Ormat secures $75M loan from BHI for Enel assets acquisition
BHI has provided a $75-million loan to Ormat, partly financing Ormat’s acquisition of the geothermal assets of the Enel Group in the U.S.
BHI, a full-service commercial bank, announced that it has entered into an agreement with Reno, Nevada-based Ormat Technologies (NYSE: ORA) to provide a new $75 million term loan for the company.
Ormat will use the proceeds for general corporate purposes, including the January 4th 2024 acquisition whereby Ormat purchased the U.S. geothermal portfolio of Italian power & gas giant, Enel Group for $271 million. BHI will also continue its long-standing relationship with Ormat, serving as a depository bank while maintaining an active dialogue with the entire global management team as the company continues to pursue its strategic portfolio expansion and assess ways that their equipment can further optimize facility operations.
With over five decades of experience, Ormat has engineered, manufactured and constructed power plants, which it currently owns or has installed for utilities and developers worldwide, totaling approximately 3,200 MW of gross capacity. Ormat’s current total generating portfolio is 1,385 MW with a 1,215 MW geothermal and solar generation portfolio and a 170 MW energy storage portfolio.
“Ormat’s highly experienced management team has positioned the company with a strong balance sheet and capital structure along with a geographically diverse plant portfolio, supported by long-term Power Purchase Agreements, which provide highly visible, secure cash flows,” said Uri Shusterman, First Vice President & Head of International C&I at BHI.
“We anticipate that this strategic foresight, coupled with favorable regulatory and policy tailwinds, will help further propel the company as it continues to pursue expansion plans and strategies to utilize their equipment to enhance the efficiencies and output of their growing portfolio of power plant assets.”
“Working with the team at BHI, it became clear that they had a comprehensive understanding of not only the scale of our operations today, but also aligned with our outlook on how we plan to fund our expansion by developing new assets and deploying our technology to enhance their operation. We’re excited for our continued partnership and growth ahead,” said Assi Ginzburg, Chief Financial Officer, Ormat.
About BHI
BHI, the U.S division of Bank Hapoalim, Israel’s leading financial institution, provides commercial banking solutions to middle market clients in sectors including commercial real estate; general, domestic and Israeli C&I; private equity; food and beverage; apparel; healthcare; corporate banking; and high-tech. In addition to its New York headquarters, the bank operates U.S. Representative Offices in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey; Miami, Florida; and Los Angeles, California. For more information, visit www.bhiusa.com.
Source: Email correspondence