Celsia 3Q 2018 Net Profit Drops 31% Year-on-Year; Renewables Projects Growing
Medellin-based electric-power giant Celsia announced November 6 that its third quarter (3Q) 2018 net profit dropped 31% year-on-year, to COP$64 billion (US$20 million).
However, nine-months 2018 net profits so far have risen 35% year-on-year, to COP$243 billion (US$77 million), according to Celsia.
Consolidated revenues for 3Q 2018 rose 8.5% year-on-year, to COP$852 billion (US$271 million), with Colombian revenues rising 18%, to COP$698 billion (US$222 million).
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization fell 12% year-on-year in 3Q 2018, to COP$259 billion (US$82 million), but nine-months 2018 consolidated EBITDA rose 0.5%, to COP$818 billion (US$260 million).
“In Colombia, accumulated energy demand during the [latest] quarter rose 4% with respect to the same period of 2017. The regulated market demand grew at a rate of 3% and the increase exceeded 6% in the unregulated market,” according to Celsia.
While Colombian average energy prices fell 4% year-on-year in 3Q 2018, the average marginal cost of energy in Panama was US$73 per MW-hour, 98% higher than in 3Q 2017, according to Celsia.
Commenting on the results, Celsia president Ricardo Sierra emphasized that the company “has a great emphasis on the development of renewable energies . . . The wind and solar projects that we have will lead us to add, over the next five years, 560-megawatts [MW] of renewable power in addition to the current 77-MW,” he said.
Four of the wind-power generation projects are in the Guajira region (northern Colombia), totaling 330-MW. These power projects already won environmental licenses and grid-connection approvals, according to Celsia.
In solar projects, Celsia Central America acquired in Panama its first photovoltaic plant, incorporating 33,000 solar panels, with a net capacity of 9.9-MW and a transmission line of 2.8 kilometers, according to the company.
“In Colombia, the Celsia Solar Bolívar photovoltaic farm is about to enter into operation. Located in Santa Rosa de Lima in Bolívar, Colombia, with a capacity of 8.06-MW and an estimated generation of 15,542-MW-hours per year, it will deliver the equivalent of the energy consumed by 7,400 households,” according to Celsia.
