Meridian Energy NZX retail investor presentation

PG 1

Meridian Energy NZX retail investor presentation
25 July 2018

Attached is a presentation Meridian Energy Limited is making at an NZX retail investor evening on 25 July
2018.

ENDS
Neal Barclay
Chief Executive
Meridian Energy Limited


For investor relations queries, please contact:
Owen Hackston
Investor Relations Manager
021 246 4772
For media queries, please contact:
Polly Atkins
External Communications Specialist
021 174 1715

NZX RETAIL
INVESTOR
EVENING
MANAGEMENT
PRESENTATION
MERIDIAN
ENERGY.

2
Main industry participants are listed
•Five large retailer generators
•$10b free float
•Defensive, high yield characteristics
•Frequently seen as bond proxies
•Competing in an electricity market with
low growth in the last decade
NZ electricity sector.
Meridian Energy Limited NZX Retail Investor Presentation July 2018
Source: NZX

Meridian Energy.
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$8b company, listed in 2013, 51%
Government owned
•The largest of the five vertically
integrated NZ retailer generators
•420,000 customers in 3 countries
•Diversified NZ customer sales,
weighted towards business,
commercial and agricultural
•40% of generation covered by Tiwai
Point contract (price guarantee, not
supply)
•Strong sustainability focus
Meridian Energy Limited NZX Retail Investor Presentation July 2018

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NZ’s largest generator, all production from
renewable sources
•Seven big hydro stations –flexible plant
with the country’s largest storage
•With low operating costs and capital
needs
•Five NZ wind farms, two in Australia
•Proven success operating in a high wind
environment
•Backed with more than a decade of
construction and operational experience
•Typical long generation position to
manage variable hydro inflows
Long-term competitor in Australia
•Recent acquisition of further renewable
generation and offtake agreements
Meridian Energy.
Meridian Energy Limited NZX Retail Investor Presentation July 2018
Meridian Energy’s Benmore power station
Meridian Energy’s Manapōuripower station

NZ demand.
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Little demand growth in the last decade
•+ Economic growth
•+ Positive net migration
•-Industrial and manufacturing closure
•-Warmer than average temperatures
•-Growing impact of technology and
efficiency gains
•+/-Variable irrigation load depending on
rainfall
Future demand growth is expected
•Likely to be modest in the short term,
estimated between 0.5% and 1% pa on
average
•New generation capacity will be needed,
probably after 2021
•Older plant retirement will add to the
need for new generation
Source: Meridian Energy
Meridian Energy Limited NZX Retail Investor Presentation July 2018

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12% of New Zealand’s total annual demand
•CfDcontract with Meridian on NZAS
perpetual 12-month termination right
•International aluminium is recovering,
LME prices up 13% in the last year
•Additional 50MW contract signed
•Aluminium remains a commodity
exposed to cycles and Chinese supply
decisions
•Meridian not expecting smelter closure,
change in ownership may occur
•A smelter closure would trigger further
South Island grid investment (majority of
lower South Island generation can be
dispatched now)
•Greater HVDC capacity and North Island
line uprating possible in the medium
term
TiwaiPoint smelter.
Meridian Energy Limited NZX Retail Investor Presentation July 2018
New Zealand Aluminium Smelter, TiwaiPoint

New technologies.
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Meridian Energy Limited NZX Retail Investor Presentation July 2018
Solar
•Solar uptake increasing in NZ as
economics slowly improve
•NZ residential capacity factors are low
(13%-15%) and payback high (13 years)
•Commercial solar opportunities are
being developed
•Grid scale solar unlikely in NZ with
competing land uses and winter peak
demand
•Solar uptake is much higher in Australia
with subsidy support
•Residential capacity factors and
paybacks are better in Australia
•Grid scale development is happening in
Australia as costs decrease significantly

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Batteries
•Battery value for energy management is
in load shifting (high to low price
periods)
•Grid scale unlikely in NZ due to large
hydro storage
•Grid scale possible in Australia with
subsidy support
•Solar and batteries to achieve residential
off-grid in NZ remains very expensive (20
year payback)
•Batteries also offer other value:
•Back-up power
•Grid and transmission support
•Avoided infrastructure costs
New technologies.
Meridian Energy Limited NZX Retail Investor Presentation July 2018

Climate change.
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Meridian Energy Limited NZX Retail Investor Presentation July 2018
We have seen:
•No significant change to catchment
inflows over the last 100 years
•Some seasonal shift in inflows; drier
autumns, wetter summers
•Snowpack and glaciers getting smaller
It is projected to get:
•Wetter in our catchments, including
winter
•With bigger individual rain storms
•Drier in irrigation areas
•Warmer everywhere
•Windier at our wind farms, especially in
winter
Genesis Energy’s TekapoB power station
Contact Energy’s Clyde Dam

The political scene.
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New Zealand
•A carbon neutral NZ by 2050 will need
increased electrification
•100% renewable generation by 2035 will
need to address NZ’s dry year challenge
•Wide ranging electricity price review in
progress, focus on fairness and equity
•Market has flat energy pricing and
competitive driven churn
•Energy affordability can be an issue
•Transmission pricing changes would make
charging more equitable
Australia
•Lack of a coherent energy policy to
support renewables
•Electricity is highly politicised with state
and federal government reviews
Source: Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
Energy
Lines
+1%
+7%
+3%
+4%
+0%
+7%
-3%
+0%
+1%
+4%
Meridian Energy Limited NZX Retail Investor Presentation July 2018
-1%
+3%

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Shareholder value.
Meridian Energy Limited NZX Retail Investor Presentation July 2018
High
Income
Strong free
cash flow
Low capital
needs
High free
cash flow
payout
Continued
cost
discipline
Progressive
ordinary DPS
Capital
management
Potential
Growth
NZ retail
load
Retail
platform
changes
Medium
term new
generation
Customer
growth in
Australia
Flux
Powershop
franchise
into the UK
Long term
sustainable
business

Thank you.

Disclaimer.
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The information in this presentation was prepared by Meridian Energy
with due care and attention. However, the information is supplied in
summary form and is therefore not necessarily complete, and no
representation is made as to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of
the information. In addition, neither the company nor any of its directors,
employees, shareholders nor any other person shall have liability
whatsoever to any person for any loss (including, without limitation,
arising from any fault or negligence) arising from this presentation or any
information supplied in connection with it.
This presentation may contain forward-looking statements and
projections. These reflect Meridian’s current expectations, based on what
it thinks are reasonable assumptions. Meridian gives no warranty or
representation as to its future financial performance or any future matter.
Except as required by law or NZX or ASX listing rules, Meridian is not
obliged to update this presentation after its release, even if things change
materially.
This presentation does not constitute financial advice. Further, this
presentation is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or a
solicitation of an offer to buy Meridian Energy securities and may not be
relied upon in connection with any purchase of Meridian Energy
securities.
This presentation contains a number of non-GAAP financial measures,
including Energy Margin, EBITDAF, Underlying NPAT and gearing. Because
they are not defined by GAAP or IFRS, Meridian's calculation of these
measures may differ from similarly titled measures presented by other
companies and they should not be considered in isolation from, or
construed as an alternative to, other financial measures determined in
accordance with GAAP. Although Meridian believes they provide useful
information in measuring the financial performance and condition of
Meridian's business, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on
these non-GAAP financial measures.
The information contained in this presentation should be considered in
conjunction with the company’s financial statements, which are included
in Meridian’s integrated report for the year ended 30 June 2017 and is
available at:
All currency amounts are in New Zealand dollars unless stated otherwise.
Meridian Energy Limited NZX Retail Investor Presentation July 2018