Fernando Romero, CEO of EiDF Solar, has just completed the integration of ODF Energía. In an operation that will mean a leap for both companies.
What objectives does the operation with ODF Energía pursue?
Accelerate our vertical integration of activities by strengthening the commercialization area by assuming its client portfolio for the supply of the energy produced in our photovoltaic parks. Given the current situation of the energy market, the generation-commercialization binomial is essential to respond to the growing demand through a stable and competitive supply in energy prices, away from the dominant trend of the wholesale market marked by volatility.
EiDF provides the necessary solvency for ODF Energía to develop its activity as it has done up to now. In fact, one of our first actions in this operation was to resolve an incident that the company had with Iberdrola, taking charge of the arrears in the payment of tolls to the distributor that had dragged on since September after the price escalation in the market.
ODF’s trajectory and experience in the sector, in which it is one of the top 10 operators nationwide in the SME segment, not only provides us with a portfolio of clients for energy supply, but will also reinforce our global growth within the plan of business that we have developed for the next few years. With ODF we are going to double the volume of commercialization clients and this will be accompanied by an increase in the generation of EiDF. Rather, it will reinforce our global growth within the business plan that we have developed for the coming years.
With ODF we are going to double the volume of commercialization clients and this will be accompanied by an increase in the generation of EiDF. Rather, it will reinforce our global growth within the business plan that we have developed for the coming years. With ODF we are going to double the volume of commercialization clients and this will be accompanied by an increase in the generation of EiDF.
Will integration with the Andalusian marketer make it possible to accelerate your renewable projects?
It helps us to speed up the objectives of our business plan and to complete our service offer through a comprehensive proposal in energy matters. The activity of EiDF as a generator, with our pipeline of almost 900 MW, and of ODF as a marketer, will be complemented by PPA’s or bilateral contracts, separating us from the current market system. This will help us to have higher profitability and margins, which will have a direct impact on EiDF’s ebitda.
Do you set any customer goals?
ODF already has a prominent presence in the sector, in which it has been operating for 15 years, being one of the leading marketers in the country. It has almost 40,000 clients between companies and public administrations, managing more than 700 GWh of electricity and 400 Gwh of natural gas. The objective is to continue expanding the client portfolio through a value proposition, offering medium and long-term contracts at stable prices for the industrial sector. We want to multiply by two those 700 GWh, reaching 2 TW.
That is the objective pursued by Sergio Palmero, CEO of ODF. Grow in clients and in generation volume. We also seek to continue adding customers in the gas sector, as an added service to electricity and, in the rest of ODF’s services. For its mutiutility character,
Will you market your self-consumption facilities with ODF?
That’s how it is. We will integrate services. Taking into account the multi-utility nature of ODF, the objective is to promote self-consumption facilities in the SME and even residential environment. The idea is that customers benefit from the energy produced by small self-consumption facilities at the same time from stable and competitive prices for the energy they consume from the grid with that 100% renewable energy from our parks.
Do you perceive a greater interest in this type of plants by industrialists with the current price scenario?
Absolutely. These last two months, September and October, have been the ones with the highest sales in our activity history. It is evident that the rising price of electricity is benefiting us, since companies are forced to look for savings alternatives that allow them to reduce their bill. There are companies that in recent months have doubled their energy cost.
Do problems for self-consumption continue to persist?
We continue with the same obstacles that we have been pointing to and demanding correction for a long time: agility in administrative processes for installations of more than 100 kW, a common regulation for all autonomous communities and tax exemptions for self-consumption (no non-repayable subsidies) . There is a lack of a common strategy in Spain and an adequate regulatory framework to promote a fair and progressive energy transition.
We are in a sector that is so regulated and so intervened that any step that we want to face with a 10-year vision, you will find 20 enemies and an ally, and much more when the political part at the national level, in a situation of global climate alarm , has no motivation to sit at a table and seek a common goal.
How are the prices of the facilities evolving?
It is evident that the generic increase in the cost of raw materials and transport may have an impact on the price of photovoltaic installations. At EiDF we have made supplies with purchases a few months ago, so we have long-term stock and, for now, there is no impact on our offers.
Will the integration of ODF change your forecasts?
It helps our consolidation in 2022, the year in which we will reach a turnover level of more than 200 million with the integration of the two groups. This will ensure that EiDF’s ebitda maintains the good rates that we have recorded since the market launch.
This indicator will be more attractive to shareholders who are and will be, and who will be part of the capital increase scheduled for December. At EiDF we believe in our organic growth, we always have. Although it is true that we are also analyzing investment opportunities within the sector in which we operate that may be of interest to our business objectives.
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