Turnaround achieved in third quarter
Lohne, 27 November 2008 – EnviTec Biogas AG [ISIN: DE000A0MVLS8,
WKN: A0MVLS] achieved the turnaround in the third quarter. “The amendment of Germany’s Renewable Energies Act jumpstarted the market and our revenues between July and September matched those in the first six months of the year,” said Jörg Fischer, CFO of EnviTec Biogas. This positive trend is expected to continue in the fourth quarter, considering that orders worth EUR 188 million, including 30 percent from abroad, were on hand at the end of September.
Having rebounded from a challenging first half of the year, EnviTec Biogas reports third-quarter sales of EUR 32.4 million, which brings nine-month sales to EUR 64.5 million (previous year: EUR 102.2 million). The turnaround is also reflected in the company’s profitability. While EBIT for the first six months stood at EUR -1.4 million, operating profit for the third quarter came in at EUR 2.2 million, resulting in EUR 0.8 million (previous year: EUR 15.8 million) in EBIT at the nine-month stage. The Q1-Q3 financial result of EUR 3.4 million reflects the company solid financial position. The net result for the first three quarters is reported at EUR 3.0 million (previous year: EUR 11.1 million) or EUR 0.20 per share.
EnviTec Biogas looks to the future with optimism. Prospects for the biogas sector remain positive on the whole despite the financial market crisis and the general insecurity about the worldwide economy. Apart from Germany, numerous countries have launched or expanded their schemes to promote the use of renewable energies, thereby opening up a number of attractive markets for EnviTec Biogas. In addition to the German market, the company is meanwhile active almost on a Europe-wide basis and even in India and USA. A pick-up in momentum is currently observed in the Italian market where two plants rated for an electrical power capacity of 250 and 525 kilowatts are under construction, with more projects being at the planning stage in this interesting market.
In addition to the positive change in the legal environment, the prices for input materials have exhibited a very gratifying trend as well. While maize silage commanded prices of up to EUR 32 per ton in some locations, market prices have since settled at approx. EUR 22 per ton. This makes biogas production even more attractive for farmers, financial investors and energy providers.
The trend of input prices, the gratifying course of business in the third quarter and the high order backlog worth EUR 188 million, strengthen the confidence EnviTec Biogas to attain its forecast for the full year 2008. In the final quarter of the year, the company expects to improve on the already good third quarter and to report another increase in sales revenues and profits, in particular. The Executive Board consequently expects full 2008 sales to come in at between EUR 105 million and 115 million, with operating profit (EBIT) amounting to between EUR 5 million and 8 million. The positive sales and profit trend should continue also in the year 2009. At this time the company does not anticipate its business trend to be significantly impacted by the crisis in the financial markets.
The report on the third quarter 2008 can be downloaded at www.envitec-biogas.de.
EnviTec Biogas AG covers the entire value chain for the production of biogas - including the planning and turnkey construction of biogas plants as well as their commissioning. The company provides the biological and technical service and also offers the full plant and operating management. In Güstrow, in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, EnviTec builds the world’s largest plant for the production of biogas to natural gas standards with an electrical connected load of 22 megawatts. In addition, the company also operates its own biogas plants.Today, the company is represented in more than 15 countries throughout Europe and as well in China and India. In 2007 EnviTec generated revenues of EUR 132 million and EBIT of EUR 18 million. The EnviTec Group has about 280 employees. Since July 2007 EnviTec is listed on the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
Investor Relations:
Olaf Brandes
EnviTec Biogas AG
Tel: +49 44 42 80 65-118
E-Mail: ir@envitec-biogas.de
Press contact:
Fabian Lorenz, Grit Pauli
HOSCHKE & CONSORTEN Public Relations GmbH
Tel: +49 40 36 90 50- 56 /-31
E-Mail: f.lorenz@hoschke.de; g.pauli@hoschke.de
To open pdf-files you will need the Adobe Reader, which is avaiable for download
here.