GTL Resources PLC (GTL Resources), a company engaged in the production and sale of ethanol and co-products, has reported revenue of $145.6 million for the fiscal year 2009, up 5%, compared with the revenues of $135.2 million in the previous year. It also reported loss of $18.4 million, or $0.50 loss per diluted share, for the fiscal year 2009, compared with the profit of $7.9 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, in the previous year.
Operational Highlights:
Doubling of nameplate capacity of the plant up to 100 million gallons per annum (mpga), completed under budget and ahead of schedule in December of 2008.
Ethanol plant currently running ahead of its new 100 mgpa nameplate volume, and achieving better than nameplate ethanol and energy yields.
Ethanol volume shipped for the period of 63.8 million gallons (FY2008: 58.2 million gallons).
Signed a three year ethanol off-take agreement with an Oil Major for 40 mgpa, securing sales volume for a majority of its capacity increase with attractive freight terms.
Ethanol plant awarded a $4 million grant from the State of Illinois, to partially offset construction costs.
Financial Highlights:
Annual loss before tax of $18.4 million (FY2008: $8.4 million profit).
LBITDA of $5.8 million (2008: EBITDA of $18.7 million).
Year over year decline in EBITDA of $(24.5) million primarily due to:
$(13.2) million decline in available market commodity margins (ethanol and dried distiller grains revenue, less corn and natural gas cost per gallon),
$(4.6) million in losses on corn positions/stock held against October 2008 to December 2008 deliveries as previously reported,
$(3.4) million in above market losses on natural gas positions for the August 2008 to March 2009 time period,
$(1.5) million in close out costs on natural gas positions, and
$(1.5) million in losses related to an unanticipated plant shutdown in February 2009 to address structural damage in its corn silo/receiving area.
The Group’s performance for the period was an adjusted* EBITDA of $5.2 million, excluding the above mentioned corn, natural gas and silo losses.
Cash and financial assets include $8.6 million of deposits at the GTL level (which represents around $0.25 or GBP0.16 per share), and $10.6 million of restricted cash at the Illinois River Energy, LLC level.
All of the Group’s debt remains at the Illinois River Energy, LLC level, with no recourse against GTL assets.
Adjusted for $4.6 million corn losses, $3.4 million natural gas losses, $1.5 million on close outs of natural gas positions and $1.5 million plant shutdown.
Commenting on fiscal 2009 performance, the Group’s Chief Executive Richard Ruebe said, 2009 was a challenging year and we expect these conditions to remain in the near term given the continued margin pressures being experienced by ethanol producers. However, with the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) mandatory corn ethanol blending levels increasing to 12.0 billion gallons in calendar year 2010 from 10.5 billion gallons in calendar year 2009, with minimal additional ethanol capacity coming on line, and with subsequent annual RFS blending increases of 0.6 billion gallons per year through 2015, supply and demand induced margin pressures in our industry should gradually improve over time and GTL will be well positioned to benefit from these improvements when they occur.