has a 10-year PPA in local currency indexed to local inflation with Coenersa, the largest independent electricity wholesaler in Colombia. Additionally, the Company has
recently started the construction of three additional PV plants with a total capacity of 30 MW.
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The following table provides an overview of the main operating assets the Company owned or had an interest in as of December 31, 2022:
| Assets |
Type |
Ownership |
Location
|
Currency(9) |
Capacity
(Gross)
|
Counterparty
Credit
Ratings(10)
|
COD*
|
Contract
Years
Remaining(17)
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Solana
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
100%
|
Arizona (USA)
|
USD
|
280 MW
|
BBB+/A3/BBB+
|
2013
|
21
|
|
Mojave
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
100%
|
California (USA)
|
USD
|
280 MW
|
BB-/ -- /BB
|
2014
|
17
|
|
Coso
|
Renewable (Geothermal)
|
100%
|
California (USA)
|
USD
|
135 MW
|
Investment Grade(11)
|
1987-1989
|
16
|
|
Elkhorn Valley(16)
|
Renewable (Wind)
|
49%
|
Oregon (USA)
|
USD
|
101 MW
|
BBB/Baa1/--
|
2007
|
5
|
|
Prairie Star(16)
|
Renewable (Wind)
|
49%
|
Minnesota (USA)
|
USD
|
101 MW
|
--/A3/A-
|
2007
|
5
|
|
Twin Groves II(16)
|
Renewable (Wind)
|
49%
|
Illinois (USA)
|
USD
|
198 MW
|
BBB/Baa2/--
|
2008
|
3
|
|
Lone Star II(16)
|
Renewable (Wind)
|
49%
|
Texas (USA)
|
USD
|
196 MW
|
N/A
|
2008
|
N/A
|
|
Chile PV 1
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
35%(1)
|
Chile
|
USD
|
55 MW
|
N/A
|
2016
|
N/A
|
|
Chile PV 2
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
35%(1)
|
Chile
|
USD
|
40 MW
|
Not rated
|
2017
|
8
|
|
Chile PV 3
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
35%(1)
|
Chile
|
USD
|
73 MW
|
N/A
|
2014
|
N/A
|
|
La Sierpe
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
100%
|
Colombia
|
COP
|
20 MW
|
Not rated
|
2021
|
13
|
|
Palmatir
|
Renewable (Wind)
|
100%
|
Uruguay
|
USD
|
50 MW
|
BBB/Baa2/BBB-(12)
|
2014
|
11
|
|
Cadonal
|
Renewable (Wind)
|
100%
|
Uruguay
|
USD
|
50 MW
|
BBB/Baa2/BBB-(12)
|
2014
|
12
|
|
Melowind
|
Renewable (Wind)
|
100%
|
Uruguay
|
USD
|
50 MW
|
BBB/Baa2/BBB-
|
2015
|
13
|
|
Mini-Hydro
|
Renewable (Hydraulic)
|
100%
|
Peru
|
USD
|
4 MW
|
BBB/Baa1/BBB
|
2012
|
10
|
|
Solaben 2 & 3
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
70%(2)
|
Spain
|
Euro
|
2x50 MW
|
A/Baa1/A-
|
2012
|
15/15
|
|
Solacor 1 & 2
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
87%(3)
|
Spain
|
Euro
|
2x50 MW
|
A/Baa1/A-
|
2012
|
14/14
|
|
PS10 & PS20
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
100%
|
Spain
|
Euro
|
31 MW
|
A/Baa1/A-
|
2007&2009
|
9/11
|
|
Helioenergy 1 & 2
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
100%
|
Spain
|
Euro
|
2x50 MW
|
A/Baa1/A-
|
2011
|
14/14
|
|
Helios 1 & 2
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
100%
|
Spain
|
Euro
|
2x50 MW
|
A/Baa1/A-
|
2012
|
14/15
|
|
Solnova 1, 3 & 4
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
100%
|
Spain
|
Euro
|
3x50 MW
|
A/Baa1/A-
|
2010
|
12/12/13
|
|
Solaben 1 & 6
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
100%
|
Spain
|
Euro
|
2x50 MW
|
A/Baa1/A-
|
2013
|
16/16
|
|
Seville PV
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
80%(4)
|
Spain
