Giuseppe Turchiarelli
Analyst · our call
Thank you, Isabela. Good afternoon, and thanks for joining us. Let me start with the highlights of the period on Slide 3. We continue to reinforce our leadership in renewable market, growing with renewable capacity. We connected around 0.2 gigawatts of renewables to the grid during the first quarter of this year, and we still have over 1 gigawatt of projects under construction that will be added during the 2022-2024 period. Argentina natural gas availability was the positive highlight of the year. During this quarter, the natural gas supply from Argentina was firmed, which supported our natural gas traffic, and I will show you later on. In addition, for this year, we have contracted with Shell for around 12 LNG cargoes to fulfill our operation in Chile, a strategy that gives us more flexibility. The Annual General Meeting held on April 27 approved the new dividend policy of 30% payout ratio for 2021 and 2022. This reflects the final dividend approved of CLP 0.26 with payments made of May 27, totaling a distribution for the 2021 fiscal year of CLP 0.37. And lastly, the Extraordinary General Meeting held right after the AGM approved the E-Mobility business carve-out, which considers selling the 51% stake of [indiscernible] representing a cash-in of €12.75 million in Enel Chile during the Q2 ‘23. Now let’s move to Slide 4 to briefly talk about the market situation. During 2021, we saw a combination of factors that led to a very particular and stressed situation of the Chilean electricity system. And some of these factors continue to impact the energy market, such as a pure hydrology, a delay in the commissioning of some renewable projects at the country level and the important overall increase of commodity price worsened by Russia, Ukraine conflict. In addition, there have been several failure and maintenance of thermal power plants that have put even more pressure on the system. All these factors have led to an increase in marginal costs during the first quarter 2022. However, we were able to cope with this situation thanks to our solid LNG supply position, which includes our long-term LNG contract with Shell and the Argentinean gas supply, which was successfully delivered during the first quarter this year. In this regard, it is worth noting that we have 12 LNG shipments already committed for year 2022, ensuring our supply for the entire period, out of which we have already received 3 cargoes. On Argentinean gas, we see in January and April 2022, we have imported an amount of gas equivalent to 5 LNG cargoes approx [indiscernible]. Our renewable expansion will be core to bring additional flexibility. So let’s now take a look on our generation portfolio on Slide 5. We are convinced that renewable expansion is a key factor to cope with the energy transition, and it will give us a better position in the current challenging context. Therefore, during the first quarter, we connected 178 megawatts of solar capacity to prove our consolidated position in renewable development in Chile. In line with our digitization plan and asset optimization, we completed the sale of Diego de Almagro thermal power plant 24 megawatts during the first quarter. Chile is now at the forefront of the just energy transition, and we will continue contributing to consolidating accounting position and reaching the environmental targets set out in the tariff agreement. Now let’s see our evolution in terms of network main KPIs that support the digitization movement on Slide 6. We continue to deploy the digitization of our commercial channel. In the first quarter of 2022, 86% of our client interaction was executed through digital channels. Despite the complexity introduced by the pandemic situation, we have been able to enhance the quality of customer care thanks to the introduction of our app and WhatsApp interfaces to improve the communication with our customers. On the network side, our quality indicators continue to improve, supported by an increase of automatic digitization at any level of our group. As a result, our sales indicator decreased by 15%. To conclude, energy distribution increased 5% in Q1 2022 compared to Q1 2021, reflecting the easing of the sanitary restriction and the overall economic recovery and reaching presenting to level. Now let’s see the main KPIs and highlights of our beyond commodity strategy that is supporting the digitization and decarbonization on the current consumption on Slide 7. Electrification has turned into one of the main pillar of the decarbonization process and one of the core elements of our strategy. In that sense, we continue to develop different and innovative initiatives, promoting new uses of energy and bringing real chains towards a sustainable future. E-Mobility is one of the challenge towards electrification. And on this line, we are working on [indiscernible] structure to faster the growth. One example is the creation of Enel X main Chile, which will be focused on E-Mobility services. During the extraordinary shareholder meeting held on April 27, 80% of our shareholders approved the sales of 51% of this unit to Enel [indiscernible] that by an international arm on E-Mobility and a commitment to accelerate electricity mobility in the country, in line with the formal trends, benefiting from scale economy. In our view, the growth of these units shall bring additional unit to our generation and resolution businesses. During the first quarter, we have incorporated the 107 new electric buses into the public transportation system associated with [indiscernible]. This incorporation is also part of our circular cities project. It brings the development of the infrastructure and the energy sales, improving