Sarulla project secures $1.17 billion project financing
View in the mountains of North Sumatra (source: Flickr/ martin_canon500d, creative commons)
Alexander Richter
30 Mar 2014
The consortium around the Sarulla geothermal power project in North Sumatra has secured $1.17 billion in project financing. The consortium consists of Medco, Itochu, Kyushu and Ormat. Ormat will supply its energy converts valued at $254 million.
In a release this week, Ormat Technologies announced “that members of the Sarulla Consortium comprising of Medco, Itochu, Kyushu and Ormat signed $1.17 billion project financing agreements to finance the development and construction of the 330-megawatt (MW) Sarulla geothermal project in Tapanuli Utara, North Sumatra in Indonesia.
Closing is expected in the second quarter of 2014 subject to fulfilment of certain conditions. Upon closing, the consortium is expected to begin construction with the first phase to commence operation in 2016. The remaining two phases are scheduled to be in commercial operation within 18 months of the first phase.
Ormat will supply its Ormat Energy Converters to the power plant and will add the $254 million supply contract to its product segment backlog once Notice to Proceed is issued, concurrently with the closing of the financing. According to the current project plan Ormat expects to recognize revenue from the project over the course of the next three to four years starting in the third quarter of 2014. In addition, Ormat, through its subsidiary Ormat International, Inc., holds a 12.75% equity stake in the Sarulla project.
These financing agreements were signed with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), who serves as the lead structuring banks, six commercial banks (the Covered Lenders), as well as ADB in its capacity as implementing entity of the Clean Technology Fund and the Canadian Climate Fund.
The Sarulla project will obtain construction and term loans under a limited recourse financing package of direct loans from JBIC and ADB, as well as loans from the Covered Lenders backed by political risk guarantees from JBIC.
The project will be developed and implemented under a 30-year energy sales contract with Perusahaan Listrik Negara, the national electricity utility company, a 30-year joint operating contract with Pertamina Geothermal Energy, and a 20-year guarantee from the Ministry of Finance.
Dita Bronicki, chief executive officer of Ormat Technologies, said, “We are pleased to achieve this significant milestone as scheduled and look forward to continue execution on this exciting new development. We are appreciative for the hard work of the many parties that were involved in getting these agreements signed. We will continue the effort to close this financing and ultimately, supply clean, reliable electricity to the Indonesian market.”
Source: CNBC
