RE: David Palumbo – Billingham Update – THIS IS HUGE FOR EQT3 Jun 2020 10:23
To the Analyst
Firstly I am a new to this forum but I am surprised by the gratuitous rudeness and accusatorial style coupled
with wild assertions in this forum
It is the latter which served as a catalyst to respond although it seems to have attracted the ire (and a large serving
of cognitive dissonance) from many private Investors holding the stock bar the 2 corporates – holding 38.79%
of stock per Bloomberg yesterday at 0850
The WtE sector is a complex one even after 30 years in it, but there is no need whatsoever to believe what I have written.
Go to any of thousands of experts in sector from Private Equity, VC’s or top 4 accountants ; PWC alone has > 100 qualified
Renewable corporate finance experts. Together they see thousands of WtE opportunities each year cost maybe £500 to
£1000 for an hour , a small price to pay
But for free external referencing look at Tolvik WtE stats 2019 report dated May20 and there is a good emag “Lets Recycle”
And then you can google UKWIN gasification failures to square the circle
You mention business partnerships Cobra etc but the project will be there project if they have any significant role. What is EQT’s role?
A project SPV is de rigueur but as I have said no investor or debt provider will put a penny up unless there is a strong project pedigree, proven team, highly experienced business partners and a totally secure supply of feedstock with a project IRR in this sector 15% to 20% All must have very strong financials as a full 100% wrap will need to be provided
I don’t know EQT nor what projects EQT have successfully completed
Generally only 1% of opportunities get funded, for WtE its much less than that
Just to get a WtE project investment ready with all approvals, permits, reviews and contractual framework etc costs upfront a minimum of £500k and up to £3m in professional fees etc
Per project that written off if no completion You cannot get funding on just an idea as you might well know
But at present most funders are focused on saving the supposedly “safest bet ” solar & wind projects where they invested billions effected by low power price and exacerbated
By being funder by debt ; one of biggest UK funders, £500m + a go, has said come back in 2 years.
For Billingham over 20 years the low Mwh price means a loss of power revenue N of £100m – you can do the sums yourself .
Then to create the perfect storm feedstock gate fees are a disaster at present, with any volumes grabbed by recyclers leaving the incinerators etc short of input and prices just ridiculous waste food per tonne down by 75%
So all in all WtE is a problematic market in a number of ways at present