- Further increase in EBITDA and EBIT
- Production at high level
Leipzig, November 5, 2015 - VERBIO AG continues to improve its results in the first quarter of the financial year 2015/2016 despite planned maintenance downtime at the ethanol plant in Schwedt. Group revenues fell to EUR 155.9 million compared to the same period in the previous year (Q1 2014/2015: EUR 162.1 million), a decrease of 3.8 percent.
Verbio produced a total volume of 169,746 tonnes of biodiesel and bioethanol in the period from July 1, 2015 to September 30, 2015 (Q1 2014/2015: 173,060 tonnes), a fall of 1.9 percent. In addition, 133 GWh of biomethane was produced in the first three months of the 2015/2016 financial year, an increase of 6.1 percent compared to the equivalent period in the previous year (Q1 2014/2015: 125 GWh). The further increase in biomethane production, already at high levels, means that production capacity utilisation was increased to 110.6 percent.
Earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation (EBITDA) amounted to EUR 14.6 million, almost at the same level as in the comparative period in the previous year (Q1 2014/2015: EUR 14.1 million). The Group result before taxes (EBIT) totalled EUR 9.4 million (Q1 2014/2015: EUR 8.5 million), representing an increase of 10.6 percent, and the net result for the period was EUR 7.9 million (Q1 2014/2015: EUR 7.2 million). Based on the results for the period, earnings per share (basic and diluted) is unchanged at EUR 0.12.
Development of the Biodiesel, Bioethanol and Other segments
Revenues in the Biodiesel segment in Q1 2015/2016 totalled EUR 103.9 million (Q1 2014/2015: EUR 100.8 million). A total of 111,254 tonnes of biodiesel were produced (Q1 2014/2015: 108,896 tonnes). Accordingly, production was almost at full capacity with a capacity utilisation rate of 98.9 percent. The Biodiesel segment contributed to the Group’s results with an EBITDA of EUR 7.1 million (Q1 2014/2015: EUR 6.7 million) and an EBIT of EUR 6.0 million (Q1 2014/2015: EUR 5.4 million).
The Bioethanol segment generated revenues of EUR 50.0 million in Q1 2015/2016 (Q1 2014/2015: EUR 59.2 million) with production of 58,491 tonnes of bioethanol (Q1 2014/2015: 64,164 tonnes) and production of 133 GWh biomethane (Q1 2014/2015: 125 GWh). The Bioethanol segment contributed to the Group’s results with an EBITDA of EUR 7.2 million (Q1 2014/2015: EUR 7.1 million) and an EBIT of EUR 3.2 million (Q1 2014/2015: EUR 3.0 million). The almost unchanged results compared to the same period in the previous year are primarily due to the combination of the contrary effects of lower production levels and a slight increase in processing margins.
Revenues generated in the Other segment totalling EUR 4.4 million in the first three months of the 2015/2016 financial year primarily represent revenues from transport and logistic services (Q1 2014/2015: EUR 3.8 million). The segment result amounted to EUR 0.2 million (Q1 2014/2015: EUR 0.1 million).
Detailed information on business developments in the first quarter of the 2015/2016 financial year are provided in the Q1 2015/2016 interim report. The report can be viewed from 8 a.m. on Verbio's website www.verbio.de.
Information about VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG (VERBIO)
VERBIO is one of the leading independent producers and suppliers of biofuels, and is also the only large-scale producer of biodiesel, bioethanol and biomethane in Europe. The annual production capacity amounts to approximately 450,000 tonnes of biodiesel, 260,000 tonnes of bioethanol and 480 gigawatt hours of biomethane. The Company produces its highly efficient fuels using internally generated, energy efficient production processes and innovative technologies. VERBIO’s biofuels achieve CO2 reductions of up to 90 percent compared to petrol or diesel. VERBIO delivers its products directly to European oil companies, oil trading companies, independent filling stations, freight forwarders, municipal utilities and vehicle fleets. In addition, VERBIO markets high-quality pharma glycerine for the consumer goods and cosmetics industry (glycerine is manufactured as a by-product in the biodiesel production process). Within the Group, VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG acts as a management holding company. The operative business is conducted by the subsidiaries VERBIO Diesel Bitterfeld GmbH & Co. KG, VERBIO Diesel Schwedt GmbH & Co. KG, VERBIO Ethanol Schwedt GmbH & Co. KG, VERBIO Ethanol Zörbig GmbH & Co. KG and Märka GmbH. The VERBIO share (ISIN DE000A0JL9W6/WKN A0JL9W) has been listed in the prime standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since October 2006.
Important notice
This Corporate News publication contains forward-looking statements which are based on assumptions and judgements made by the management of VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG. Although the Company’s management is of the opinion that those assumptions and estimations are realistic, actual future developments and results may differ significantly from these assumptions and estimates due to a variety of factors. For example, these factors can include changes to the overall economic climate, changes to the legal and regulatory framework in Germany and the EU, and changes in the industry. VERBIO can give no guarantee and accepts no liability as to whether future development and the results actually achieved will match the assumptions and estimates made in this publication.