NextEnergy Solar Regulatory News (NESF)

LEI: 213800ZPHCBDDSQH5447

25 February 2021

NextEnergy Solar Fund Limited

("NESF" or the "Company")

Scrip Reference Price

NextEnergy Solar Fund, the FTSE 250 solar power renewable energy investment company providing shareholders with an attractive risk-adjusted return from a diversified portfolio of primarily UK-based assets, is pleased to announce the reference price of a new Ordinary Share under the scrip dividend alternative for the interim dividend for the quarter ended 31 December 2020 which has been set at 100.92 pence. This is the average of the middle market prices of the Company's shares derived from the London Stock Exchange Daily Official List for the ex-dividend date and the four subsequent dealing days. The final date for receiving elections on the scrip is 5 March 2021.

The process for electing to receive Scrip Shares or making changes to an existing Scrip Dividend Mandate is detailed in the Scrip Circular dated 19 August 2020.

If you wish to receive this interim dividend in cash on the whole of your holding, and do not have a Scrip Dividend Mandate in place, you do not need to take any further action.

If you already have a Scrip Dividend Mandate in place and you wish to continue to receive Scrip Shares, you do not need to take any further action.

The Scrip Circular dated 19 August 2020 can be viewed and/or downloaded from the Investor Relations part of the NESF website (nextenergysolarfund.com). Copies of these documents can also be obtained from the Company Secretary. 

For further information:

Notes to Editors1:

About NextEnergy Solar Fund 

A constituent of the FTSE 250 Index, NextEnergy Solar Fund is a renewable energy infrastructure investment company that currently invests in operating solar power plants in the UK and Italy. The Company may invest up to 30% of its gross asset value in non-UK OECD countries, 15% in private equity structures, and 10% in standalone energy storage.

NESF currently has a diversified portfolio comprising 91 operating solar assets, primarily on agricultural, industrial, and commercial sites, with a combined installed power capacity of c.763MW.

As at 31 December 2020, the Company had gross assets of £1,001 million, of which 88% was invested in the UK, and net assets of £591 million. The majority of long-term cash flows from its investments are inflation-linked.

NESF's investment objective is to provide ordinary shareholders with attractive risk-adjusted returns, principally in the form of regular dividends, by investing in a diversified portfolio of primarily UK-based solar energy infrastructure assets. The dividend is payable quarterly, and the Company has announced a dividend target for the year ending 31 March 2021 of 7.05p per ordinary share. 

Committed to ESG

NESF is committed to ESG principles and responsible investment which make a meaningful contribution to reducing CO2 emissions through the generation of clean solar power. NESF will only select investments that meet the requirements of NEC Group's Sustainable Investment Policy. Based on this policy, NESF benefits from NEC's rigorous ESG due diligence on each investment. NESF is committed to reporting on its ESG performance in accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals framework and the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation.

NESF has been awarded the London Stock Exchange's Green Economy Mark and has been designated a Guernsey Green Fund by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission.

For further information on NESF please visit nextenergysolarfund.com

About NextEnergy Capital Group ("NEC Group")

NESF is managed by the NextEnergy Capital Group, a specialist solar investment manager, which has a strong track record in sourcing, acquiring, and managing operating solar assets. NEC Group is a leading player in the global solar investment sector and has over 190 team members with offices in UK, Italy, India, and the USA and assets under management of over $2.3bn across three institutional funds.

NextEnergy Capital Group donates 5% of its net annual profits to NextEnergy Foundation. NextEnergy Foundation is an international charity that was founded in 2016. Its mission is to participate proactively in the global effort to reduce carbon emissions, provide clean power sources in regions where they are not yet available, and contribute to poverty alleviation.

For further information on NEC Group please visit nextenergycapital.com  

For further information on NextEnergy Foundation visit nextenergyfoundation.org 

About WiseEnergy

WiseEnergy is NEC Group's specialist operating asset management division. NESF is differentiated by its access to WiseEnergy, which has provided operating asset management, monitoring, technical due diligence, and other services to over 1,500 utility-scale solar power plants with an installed capacity in excess of 2.3GW.

For further information on Wise Energy please visit wise-energy.com  

[1] Note: All financial data is as at 31 December 2020, being the latest date in respect of which NESF has published financial information