|
Euro
|
1 MW
|
A/Baa1/A-
|
2006
|
13
|
|
Italy PV 1
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
100%
|
Italy
|
Euro
|
1.6 MW
|
BBB/Baa3/BBB
|
2010
|
8
|
|
Italy PV 2
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
100%
|
Italy
|
Euro
|
2.1 MW
|
BBB/Baa3/BBB
|
2011
|
8
|
|
Italy PV 3
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
100%
|
Italy
|
Euro
|
2.5 MW
|
BBB/Baa3/BBB
|
2012
|
9
|
|
Italy PV 4
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
100%
|
Italy
|
Euro
|
3.6 MW
|
BBB/Baa3/BBB
|
2011
|
9
|
|
Kaxu
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
51%(5)
|
South Africa
|
Rand
|
100 MW
|
BB-/Ba2/BB-(13)
|
2015
|
12
|
|
Calgary
|
Efficient natural gas &heat
|
100%
|
Canada
|
CAD
|
55 MWt
|
~41% A+ or higher(14)
|
2010
|
18
|
|
ACT
|
Efficient natural gas & heat
|
100%
|
Mexico
|
USD
|
300 MW
|
BBB/B1/BB-
|
2013
|
10
|
|
Monterrey
|
Efficient natural gas &heat
|
30%
|
Mexico
|
USD
|
142 MW
|
Not rated
|
2018
|
23
|
|
ATN (15)
|
Transmission line
|
100%
|
Peru
|
USD
|
379 miles
|
BBB/Baa1/BBB
|
2011
|
18
|
|
ATS
|
Transmission line
|
100%
|
Peru
|
USD
|
569 miles
|
BBB/Baa1/BBB
|
2014
|
21
|
|
ATN 2
|
Transmission line
|
100%
|
Peru
|
USD
|
81 miles
|
Not rated
|
2015
|
10
|
|
Quadra 1 & 2
|
Transmission line
|
100%
|
Chile
|
USD
|
49 miles/32 miles
|
Not rated
|
2014
|
12/12
|
|
Palmucho
|
Transmission line
|
100%
|
Chile
|
USD
|
6 miles
|
BBB/ -- /BBB+
|
2007
|
15
|
|
Chile TL3
|
Transmission line
|
100%
|
Chile
|
USD
|
50 miles
|
A/A2/A-
|
1993
|
N/A
|
|
Chile TL4
|
Transmission line
|
100%
|
Chile
|
USD
|
63 miles
|
Not rated
|
2016
|
49
|
|
Skikda
|
Water
|
34.20%(6)
|
Algeria
|
USD
|
3.5 M ft3/day
|
Not rated
|
2009
|
11
|
|
Honaine
|
Water
|
25.50%(7)
|
Algeria
|
USD
|
7 M ft3/day
|
Not rated
|
2012
|
15
|
|
Tenes
|
Water
|
51%(8)
|
Algeria
|
USD
|
7 M ft3/day
|
Not rated
|
2015
|
17
|
|
(1)
|
65% of the shares in Chile PV 1, Chile PV 2 and Chile PV 3 are indirectly held by financial partners through the renewable energy platform of the Company in Chile.
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(2)
|
Itochu
Corporation holds 30% of the shares in each of Solaben 2 and Solaben 3.
|
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(3)
|
JGC holds 13%
of the shares in each of Solacor 1 and Solacor 2.
|
|
(4)
|
Instituto para la Diversificación y Ahorro de la Energía (“Idae”) holds 20% of the shares in Seville PV.
|
|
(5)
|
Kaxu is owned by the Company (51%), Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (“IDC”, 29%)
and Kaxu Community Trust (20%).
|
|
(6)
|
Algerian Energy Company, SPA
owns 49% of Skikda and Sacyr Agua, S.L. owns the remaining 16.8%.
|
|
(7)
|
Algerian
Energy Company, SPA owns 49% of Honaine and Sacyr Agua, S.L. owns the remaining 25.5%.
|
|
(8)
|
Algerian Energy Company, SPA owns 49% of Tenes. The Company has an investment in Tenes through a secured loan to Befesa Agua Tenes (the holding company of Tenes) and the right to appoint a majority at the
board of directors of the project company. Therefore, the Company controls Tenes since May 31, 2020, and fully consolidates the asset from that date.
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(9)
|
Certain contracts denominated in U.S. dollars are
payable in local currency.
