Innergex begins commercial operation of the 40.6 MW Big Silver Creek hydroelectric facility

Ad blocking detected

Thank you for visiting CanadianInsider.com. We have detected you cannot see ads being served on our site due to blocking. Unfortunately, due to the high cost of data, we cannot serve the requested page without the accompanied ads.

If you have installed ad-blocking software, please disable it (sometimes a complete uninstall is necessary). Private browsing Firefox users should be able to disable tracking protection while visiting our website. Visit Mozilla support for more information. If you do not believe you have any ad-blocking software on your browser, you may want to try another browser, computer or internet service provider. Alternatively, you may consider the following if you want an ad-free experience.

Canadian Insider Ultra Club
$500/ year*
Daily Morning INK newsletter
+3 months archive
Canadian Market INK weekly newsletter
+3 months archive
30 publication downloads per month from the PDF store
Top 20 Gold, Top 30 Energy, Top 40 Stock downloads from the PDF store
All benefits of basic registration
No 3rd party display ads
JOIN THE CLUB

* Price is subject to applicable taxes.

Paid subscriptions and memberships are auto-renewing unless cancelled (easily done via the Account Settings Membership Status page after logging in). Once cancelled, a subscription or membership will terminate at the end of the current term.

Innergex begins commercial operation of the 40.6 MW Big Silver Creek hydroelectric facility

Canada NewsWire

  • Contribution to the Corporation's annual revenues of approximately $18.0 million
  • Electricity to power more than 12,700 British Columbia households each year
  • Completed on time and under budget

LONGUEUIL, QC, Aug. 24, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. (TSX: INE) ("Innergex" or the "Corporation") has begun commercial operation of the 40.6 MW Big Silver Creek run-of-river hydroelectric facility located in British Columbia.

"We are proud to have commissioned our 43rd facility, reinforcing our leadership position among independent power producers in British Columbia and in Canada, with a gross installed capacity totalling 1,359 MW" stated Michel Letellier, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation.

The 40.6 MW Big Silver Creek hydroelectric facility is located on private land, approximately 40 km north of Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia. Construction began in June 2014 and was completed in July 2016, earlier than expected and within the budget. The COD certificate has been approved by BC Hydro with an effective commissioning date of July 29, 2016.

Big Silver Creek's average annual production is estimated to reach 139 800 MWh, enough to power more than 12,700 households. In its first full year of operation, it is expected to generate revenues and Adjusted EBITDA of circa $18.0 million and $15.0 million respectively. All of the electricity it produces is covered by a 40-year fixed-price power purchase agreement with BC Hydro, which was obtained under that province's 2008 Clean Power Call Request for Proposals and which provides for an annual adjustment to the selling price based on a portion of the Consumer Price index.

About Innergex Renewable Energy Inc.

Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. (TSX: INE) is a leading Canadian independent renewable power producer. Active since 1990, the Corporation develops, owns, and operates run-of-river hydroelectric facilities, wind farms, and solar photovoltaic farms and carries out its operations in Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia, Idaho, USA, and France. Its portfolio of assets currently consists of: (i) interests in 43 operating facilities with an aggregate net installed capacity of 817 MW (gross 1,359 MW), including 29 hydroelectric operating facilities, 13 wind farms, and one solar photovoltaic farm; (ii) interests in three projects under development or under construction with an aggregate net installed capacity of 146 MW (gross 257 MW), for which power purchase agreements have been secured; and (iii) prospective projects with an aggregate net capacity totaling 3,280 MW (gross 3,530 MW). Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. is rated BBB- by S&P.

The Corporation's strategy for building shareholder value is to develop or acquire high-quality facilities that generate sustainable cash flows and provide an attractive risk-adjusted return on invested capital, and to distribute a stable dividend.

Non-IFRS measures disclaimer.

Readers are cautioned that Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure recognized by IFRS and has no standardized meaning prescribed by it, and therefore may not be comparable to those presented by other issuers. Innergex believes that this indicator is important, as it provides management and the reader with additional information about its cash generation capabilities and facilitates the comparison of results over different periods. References in this press release to "Adjusted EBITDA" are to revenues less operating expenses, general and administrative expenses and prospective project expenses. Readers are cautioned that Adjusted EBITDA should not be construed as an alternative to net earnings as determined in accordance with IFRS.