the quality of services and bringing technology closer to the people. Each industries and each cities are important for electrification. In line with that, we have developed with the Mandarin Hotel, Oriental Hotel, the first rooftop in Chile that incorporates photovoltaic panels and biodiversity, which deliver unique and differentiated experiences with a dark positive impact on environment. On this city, we continue to tackle new opportunity to build circular cities now outside the Santiago region. Now in Slide 9 on a summary of our main financial highlights of the quarter. Let me start with a quick summary of the adjusted applied and a summary of our main financial highlights. In the first quarter 2022, we applied an adjustment of $21 million in EBITDA due to the impairment made on the coal stock of the period, being as an asset at the bottom line of $14 million. For the same period of 2021, the adjustment applied due to the coal stock was $15 million with FX at the bottom line of $9 million. The Q1 2021 adjusted EBITDA had an increase of 15% or $29 million, mainly due to a positive provision of transmission business as a result of the conclusion of the regulatory status review process and indexation and a higher volume on elevation and distribution businesses. In terms of adjusted net income, this increased by 41%, reflect the higher EBITDA and the lower financial cost in the period coming from the factoring of FX accounts maybe in Q1 2021 to improve the liquidity of the company. CapEx reached $167 million, 31% lower than first Q 2021, mainly due to the connection of the new renewable capacity, which has ended in December 2021. FFO reached minus $151 million, presenting a significant reduction quarter-on-quarter, mainly due to the factoring of the bank accounts made in Q1 2021 and the sales of Intero submission line. Now let’s begin with the CapEx on Slide 10. 2022 first quarter accumulated CapEx reached $167 million, out of which 93% allocated to achieve the SDG goals, particularly devoted to the construction of our new renewable capacity. Customer CapEx totaled $15 million mainly allocated to the new connection and implemented our new distribution commercial system. Asset management CapEx reached $29 million, 35% higher than first Q 2021, mainly due to the maintenance in our CCGT unit. Development CapEx reached $123 million, a decrease of 41%, mostly driven by our renewable expansion program, which added nearly of 0.9 gigawatts of installed capacity in December 2021 and the recently connected Biodel solar power plant. Regarding the network business, we executed a lower CapEx due to the quality and the digitalization projects made in Q1 2021. Let’s move now to Slide 11, where we have the summary of the first quarter adjusted EBITDA breakdown accounting for $26 million, 15% higher versus higher versus 2021. Our origination portfolio mix resulted in a positive variation of $14 million, mainly related to $82 million higher PPA sales in Q1 2022, primarily explained by the highest foreign exchange of the Chilean pesos against dollar. The new PPA agreement started in 2021 and a higher regulative demand. New renewable capacity, which was connected in December 2021, $18 million in the EBITDA over the period. A positive effect on variable costs and purchases, mainly due to a more efficient thermal injection in the period, boosted by an aging commodity coverage instrument and negotiated for the period. All these elements were partially offset by a higher thermal generation costs due to the commodity prices. On the effect that I’ve just mentioned were partially offset by higher spot price in the system in the Q1 2021, mainly due to the higher commodity prices at the 11 level, hydrology and several system facilities that were out set during the period. And then following on the slide, let me talk about the other elements that explain our EBITDA. Hydrology continues to have a negative timing. With 0.2 power less hydro generation impacted our EBITDA in around $60 million. Network remuneration and demand accounting for a positive impact of $20 million related to a positive impact of the release of the final transmission tag technical report issued by the regulator in the first quarter 2022. This final tariff allowed us to reduce the provision we have named since the beginning of the new regulatory cycle that started in January 2020 and result indexation in both business network business and the recovery of the demand in the period, which increased 5% in the Q1 2022 compared with the Q1 2021, reaching [indiscernible] level. Other effects accounted for $10 million, mainly related to lower OpEx in network business due to the [indiscernible] agreement signed in 2021 and higher capitalization and generation business due to the construction of the sales. Let me now give you more detail on generation on Page 12. Net electricity generation grew by 15% to 5.2 terawatt hours, mainly as a result of a higher dispatch of our company [indiscernible] power plants and higher solar generation in the period, partially offset by lower hydro generation related to the reduced water availability. Our energy sales increased 27% during the first quarter 2022, essentially explained by the higher sales to 3 customers, primarily related to the new contracts, coupled with an improvement in sales to regulatory capital. Adjusted EBITDA grew 4% to $180 million, reflecting the portfolio effect that had previously maintenance. Regarding our sourcing on the top of the already mentioned production balances, we accounted a total increase of 1.1 terawatt hour [indiscernible] primarily on the spot market to meet the higher energy demand of the quarter. Let me now give you more detail on network on