Statkraft, Norfund Agree to Further Cooperation
Statkraft and Norfund have signed an agreement expressing their intention to restructure and prolong their cooperation within renewable energy. The aim, they said, is to create a leading international hydropower cluster, based on assets from Statkraft, SN Power and Agua Imara.
The parties have agreed with binding effect that Norfund's option to sell its shares in SN Power to Statkraft in Q4 2013 is postponed to Q2 2014.
The agreement contains the framework for future ownership structure and cooperation. The aim is to reach final and binding agreements by the end of Q4 2013, prolonging the companies' strategic cooperation in renewable energy with a strong focus on hydropower in emerging markets.
The main elements of the proposed new structure and cooperation are:
- Statkraft will own 67% and Norfund 33% of SN Power's existing portfolio in South Asia & South America, which will be operationally integrated with Statkraft's portfolio in Southeast Europe.
- A new company called SN Power will be created, consisting of existing SN Power's portfolio in South East Asia and Agua Imara's portfolio in Africa and Central America, forming three separate regions within the company.
- Regional Norwegian power companies BKK and TrønderEnergi will be invited to participate with ownership interests in SN Power and consent to the proposed structure. The intention of the Parties is also to invite one or two financial investors into the company at a later stage, with the aim that Statkraft and Norfund thereafter will own around 40 per cent each of SN Power. Remaining shares will be held by BKK, TrønderEnergi and new financial investors.
- A separate Project and Construction unit will be established within Statkraft International Hydropower, which shall be a preferred supplier of project and construction execution services to all international hydropower projects within Statkraft and SN Power.
The agreement includes an intention that the put option program in the current shareholders agreement for SN Power, which gives Norfund options to sell its shares in SN Power to Statkraft in 2013, 2014 and 2015, is replaced by a revised put/call option program for the period 2017 onwards.