Forward-Looking Information Disclaimer

In order to inform readers of the Corporation's future prospects, this press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("Forward-Looking Information"). Forward-Looking Information can generally be identified by the use of words such as "projected", "potential", "expect", "will", "should", "estimate", "forecasts", "intends", or other comparable terminology that states that certain events will or will not occur. It represents the estimates and expectations of the Corporation relating to future results and developments as of the date of this press release. It includes future-oriented financial information, such as expected production, revenues and Adjusted EBITDA, to inform readers of the potential financial impact of the Big Silver Creek hydroelectric facility. Such information may not be appropriate for other purposes.

Forward-Looking Information in this press release is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Corporation. The following table outlines Forward-Looking Information contained in this press release, the principal assumptions used to derive this information and the principal risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from this information.

Principal Assumptions

Principal Risks and Uncertainties

Expected production

For each facility, the Corporation determines a long-term average annual level of
electricity production ("LTA") over the expected life of the facility, based on engineers'
studies that take into consideration a number of important factors: for hydroelectricity,
the historically observed flows of the river, the operating head, the technology
employed and the reserved aesthetic and ecological flows. Other factors taken into
account include, without limitation, site topography, installed capacity, energy losses,
operational features and maintenance. Although production will fluctuate from year to
year, over an extended period it should approach the estimated long-term average.

Improper assessment of water resources
and associated electricity production

 

Variability in hydrology

 

Equipment failure or unexpected
operations and maintenance activity

Natural disaster

Projected Revenues

For each facility, expected annual revenues are estimated by multiplying the LTA by a
price for electricity stipulated in the power purchase agreement secured with a public
utility or other creditworthy counterparty. These agreements stipulate a base price and,
in some cases, a price adjustment depending on the month, day and hour of delivery.
In most cases, power purchase agreements also contain an annual inflation
adjustment based on a portion of the Consumer Price Index.

Production levels below the LTA caused
mainly by the risks and uncertainties
mentioned above

 

Unexpected seasonal variability in the
production and delivery of electricity

 

Lower-than-expected inflation rate

Projected Adjusted EBITDA

For each facility, the Corporation estimates annual operating earnings by subtracting
from the estimated revenues the budgeted annual operating costs, which consist
primarily of operators' salaries, insurance premiums, operations and maintenance
expenditures, property taxes and royalties; these are predictable and relatively fixed,
varying mainly with inflation (except for maintenance expenditures).

Variability of facility performance and
related penalties

 

Changes to water and land rental expenses

 

Unexpected maintenance expenditures

 

Changes in the purchase price of electricity
upon renewal of a PPA

 

Material risks and uncertainties

The material risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results and developments to be materially different from current expressed Forward-Looking Information are referred to in the Corporation's Annual Information Form in the "Risk Factors" section and include, without limitation: the ability of the Corporation to execute its strategy for building shareholder value; its ability to raise additional capital and the state of capital markets; liquidity risks related to derivative financial instruments; variability in hydrology, wind regimes and solar irradiation; delays and cost overruns in the design and construction of projects; uncertainty surrounding the development of new facilities; variability of installation performance and related penalties; and the ability to secure new power purchase agreements or to renew existing ones.

Although the Corporation believes that the expectations and assumptions on which Forward-Looking Information is based are reasonable, readers of this press release are cautioned not to rely unduly on this Forward-Looking Information since no assurance can be given that they will prove to be correct. The Corporation does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any Forward-Looking Information, whether as a result of events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release, unless so required by legislation.

 

SOURCE Innergex Renewable Energy Inc.

Copyright CNW Group 2016

Comment On!

140
Upload limit is up to 1mb only
To post messages to your Socail Media account, you must first give authorization from the websites. Select the platform you wish to connect your account to CanadianInsider.com (via Easy Blurb).