Page 15. In first Q 2022, our network business reached $50 million, an increase of 71% compared to Q1 2021 due to the above making effect, one-off positive effects on transmission business, as explained the dark line, the start indexation in both network business and recovery of demand in the period, which increased 5% in Q1 2020 compared to Q1 2021, where it changed by funding lower OpEx due to the UNO agreement in Q1 2021. The performance of the network business in this quarter improved regarding the next Q1 2021. The demand reached [indiscernible] increasing price expense and the phase decreased in increasing units in this quarter. In regulatory terms, we expect that the tariff decreased from traditional business will be published during the first half of this year. Now on Slide 14, let’s go through the main driver of our group EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA increased 15% to reach a total of $26 million, mostly owing the better result in distribution and transmission business. D&A impairment and bad debt reached $77 million, $9 million higher than the first quarter of 2021, mainly related to the higher depreciation and amortization in energy and power assets, primarily explained by exchange rate effects and the initial commissioning of new solar power plant. Also, there was a higher depreciation in the solution and transmission segment related to the transfer of new investments in operations and higher amortization of intangible assets related to the new commercial system recently upgraded at Enel distribution. Financial results recorded a $36 million, declining by $11 million mainly to a lower expense related to the factoring executed in Q1 2021 in generation business on account receivable that arose from the tariff stabilization loan, increase in income tax were basically related to the improvement in results during the Q1 2016, partially compensated by higher tax credits due to higher monetary collection. Therefore, the adjusted Q1 2022 net income reached $89 million, representing a 41% growth when compared to the first quarter of last year. Moving to data clock on this quarter 2022 on Slide 15. Q1 2022 FSL reached a negative $151 million, 151% lower than previous year figures, mainly resulting from negative one-off effects related to the factoring made in Q1 2021 of the spec account, which has accommodated during the period in order to manage the cash needs from the business operation and higher completed account of the stabilization making in Q1 to improve versus Q1 2021, which has reduced the cash conversion in $44 million. Negative effects related to the net working capital versus 2021, mainly explained by interrecovery transmission line sales corresponding [indiscernible] in Chile with a total positive cash $29 million in Q1 2021, a lower collection of corporate clients in Q1 2022 and a lower factoring on distribution receivable accounts in the period compared to Q1 2021, also affects the cash conversion. Higher cost of payments in this period and no cash EBITDA and higher financial spend mainly explained by the new best time. These effects were offset by higher EBITDA that as already explained and lower income tax during Q1 2022, mainly related to the lower PCM rate in the period in generation and resolution. Let me now go to our best evolution on Slide 16. Our gross tax increased by $0.3 billion, amounting to $5.3 billion as of March 2022. Due to the company loan granted by Enel Finance International of Chile for $300 million, mainly to fund CapEx and networking capital lease. In terms of debt amortization, our scale remains low with an average maturity of 5.5 million. For the current year, we had around $400 million debt at level that has massive [indiscernible]. We have already started to evaluate several postings in the local international market in order to take the most efficient option. The average cost of the debt in March 2022 decreased to 3.9% from 4.4% as of December 2021 as a result of the financial management we carry out during the last month. On the other hand, 20% of our total prospect is currently SBTU. Our plan to continue to proceed this kind of best in line with our sustainable business strategy. In terms of utility, we continue to have a comfortable position. We are repairing some available committed line, considering the possible asset team in the best market coming from the international contract in Eastern Europe. Now, I would like to point out some closing remarks. We are always looking new benefits to strength our generation portfolio, making each cleaner, efficient and resilient to extend our shops, such as the commodity volatility that the world is facing. We will continue to put the rectification of the country to open the assets for more uses of electricity for our clients and communities. We are pleased to announce that we published our first integrated annual report. This report includes the financial and non-financial information for the 2021 period and we also published the 2021 sustainable report. Both reports are aligned with CPSG and GRI and TCFD standard, and they are available in our website in the investors section. The record reflects house sustainability’s fully integrated into our business model and risk management and value creation business rather. It also demonstrates the company’s efforts increase the energy transition, mainly in the counter recognition and electrification and comply with our lead deal commitment and the group’s commitment to the size agreement. We are scaling an active portfolio management plan and other case initiatives to support the implementation of our commercial strategy, strengthening a sound leverage strategy. Let me now hand over to Isabela.