ACCIONA posts €441 million net profit, invests €2 billion

• Revenue: Grew to €11.2 billion (+38.1%), with solid progress in acciona energía and the infrastructure business unit

• EBITDA: Reached €2.07 billion (+39.4%), driven by growth in acciona energía and improvement in profitability in the construction unit, mainly internationally

• Leverage: The net debt-to-ebitda ratio stands at 2.54x, whereas it was 2.93x in 2021

• Infrastructure: The division ends the period with a €22.02 billion (+21.7%) project backlog

• ACCIONA Energía: Long-term clean electricity sales to companies grow steadily to €2.11 billion (+120.9%)

• Other businesses: The real estate business delivered 617 new homes in total (+39.3%)

ACCIONA closed 2022 with a net profit of €441 million (+32.7%). In a complex environment, the group maintained its commitment to growth throughout the year, with a total investment of over €2 billion. ACCIONA Energía was boosted by the good performance of its long-term clean electricity commercialization business for companies, with revenues of €2.11 billion (+120.9%). The infrastructure business unit ended the year with a record backlog of €22.02 billion (+21.7%).

ACCIONA's total revenues for this period grew to €11.2 billion (+38.1%). The infrastructure division posted revenues of €6.02 billion (+23.5%), with strong growth in Brazil, Australia, Saudi Arabia and Canada. ACCIONA Energía's turnover reached €4.35 billion (+76%), of which almost half (€2.11 billion) came from the supply of clean energy to companies, which grew strongly (+120.9%) during the period. The rest of the group's activities (real estate, Bestinver, urban electric mobility, airport handling, services and ACCIONA Cultura) turned over a total of €1.18 billion (+12.1%). 

The company's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) reached €2.07 billion (+39.4%). The infrastructure division contributed €369 million (+14.2%); ACCIONA Energía, €1.65 billion (+52.2%); and the rest of the businesses, €73 million (-29.3%).

The group's pre-tax profit reached €869 million (+51.1%), affected by the impairment of the company's energy assets in Ukraine (-€35 million) and by the negative contribution of Nordex
(-€194 million). Excluding Nordex’s impact, pre-tax profit would have amounted to over €1.06 billion (+62%).

ACCIONA closed the year with a net financial debt of €5.25 billion, with an improvement in the net debt-to-EBITDA ratio, which decreased from 2.93x to 2.54x. 

Net investment reached over €2 billion (+22.5%, excluding divestments made in 2021 in relation to ACCIONA Energía’s IPO). As part of its deployment plan, ACCIONA Energía invested €1.28 billion (+56.2%); Infrastructure, €244 million (+31.5%); Real Estate, €61 million (-73%); and the other businesses, €421 million. The latter includes €243 million of investment in Nordex as part of two capital increases carried out in 2022, which elevated ACCIONA's stake in the wind turbine manufacturer from 33.6% to 40.97%.

INFRASTRUCTURE

ACCIONA's Infrastructure division achieved a turnover of €6.02 billion (+23.5%). By geographical area, revenues came mainly from Australia and Southeast Asia (30%); Spain (19%); Europe, the Middle East and Africa (26%); Latin America (17%) and the US and Canada (7%).

In 2022, the company won new contracts worth €9.14 billion. The most significant of the year was the award of the Sydney Western Harbour Tunnel (€2.75 billion), the largest project in ACCIONA's history. Other relevant projects include the Collahuasi desalination plant in Chile (€258 million), the expansion of the Palma de Mallorca airport (€218 million) and the La Serena hospital in Chile (€134 million).

The total Infrastructure backlog broke its record and reached €22.02 billion (+21.7%). By geographical area, the backlog is split between Australia and Southeast Asia (29%); Spain (18%); Latin America (27%); Europe, Middle East, and Africa (20%); and the US and Canada (5%).

The infrastructure business unit closed 2022 with €369 million of EBITDA (+14.2%) and an EBITDA margin of 6.1%, driven by improved returns in the Construction activities, mainly internationally.

Within the division, the Construction business recorded €4.56 billion (+25.8%) in revenues with EBITDA of €227 million (+39.4%). The Water business posted revenues of €1.27 billion (+20.9%) with €89 million of EBITDA (-11.2%), mainly reflecting the impact of rising energy costs on operations and maintenance activities. Urban and Environmental Services closed the year with revenues of €148 million (-10.3%) and €15 million of EBITDA (+10.9%). Concessions turned over €52 million (-1.8%) with €37 million of EBITDA (-18.8%), reflecting the divestment from a portfolio of assets in Spain that was completed last year.

