| 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). Its registered address is Great West House, GW1 Great West Road Brentford TW8 9DF, London (United Kingdom).
Atlantica’s shares trade on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “AY”.
In March 2023, the Company completed the process of transitioning O&M services for the assets in Spain where Abengoa was still the supplier to an
Atlantica’ subsidiary (Note 5). Currently, Atlantica performs the O&M services with its own personnel for assets representing approximately 74%
of the consolidated revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023.
The following four assets that the Company had under construction during 2022, finished construction and reached Commercial Operation Date (“COD”) in 2023:
| - |
Albisu, a 10 MW solar PV asset wholly owned by the Company. 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.
|
| - |
La Tolua and Tierra Linda, two wholly owned solar PV assets in Colombia with a combined capacity of 30 MW, both of which reached COD in the first quarter of 2023. Each plant
has a 10-year PPA in local currency indexed to local inflation with Coenersa, the largest independent electricity
wholesaler in Colombia. Each PPA provides for the sale of electricity at fixed base price indexed to local CPI.
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| - |
Honda 1, a 10 MW solar PV asset in Colombia where the Company has a 50% ownership, and which reached COD in December 2023. The asset has a 7-year PPA with Enel Colombia, a major electricity company in the country. The PPA is denominated in local currency, with fixed base price, indexed to the local CPI.
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During the year 2022, the
Company completed the following investments:
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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 2024, which would represent an additional investment of approximately $8 million. The asset has
fully contracted revenues in U.S dollars, with inflation escalation and a 50-year remaining contract life. The
off-takers are several mini-hydro plants that receive contracted or regulated payments.
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| - |
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.
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| - |
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 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.
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| - |
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 under 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 COD is expected to be progressive in 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.
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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, 2023:
| 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
|
20
|
|
Mojave
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
100%
|
California (USA)
|
USD
|
280 MW
|
BB/ Ba1/BB+
|
2014
|
16
|
|
Coso
|
Renewable (Geothermal)
|
100%
|
California (USA)
|
USD
|
135 MW
|
Investment Grade(11)
|
1987-1989
|
18
|
|
Elkhorn Valley(16)
|
Renewable (Wind)
|
49%
|
Oregon (USA)
|
USD
|
101 MW
|
BBB/Baa1/--
|
2007
|
4
|
|
Prairie Star(16)
|
Renewable (Wind)
|
49%
|
Minnesota (USA)
|
USD
|
101 MW
|
--/A3/A-
|
2007
|
4
|
|
Twin Groves II(16)
|
Renewable (Wind)
|
49%
|
Illinois (USA)
|
USD
|
198 MW
|
BB+/Baa2/--
|
2008
|
2
|
|
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
|
7
|
|
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
|
12
|
|
La Tolua
|
Renewable (Solar) |
100% |
Colombia |
COP |
