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25 Apr 2023 07:00
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25 April 2023
US SOLAR FUND PLC (USF, the "Company")
MS2 SALE UPDATE
US Solar Fund plc (LON: USF (USD)/USFP (GBP)) is pleased to announce that it has executed a binding agreement to sell USF's 50% interest in the 200MWDC Mount Signal 2 (MS2) asset to MN8 Energy LLC (MN8), a renewable energy business formerly known as Goldman Sachs Renewable Power LLC. This follows the January 2023 exercise of the purchase option granted to MN8 in 2022 (Option).
The terms of the binding agreement are consistent with the terms of the Option. MN8 will acquire USF's 50% interest in MS2 for US$52.2 million excluding working capital plus the non-refundable Option fee of $1 million paid in 2022. The sale will imply a gross return of approximately 11% per annum[1] since USF announced the agreement to acquire up to 50% of MS2 from New Energy Solar in December 2020.
USF expects the transaction to close in the second quarter of 2023 subject to customary regulatory and financier consents. The transaction has no impact on the Strategic Review and Formal Sale Process (Strategic Review) announced on 17 October 2022. The Company will update shareholders regarding use of proceeds at the conclusion of the Strategic Review (or the financial close of the MS2 sale if earlier).
For further information, please contact:
US Solar Fund Whitney Voute
| +1 718 230 4329 |
Cenkos Securities plc James King Tunga Chigovanyika Will Talkington
| +44 20 7397 8900 |
Jefferies International Limited Stuart Klein Gaudi Le Roux
| +44 20 7029 8000
|
KL Communications | +44 20 3995 6673 |
Charles Gorman Charlotte Francis Millie Steyn |
About US Solar Fund plc
US Solar Fund plc, established in 2019, listed on the premium segment of the London Stock Exchange in April 2019. The Company's investment objective is to provide investors with attractive and sustainable dividends with an element of capital growth by owning and operating solar power assets in North America and other OECD countries in the America.
The solar power assets that the Company acquires or constructs are expected to have an asset life of at least 30 years and generate stable and uncorrelated cashflows by selling electricity to creditworthy offtakers under long-term power purchase agreements (or PPAs). The Company's portfolio currently (including the Company's 50% interest in MS2) consists of 42 operational solar projects with a total capacity of 543MWDC, all located in the United States.
Further information on the Company can be found on its website at http://www.ussolarfund.co.uk.
About the Investment Manager
USF is managed by New Energy Solar Manager (NESM). NESM also manages New Energy Solar, an Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)-listed fund. Combined, US Solar Fund and New Energy Solar have committed approximately US$1.3 billion to 57 projects totalling 1.2GWDC.
NESM is owned by E&P Funds, the funds management division of E&P Financial Group, an ASX listed company (ASX: EP1) with over A$20 billion of funds under advice.
[1] Before taxes and transaction costs. Based on the MS2 sale reaching financial close in May 2023.
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