Gore Street Energy Storage Fund Plc
Maiden Full Year Results
NAV and Dividend Declaration
Gore Street Energy Storage Fund plc (ticker: GSF), London's first listed energy storage fund investing in income producing assets in the UK and internationally, today announces full year results for the period from 19 January 2018 (incorporation date) to 31 March 2019 (“FY2019”). The Company also separately announces today, an up to £30m commitment from an Irish Sovereign Wealth Investor and a 160MW Portfolio Acquisition.
FY2019 Financial Highlights
· NAV per ordinary share of 91.9 pence as at 31 March 2019
· Share price of 90.5 pence as at 31 March 2019
· Portfolio valuation of £6.48m as at 31 March 2019
· Aggregate declared dividend of 4.0 pence per ordinary share for the period, in-line with the distribution target announced at IPO equating to a dividend yield of 4.4% on the share price of 90.5 pence as at 31 March 2019
· Dividend distribution remains fully covered by cash received from the operating asset base
FY2019 Operational Highlights
· On 25 May 2018, Gore Street successfully listed on the premium segment of the London Stock Exchange raising gross proceeds of £30.6m
· Approximately 50% of the IPO proceeds already invested or committed across four assets
· Gore Street's portfolio comprises:
o Two assets fully operational and producing income with 8 MW of installed capacity
o Two shovel-ready projects with 19 MW of installed capacity. These are expected to be operational in Q4 2019. EPC contracts were confirmed for these projects on 21 November 2018.
Post-Period Highlights
· £30m investment from the National Treasury Management Agency (“NTMA”) (as controller and manager of the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (“ISIF”)) to fund projects in Ireland, offering entry into a significant energy storage market with favourable dynamics offering compelling opportunities
· Acquisition of a controlling interest in a 160MW portfolio of energy storage assets with strong prospective returns, in excess of those targeted in the IPO prospectus, in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
· Conditional issue and placing programme subject to shareholder approval and the publication of a prospectus
Net Asset Value
The Company is pleased to provide its year end Net Asset Value (“NAV”). As at 31 March 2019, the audited estimated NAV per Ordinary Share was 91.9 pence.
Dividend Declaration
The Board has today declared a dividend of 1.0 pence per ordinary share for the period 1 January 2019 to 31 March 2019.
The dividend will be paid on or around 5 July 2019 to shareholders on the register on 14 June 2019. The ex-dividend date will be 13 June 2019.
During the year, 2.0 pence per share was paid related to the period from Admission on 25 May 2018 to 30 September 2018 and 1.0 pence per share for the period 1 October 2018 to 31 December 2018. This is in line with the Company's previously outlined target aggregate dividend of 4.0 pence per share from Admission to 31 March 2019. An annual dividend yield of at least 7.0% per ordinary share (with a minimum of 7.0 pence per share) is targeted for the financial year ended 31 March 2020.
CEO of Gore Street Capital, the investment adviser to the Company, Alex O'Cinneide commented:
“The adviser has been prudent in deploying capital into projects that are expected to produce attractive IRRs in-line with its strategy, for the benefit of its stakeholders and shareholders. The assets selected for the portfolio offer the potential for quality returns, with operational cashflows supporting the Company's quarterly dividend targets. The Company's strategy has been assessed by the NTMA, which through a competitive review process, has selected Gore Street Energy Storage Fund for an investment of up to £30m. This commitment by a major sovereign wealth investor alongside a major portfolio acquisition, fundamentally alters the scale of the fund and represents a clear demonstration of the strength of the Gore Street offering.
Energy storage assets are anticipated to play a major role in facilitating the use of intermittent generation from renewable technologies, performing an essential service to the grid on a global scale. Gore Street remains poised to benefit from this positive momentum as demand for energy storage assets to help countries meet their clean energy objectives increases. We look forward to continuing to grow and diversify our portfolio of energy storage assets in a structurally growing market.”