20 MW |
Not rated |
2023 |
9 |
|
Tierra Linda
|
Renewable (Solar) |
100% |
Colombia |
COP |
10 MW |
Not rated |
2023 |
9 |
|
Honda 1
|
Renewable (Solar) |
50% |
Colombia |
COP |
10 MW |
BBB-/-/BBB |
2023 |
7 |
|
Albisu
|
Renewable (Solar) |
100% |
Uruguay |
UYU |
10 MW |
Not rated |
2023 |
15 |
|
Palmatir
|
Renewable (Wind)
|
100%
|
Uruguay
|
USD
|
50 MW
|
BBB+/Baa2/BBB(12)
|
2014
|
10
|
|
Cadonal
|
Renewable (Wind)
|
100%
|
Uruguay
|
USD
|
50 MW
|
BBB+/Baa2/BBB(12)
|
2014
|
11
|
|
Melowind
|
Renewable (Wind)
|
100%
|
Uruguay
|
USD
|
50 MW
|
BBB+/Baa2/BBB(12)
|
2015
|
12
|
|
Mini-Hydro
|
Renewable (Hydraulic)
|
100%
|
Peru
|
USD
|
4 MW
|
BBB/Baa1/BBB
|
2012
|
9
|
|
Solaben 2 & 3
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
70%(2)
|
Spain
|
Euro
|
2x50 MW
|
A/Baa1/A-
|
2012
|
14/14
|
|
Solacor 1 & 2
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
87%(3)
|
Spain
|
Euro
|
2x50 MW
|
A/Baa1/A-
|
2012
|
13/13
|
|
PS10 & PS20
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
100%
|
Spain
|
Euro
|
31 MW
|
A/Baa1/A-
|
2007&2009
|
8/10
|
|
Helioenergy 1 & 2
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
100%
|
Spain
|
Euro
|
2x50 MW
|
A/Baa1/A-
|
2011
|
13/13
|
|
Helios 1 & 2
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
100%
|
Spain
|
Euro
|
2x50 MW
|
A/Baa1/A-
|
2012
|
13/14
|
|
Solnova 1, 3 & 4
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
100%
|
Spain
|
Euro
|
3x50 MW
|
A/Baa1/A-
|
2010
|
11/11/12
|
|
Solaben 1 & 6
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
100%
|
Spain
|
Euro
|
2x50 MW
|
A/Baa1/A-
|
2013
|
15/15
|
|
Seville PV
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
80%(4)
|
Spain
|
Euro
|
1 MW
|
A/Baa1/A-
|
2006
|
12
|
|
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
|
8
|
|
Italy PV 4
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
100%
|
Italy
|
Euro
|
3.6 MW
|
BBB/Baa3/BBB
|
2011
|
8
|
|
Kaxu
|
Renewable (Solar)
|
51%(5)
|
South Africa
|
Rand
|
100 MW
|
BB-/Ba2/BB-(13)
|
2015
|
11
|
|
Calgary
|
Efficient natural gas &heat
|
100%
|
Canada
|
CAD
|
55 MWt
|
~60% AA- or higher(14)
|
2010
|
12
|
|
ACT
|
Efficient natural gas & heat
|
100%
|
Mexico
|
USD
|
300 MW
|
BBB/B3/B+
|
2013
|
9
|
|
Monterrey (18)
|
Efficient natural gas &heat
|
30%
|
Mexico
|
USD
|
142 MW
|
Not rated
|
2018
|
22
|
|
ATN (15)
|
Transmission line
|
100%
|
Peru
|
USD
|
379 miles
|
BBB/Baa1/BBB
|
2011
|
17
|
|
ATS
|
Transmission line
|
100%
|
Peru
|
USD
|
569 miles
|
BBB/Baa1/BBB
|
2014
|
20
|
|
ATN 2
|
Transmission line
|
100%
|
Peru
|
USD
|
81 miles
|
Not rated
|
2015
|
9
|
|
Quadra 1 & 2
|
Transmission line
|
100%
|
Chile
|
USD
|
49 miles/32 miles
|
Not rated
|
2014
|
11/11
|
|
Palmucho
|
Transmission line
|
100%
|
Chile
|
USD
|
6 miles
|
BBB/ -- /BBB+
|
2007
|
14
|
|
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
|
48
|
|
Skikda
|
Water
|
34.20%(6)
|
Algeria
|
USD
|
3.5 M ft3/day
|
Not rated
|
2009
|
10
|
|
Honaine
|
Water
|
25.50%(7)
|
Algeria
|
USD
|
7 M ft3/day
|
Not rated
|
2012
|
14
|
|
Tenes
|
Water
|
51%(8)
|
Algeria
|
USD
|
7 M ft3/day
|
Not rated
|
2015
|
16
|
|
(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.
|
|
(2)
|
Itochu Corporation holds 30% of the shares in each of Solaben 2 and Solaben 3.
|
|
(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.
|
|
(9)
|
Certain contracts
denominated in U.S. dollars are payable in local currency.
|
|
(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 (~60% AA- rating or higher, the rest is unrated).
|
|
(15)
|
Including ATN
Expansion 1 & 2.
|
|
(16)
|
Part of Vento II Portfolio.
|
|
(17)
|
As
of December 31, 2023.
|
|
(18)
|
Accounted for as held for sale as of December
31, 2023.