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(10)
|
Reflects the counterparty’s credit ratings issued by
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, or S&P, Moody’s Investors Service Inc., or Moody’s, and Fitch Ratings Ltd, or Fitch. Not applicable (“N/A”) when the asset has no PPA.
|
|
(11)
|
Refers to the credit rating of two Community Choice Aggregators: Silicon Valley
Clean Energy and Monterrey Bar Community Power, both with A Rating from S&P and Southern California Public Power Authority. The third off-taker is not rated.
|
|
(12)
|
Refers to the credit rating of Uruguay, as UTE
(Administración Nacional de Usinas y Transmisoras Eléctricas) is unrated.
|
|
(13)
|
Refers to the credit rating of the Republic of South Africa. The off-taker is
Eskom, which is a state-owned utility company in South Africa.
|
|
(14)
|
Refers to the credit rating of a diversified mix of 22 high credit quality
clients (~41% A+ rating or higher, the rest is unrated).
|
|
(15)
|
Including ATN Expansion 1 & 2.
|
|
(16)
|
Part of Vento II Portfolio.
|
|
(17)
|
As of December 31, 2022.
|
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(*)
|
Commercial Operation
Date.
|
The project
financing arrangement for Kaxu contained a cross-default provision related to Abengoa S.A.’s insolvency filing. In September 2021, the Company obtained a waiver for such cross-default which became effective on March 31, 2022, following the
transfer of the employees performing the O&M in Kaxu from an Abengoa subsidiary to an Atlantica subsidiary and other conditions. As a result, as of March 31, 2022, the Company had again an unconditional right to defer the settlement of
the debt for at least twelve months, and therefore the debt previously presented as current (as of December 31, 2021) had been reclassified as non-current at that date in accordance with the financing agreements in these Consolidated
Financial Statements (Note 15).
As expected in 2022, the Administration in Spain approved, measures to adjust the regulated revenue component for renewable energy plants,
following the increase since mid-2021 in the billings of these plants for the sale of electricity in the market. On March 30, 2022, Royal Decree Law 6/2022 was published, adopting urgent measures in response
to the economic and social consequences of the war in Ukraine. This Royal Decree Law contains a bundle of measures in diverse fields, including those targeted at containing the sharp rise in gas and electricity prices. It includes temporary
changes to the detailed regulated components of revenue received by the solar assets of the Company in Spain, which are applicable from January 1, 2022. Specifically, prior to the entry into force of this new regulation, the level of
remuneration under that specific remuneration system depended on the market price estimates used to calculate it, which are revised in each regulatory semi-period. Now, under article 5 of Royal Decree Law 6/2022, an extraordinary measure has
been taken to subdivide the current regulatory semi-period, so as to create a new semi-period between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022 and the remuneration will be reviewed taking into account the future prices of OMIP (Regulated market
operator in Spain), too. On May 14, 2022, the Royal Decree Law 10/2022 was published, including the so-called “Iberian mechanism”, which is the temporary production cost adjustment mechanism for reducing the price of electricity in the
wholesale market. The main changes included by these regulations are:
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The statutory half-period of three years from 2020 to 2022 has been split into two statutory half-periods (1) from January 1, 2020 until December 31 2021 and (2) calendar year 2022. As a result, the
fixed monthly payment based on installed capacity (Remuneration on Investment or Rinv) for calendar year 2022 has been revised in the new Order TED/1232/2022.
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The electricity market price assumed by the regulation for calendar year 2022 was changed from €48.82 per MWh to an expected price of €121.9
per MWh, i.e., the remuneration parameters of 2022 have been updated with real prices of 2020 (33.94 €/MWh) and
2021 (111.90 €/MWh) and the future prices of OMIP for 2022 (value of second semester 2021: 121.9 €/MWh). As a result, the variable payment based on net electricity produced (Remuneration on Operation or Ro), is also being
adjusted. The proposed Ro for the year 2022 is zero €/MWh reflecting the fact that market prices for the power
sold in the market are significantly higher.
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Following the mandate contained in Royal Decree Law 6/2022 and Royal Decree Law 10/2022, whose main measures have been exposed above, the
remuneration parameters have been updated for the year 2022 by the recent Order TED/1232/2022, of December 2, 2022, that was published in final form on December 14, 2022.
For the three-year semi period starting on January 1, 2023, and ending on December 31, 2025, the adjustment for electricity price deviations in the
preceding statutory half period will be progressively modified to take into account a mix of actual market prices and future market prices. On December 28, 2022 the proposed parameters for the year 2023 were published. They are still subject to
review.
All the adjustments to the regulated revenue of the solar assets of the Company in Spain stated above do not affect the reasonable return on investment
previously set by the Spanish government, and therefore do not impact the value of these assets in the long term.
The Consolidated Financial Statements were approved by the Board of Directors of the Company on February 28, 2023.
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