ReNew Announces $250 Million Share Buyback and Preliminary Results for Q3 FY’22

Nasdaq listed ReNew Energy Global plc has announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a new $250 million share repurchase program to buy back Class A Ordinary Shares (“Share Repurchase Program”) in the capital of the Company.  In addition, the Company is providing updates on certain financial metrics for the quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2021.

Share Buyback Program

The Board has authorised the repurchase of up to $250 million of Class A Ordinary Shares by way of open market purchases, which will be funded through cash received from the Company’s recent sale of its 117 MW/138 MWp solar rooftop portfolio, which was at an EV/run rate adjusted EBITDA multiple of approximately 9.5x, as well as from its current cash balance. The Company is currently evaluating further offers to sell minority interests of assets at similar indicated valuation multiples.

The Company will only commence the buyback under the Share Repurchase Program following approval by the court of the cancellation of the Company’s share premium and registration of such order with the Companies House as required under the UK Companies Act, 2006 and creation of distributable profits for the Company to undertake any share repurchases under the Share Repurchase Program. It is expected that all approvals will be received and repurchases could commence in mid-February 2022.

The Share Repurchase Program does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular amount of Class A Ordinary Shares and may be suspended or discontinued at any time.

Sumant Sinha, Chairman and CEO, ReNew, said, “This stock repurchase illustrates our confidence in the strength and resilience of our business model as well as our long-term growth prospects. Given our robust balance sheet and strong cash flow generation, the flexibility to opportunistically repurchase shares while concurrently executing our growth plan underscores our commitment to a shareholder enhancing, returns focused capital allocation strategy. Our stock is providing the highest return opportunity for its shareholders, and this repurchase is expected to be meaningfully accretive to our long-term EBITDA and cash flow per share targets. In addition, we continue to expect to achieve our aspirational goal of 18 GWs by FY’25 given our strong access to capital, current cash position, and potential sales of minority stakes in our assets.”

Run Rate Guidance

The Company is providing updated run rate EBITDA, run rate Cash Flow to equity and Net Debt guidance for its current operating portfolio of 7.3 GWs (after the recent rooftop sale) and total portfolio of 10.2 GWs, in line with previous disclosures:

Preliminary Results for 3Q’ FY’22 and Nine Months Ended December 31, 2021:

The Company’s financial results for the three months and nine months ended December 31, 2021 are not finalized. The results for the three months and the nine months ended December 31, 2021 are preliminary and subject to completion.

• The Company added 1.1 GWs of capacity during Q3 FY’22 of which 0.8 GWs was added organically. As of December 31, 2021, the Company’s portfolio consisted of 10.3 GWs of which 7.4 GWs are commissioned and 2.9 GWs are committed.
  Total income (or total revenue) for the nine months ended December 31, 2021 was INR 51,727 million (US $ 695 million) and INR 13,608 million (US$ 183 million) for Q3 FY’22. Total income includes finance income of INR 1,235 million (US $ 17 million) for the nine months ended December 31, 2021 and INR 428 million (US $ 6 million) for Q3 FY22.
• Adjusted EBITDA(2) (Non-IFRS) for the nine months ended December 31, 2021 was INR 42,458 million (US$ 571 million) and INR 10,556 (US$ 142 million) for Q3 FY22. Adjusted EBITDA was not adjusted for the net negative impact of weather relative to normal of approximately INR 4,082 million (US $55 million) for the nine months ended December 31,2021 and approximately INR 1,116 million (US$ 15 million) for Q3 FY22.
• Gross debt on December 31, 2021 excluding debt with respect to acquisition in Q3 FY22 was INR 400,158 million (US $ 5,379 million) and including acquisition, gross debt was INR 411,008 million (US $ 5,525 million). Cash and bank balances were INR 59,843 million (US $ 804 million) as of December 31, 2022. During the third fiscal quarter of 2022, the cash spent on acquisition was INR 7,581 million (US $ 102 million).
• Total receivables on December 31, 2021 were INR 51,713 million (US $ 695 million), of which INR 5,203 million (US $ 70 million) is unbilled and INR 1,447 million (US $ 19 million) is not due and others. Andhra Pradesh DISCOM (Distribution Companies being our customers) had a total outstanding of INR 16,533 million (US $ 222 million) which we expect to recover fully. The days sales outstanding improved by 16 days from September 30, 2021 to December 31, 2021.

Other Updates:

The Company also received a favorable order from the Karnataka High Court in December 2021 where Hubli Electricity Supply Company Limited (“HESCOM”) and Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company Limited (GESCOM), has been directed to clear all the outstanding dues payable to the Company for the power sold from the Company’s projects in the state of Karnataka, India. Karnataka DISCOMs were also directed to open or renew monthly irrevocable letters of credit under the terms of the PPA between the Company and DISCOM. Additionally, the court issued general directions to all the DISCOMs in the state of Karnataka to honor, discharge and fulfil their duties, obligations and liabilities under their PPAs with power producing companies. Total receivables on December 31, 2021 from all Karnataka DISCOMs, HESCOM and GESCOM were INR 6,685 million (US $ 90 million), INR 3,553 million (US $ 47 million), and INR 2,649 million (US $ 36 million) respectively.