ACCIONA ENERGÍA

ACCIONA Energía obtained an attributable net profit of €759 million (+109%) in 2022. The company's total revenues amounted to €4.35 billion (+76%), of which almost half (€2.11 billion) came from the clean energy commercialization business for companies, which grew strongly (+120.9%) during this period.

In 2022, the company signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) for a total of 2.5TWh. The main deals were closed with Fortia (which integrates leading industrial groups in Spain), Interxion, Mango, Makro, ZEN Energy and Barwon Renewable Energy Partnership (BREP), among others. PPAs provide long-term energy price stability for industry in one of its main production inputs.

Last year, Bloomberg NEF ranked ACCIONA Energía as the company with the third highest number of green power contracts of this kind signed worldwide.

The remaining portion of the 2022 revenues come from ACCIONA Energía's wholesale energy generation business, which reached €2.24 billion (+47.7%), spread across Spain (€1.55 billion) and the rest of the countries in which it operates (€685 million), mainly attributed to Chile, Mexico, and Australia.

The company's EBITDA amounted to €1.65 billion (+52.2%) and was obtained in a widespread context of high energy prices. It is also the result of the adoption of appropriate commercial and risk management and the stabilization of ACCIONA Energía's financial costs under the company's new structure, implemented for its IPO in July 2021.

In the midst of the global race to decarbonize the economy and despite economic uncertainty, ACCIONA Energía invested €1.64 billion (+167.2%) in 2022, mainly in projects in Australia (MacIntyre), the US (Red Tailed Hawk, Fort Bend, High Point and Union) and Spain (San Serván and Bolarque), as well as in the acquisition of an energy storage facility and a portfolio of projects at advanced stages of development in Texas.

Overall, its energy capacity under construction as of December 31st, 2022, stood at 2.2GW, of which the company expects to complete nearly 1.8GW in 2023. 

Total installed capacity by year-end was 11,826MW (+5.2%), with a net increase of 581MW, which reflects the newly built capacity (706MW) and some perimeter reduction in Spain (124MW). The company recorded a consolidated production of 19,657GWh (-2.2%) in 2022.

Despite the strong investment, ACCIONA Energía kept its debt level stable at €2.02 billion, with an improvement in the net financial debt-to-EBITDA ratio, which fell from 1.83x to 1.22x, putting the company in a solid balance sheet position to face new investments as part of its growth plan.

The company was the most sustainable company in the utilities sector in Spain and the second most sustainable one in the world, according to the analysis conducted by S&P for its ESG rating.

In addition, MSCI, Sustainalytics and CDP ranked ACCIONA Energía for the first time in 2022, placing the company in a leading position in its first year, which is unprecedented in the sector.

Regarding sustainable financing, the company issued its second public green bond (€500 million) and its first green private placement in the US (US$200 million) during the year.

In its first full year as a listed company, ACCIONA Energía joined relevant stock market indexes such as the Ibex-35, the S&P Global Clean Energy Index, the Stoxx Europe 600 and the MSCI Europe, among others.

OTHER BUSINESSES

In Other Businesses, the Real Estate division obtained a total turnover of €247 million (+30.5%) during the year, as a result of the delivery of 617 homes (+39.3%). It is worth highlighting the delivery of a 395-unit build-to-rent development located in Valdebebas (Madrid), in the last quarter. The Gross Asset Value (GAV) of ACCIONA's real estate portfolio stood at €1.54 billion (+13.2%).

Bestinver recorded a turnover of €101 million (-21%) and a €47 million EBITDA, (-30.4%), due to the negative performance of the fixed income and equity markets during the year. Its average assets under management reached €5.93 billion (-16%). The Bestinver Infra FCR Fund performed positively, having committed €240 million in investments.

In the Services division, Facility Management increased its revenues by 9.4%, while Airport Services performed well, with 33% more assisted flights compared to the previous year. In December, ACCIONA renewed one of its three handling licenses at Düsseldorf airport (Germany) for a period of seven years.

In the Urban Electric Mobility division, Silence increased the number of vehicle sales in 2022 by 43% to 12,826 units.

ESG PROGRESS

ACCIONA reached a level of 22.2% in the number of women in management and executive positions (26.0% in the case of ACCIONA Energía) and the number of projects with social impact management grew 24%. The company reduced the accident frequency rate by -9.5%.

ACCIONA's CAPEX remained 98% (+4.8pp) aligned with the European Union's taxonomy for sustainable activities during the year (100% aligned in the case of ACCIONA Energía). The company reduced its CO2 emissions by -3.3% (-39.5% in the case of ACCIONA Energía), in line with its commitments.