MANILA, Philippines—Energy Development Corp., the country’s largest producer of geothermal energy, plans to issue dollar-denominated bonds to raise $300 million for the company’s capital expenditure requirements this year.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, EDC said its board of directors had approved the management’s recommendation for an international dollar bond offering. The final terms, size and timing of the bond issuance, however, will be based on prevailing market conditions at the time of issuance.
“Proceeds from the bond offering are intended to be used to fund the company’s growth projects, capital expenditures, debt servicing requirements and other corporate purposes,” EDC said in the disclosure.
The Lopez-led firm tapped Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan Securities Ltd. as joint lead managers for the transaction. Upon issuance, the bonds will be listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (SGX-ST).
EDC did not provide further details for the planned offering.
Over the next five years, EDC said it was targeting to invest $1 billion in greenfield power plants to help it become the top geothermal company in the world.
EDC president Richard B. Tantoco earlier said the company was planning to put up geothermal facilities that could generate a total of 230 megawatts in its concession areas, and a wind farm in Burgos, Ilocos Norte.
According to Tantoco, the company expected to spend as much as $3.5 million to produce a megawatt of geothermal power through these greenfield facilities, and about $2.5 million per megawatt for its wind power project.
Aside from the $1-billion investment in new power plants, EDC also earmarked P20.6 billion for its capital expenditure projects for 2010 to 2015. The amount would be used to rehabilitate existing power plants, conduct further drilling activities and improve the company’s facilities.
Tantoco said about P12.2 billion would be used for underground activities and resource development (to include drillings), while the remaining P8.4 billion would be earmarked for above-ground activities.
The greenfield, expansion and rehabilitation projects that are expected to be completed by 2015 include the 150-MW Bacman geothermal plant and the 86-MW wind farm in Burgos, Ilocos Norte (2012); the 40-MW Tanawon and 20-MW Nasulo geothermal projects (2013); 50-MW Mindanao 3 geothermal project (2014); and the 40-MW Rangas geothermal project and 40-MW Kayabon project (2015).
Tantoco said the general target was to increase the company’s attributable generating capacity by 38 percent to 1,542 MW within a five-year period starting 2011, from the current 1,116 MW.
No comments:
Post a Comment