LEI: 213800ZPHCBDDSQH5447
10 February 2021
NextEnergy Solar Fund Limited
("NESF" or the "Company")
Interim Dividend
NextEnergy Solar Fund, the FTSE 250 solar power renewable energy investment company providing shareholders with an attractive risk-adjusted return from a diversified portfolio of primarily UK-based assets, is pleased to announce an interim dividend of 1.7625 pence per Ordinary Share for the quarter ending 31 December 2020. The interim dividend of 1.7625 pence will be paid on 31 March 2021 to shareholders on the register as at the close of business on 19 February 2021. The ex-dividend date is 18 February 2021.
The Company will also be offering shareholders a scrip dividend alternative to this interim dividend as detailed in the Scrip Circular dated 19 August 2020, a copy of which can be viewed and / or downloaded from 'Circulars' in the Investor Relations part of the NESF website ( nextenergysolarfund.com ). The Scrip Share reference price will be announced on 25 February 2021, with elections to be made by 5 March 2021.
For further information:
NextEnergy Capital Group |
020 3746 0700 |
Michael Bonte-Friedheim |
ir@nextenergysolarfund.com |
Aldo Beolchini Ross Grier Peter Hamid (Investor Relations) |
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Cenkos Securities |
020 7397 8900 |
James King William Talkington |
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Shore Capital |
020 7408 4090 |
Anita Ghanekar Darren Vickers |
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Camarco |
020 3781 8334 |
Owen Roberts Eddie Livingstone-Learmonth |
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Apex Fund and Corporate Services (Guernsey) Limited |
01481 735 827 |
Nick Robilliard |
Notes to Editors1 :
About NextEnergy Solar Fund
A constituent of the FTSE 250 Index, NextEnergy Solar Fund is a renewable energy infrastructure investment company that currently invests in operating solar power plants in the UK and Italy. The Company may invest up to 30% of its gross asset value in other non-UK OECD countries, 15% in private equity structures, and 10% in standalone energy storage.
NESF is committed to ESG principles and responsible investment and makes a meaningful contribution to reducing CO2 emissions through the generation of clean solar power. NESF will only select investments that meet the requirements of NEC Group's Sustainable Investment Policy . Based on this policy, NESF benefits from NEC's rigorous ESG due diligence on each investment. NESF is committed to reporting on its ESG performance in accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals framework and the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation.
NESF has been awarded the London Stock Exchange's Green Economy Mark and has been designated a Guernsey Green Fund by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission.
NESF currently has a diversified portfolio comprising 91 operating solar assets, primarily on agricultural, industrial, and commercial sites, with a combined installed power capacity of c.763MW.
As at 30 September 2020, the Company had gross assets of £994 million, of which 88% was invested in the UK, and net assets of £583.5 million. The majority of long-term cash flows from its investments are inflation-linked.
NESF's investment objective is to provide ordinary shareholders with attractive risk-adjusted returns, principally in the form of regular dividends, by investing in a diversified portfolio of primarily UK-based solar energy infrastructure assets. The dividend is payable quarterly, and the Company has announced a dividend target for the year ending 31 March 2021 of 7.05p per ordinary share.
For further information on NESF please visit nextenergysolarfund.com
About NextEnergy Capital Group ("NEC Group")
NESF is managed by the NextEnergy Capital Group, a specialist solar investment manager, which has a strong track record in sourcing, acquiring, and managing operating solar assets. NEC Group is a leading player in the global solar investment sector and has 190 team members with offices in UK, Italy, India, and the USA and assets under management of over $2.3bn across three institutional funds.
For further information on NEC Group please visit nextenergycapital.com
About WiseEnergy
WiseEnergy is NEC Group's specialist operating asset management division. NESF is differentiated by its access to WiseEnergy, which has provided operating asset management, monitoring, technical due diligence, and other services to over 1,500 utility-scale solar power plants with an installed capacity in excess of 2.3GW.
For further information on Wise Energy please visit wise-energy.com
[1] Note: All financial data is as at 30 September 2020, being the latest date in respect of which NESF has published financial information