|
|
(*)
|
Commercial Operation Date. |
Additionally, Atlantica currently has the
following assets under construction or ready to start construction in the short term:
|
Asset
|
Type
|
Location
|
Capacity
(gross)1
|
Expected
COD
|
Expected
Investment2
($ million)
|
Off-taker
|
|
Coso Batteries 1
|
Battery Storage
|
California, US
|
100 MWh
|
2025
|
40-50
|
Investment grade utility
|
Coso Batteries 2
|
Battery Storage |
California, US |
80 MWh |
2025 |
35-45 |
Investment grade utility |
|
Chile PMGD
|
Solar PV
|
Chile
|
80 MW
|
2024-2025
|
30
|
Regulated
|
|
ATN Expansion 3
|
Transmission Line
|
Peru
|
2.4miles 220kV
|
2024
|
12
|
Conelsur
|
|
ATS Expansion 1
|
Transmission Line
|
Peru
|
n.a. (substation)
|
2025
|
30
|
Republic of Peru
|
|
Honda 2(3)
|
Solar PV
|
Colombia
|
10 MW
|
2024
|
5.5
|
Enel Colombia
|
|
Apulo 1(3)
|
Solar PV
|
Colombia
|
10 MW
|
2024
|
5.5
|
-
|
|
(1)
|
Includes nominal capacity on a 100% basis, not considering Atlantica’s ownership
|
|
(2)
|
Corresponds to the
expected investment by Atlantica
|
|
(3)
|
Atlantica owns 50% of the shares in Honda 2 and Apulo 1.
|
In October 2023, the Company entered into two 15-year tolling agreements (PPAs) with an investment grade utility for Coso Batteries 1 and Coso Batteries 2. Under each of the tolling
agreements, Coso Batteries 1 and 2 will receive fixed monthly payments adjusted by the financial settlement of CAISO’s (
California Independent System Operator) Day-Ahead
market. In addition, the Company expects to obtain revenue from ancillary services in each of the assets.
Coso Batteries 1 is a standalone battery storage project of 100 MWh (4 hours) capacity, located inside Coso, its
geothermal asset in California. Additionally, Coso Batteries 2 is a standalone battery storage project with 80 MWh (4 hours) capacity also located inside Coso. The investment is expected to be in the range of $40 million to $50 million for Coso Batteries 1, and in
the range of $35 to $45
million for Coso Batteries 2. Both projects were fully developed in-house and are now under construction. Atlantica has closed a contract with Tesla for the procurement of the batteries. COD is expected in 2025 for both projects.
In July 2022 the Company closed a 17-year transmission service agreement denominated in U.S. dollars that allows to build a substation and a 2.4-miles transmission line connected to ATN transmission line serving a new mine in Peru (ATN Expansion 3). The substation is expected to enter in operation in 2024 and the investment is expected to be approximately $12 million.
In July 2023, as part of the New Transmission Plan Update in Peru, the Ministry of Energy and
Mines published the Ministerial Resolution that enables to start construction of ATS Expansion 1 project, consisting in the reinforcement of two
existing substations with new equipment. The expansion will be part of the existing concession contract, a 30-year contract
with a fixed-price tariff base denominated in U.S. dollars adjusted annually in accordance with the U.S. Finished Goods Less Foods and Energy Index as published by the U.S. Department of Labor. Given that the concession ends in 2044, Atlantica will be compensated with a one-time payment for the remaining 9 years of concession. The expansion is expected to enter in operation in 2025 and the investment is
expected to be approximately $30 million.
In May 2022, the Company agreed to develop and construct Honda 1 and 2, two PV assets in Colombia with a combined capacity of 20 MW, where it has a 50% ownership. Each plant has a 7-year PPA with Enel Colombia. Honda 1, as it is stated above, reached COD in December 2023.
Honda 2 is expected to enter into operation in the second quarter of 2024. The investment is expected to be $5.5 million for
each plant.
Chile PV 1 and PV2 events of default
Due to low electricity prices in Chile, the project debts of Chile PV 1 and PV2, where the Company owns a 35% equity interest, are under an event of default as of December 31, 2023. Chile PV 1 was not able to maintain the minimum
required cash in its debt service reserve account as of December 31, 2023 and did not make its
debt service payment in January 2024. In addition, in October 2023, Chile PV 2 did not make its debt service payment. This asset obtained additional financing from the banks and made the debt service payment in December 2023, although it was not able to fund its debts service reserve account. As a result, although the Company does not expect an acceleration of the debts to be declared by the credit entities, Chile PV 1 and Chile PV2, did not have an unconditional right to defer the settlement of the debts for at least twelve months and the project debts, which amount to $71 million as of December 31, 2023 (Note 16), were classified as current in these Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with International Accounting Standards 1 (“IAS 1”), “Presentation of Financial Statements”. The Company is, together with the partner, in conversations with the banks regarding a
potential waiver.
The Consolidated Financial Statements were approved by the Board of Directors of the Company on
February 29, 2024.
|