Kernel Holding S.A. Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 June 2024 |
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Chairman’s Statement continued
thousand tons of oilseeds – a project that has
been in development since 2018. The in-
creased crushing volumes drove a 30% rise in
vegetable oil sales, totaling 1.5 million tons.
Our diversified export routes, including access
to the Danube River and reopened Black Sea
ports, combined with our 2022-2023 invest-
ments to diversify transshipment options, ena-
bled us to sustain export activities effectively.
Kernel maintained its leadership as Ukraine’s
largest sunflower oil producer and exporter,
securing 22% of Ukraine's sunflower oil ex-
ports and 9% of global exports. Additionally,
our renewable energy investments, including
a new 20 MW co-generation heat and power
facility launched in December 2023, also paid
off: the biomass-powered operations gener-
ated USD 24 million in EBITDA by selling
green energy to the grid, enhancing energy re-
silience amid potential power shortages.
Despite these positive developments in vol-
ume growth and business expansion, crushing
margins narrowed during FY2024, mainly due
to persistently low global sunflower oil prices
throughout the season.
The Infrastructure and Trading segment
achieved USD 204 million in EBITDA in
FY2024, up 33% y-o-y, which includes a USD
53 million contribution from Avere’s global
trading operations and a USD 45 million one-
off loss from asset impairments. Adjusting for
this and other one-offs, operations in Ukraine
delivered USD 191 million EBITDA, up 56% y-
o-y. The growth in EBITDA was primarily
driven by increased volumes, with grain ex-
port and terminal throughput rising by half as
compared to FY2023. Exporting 5.5 million
tons of grain and oilseeds from Ukraine, we re-
tained our position as a market leader, captur-
ing a 10% share of Ukrainian exports and sig-
nificantly reducing inventory levels throughout
the year. This volume growth was further sup-
ported by recent capital investments in ex-
port infrastructure. The previously idle vegeta-
ble oil export terminal in the port of Chorno-
morsk, acquired at the start of FY2024, was
fully revitalized, and transshipment operations
began there in January 2024. This terminal is
now evolving into a key hub for vegetable oil
transshipment, capable of handling all the sun-
flower oil produced by our facilities, while also
offering services to third parties and facilitating
our purchases of sunflower oil from external
sources. Additionally, we further invested in al-
ternative export routes via the acquisition ac-
quiring vegetable oil transshipment capabili-
ties in the port of Reni and maintained opera-
tions in the Pivdennyi port. Finally, our ac-
quired fleet of vessels fully contributed to our
earnings in FY2024.
While contributions from our Ukrainian opera-
tions increased, the results were highly
volatile. The first quarter saw weak perfor-
mance due to the closure of the Black Sea for
exports, highlighting the lack of viable alterna-
tives to sustain profitable operations. Condi-
tions began to improve in Q2 as exports re-
sumed and showed a strong recovery toward
the end of the season. A key factor was stable
export routes in Q2-Q4 FY2024, as a new ex-
port corridor established by the Ukrainian
Navy appeared to be much more efficient than
the Black Sea Grain Initiative in FY2023. De-
spite the damage inflicted on our terminal in
Chornomorsk early in the season, we man-
aged to transship 6 million tons of goods there
– a 50% increase y-o-y.
Finally, a strong 2023 grain harvest in
Ukraine, combined with substantial carry-over
stocks from the previous season, ensured a
solid domestic grain supply in FY2024, sup-
porting both volumes and margins.
Our Farming segment delivered USD 171 mil-
lion in EBITDA, a 23% y-o-y decline. This re-
sult comprises USD 85 million EBITDA from
the sale of the 2023 crop, USD 82 million –
from the sale of carry-over stocks from the
2022 crop, and USD 5 million contribution from
other factors. While we benefited from strong
crop yields and lower production costs, sales
prices were significantly lower than in FY2023.
The financial outcome was largely driven by
high sales volumes and material inventory re-
duction.
Our strategic adjustments to the crop mix, in-
cluding increased acreage for soybeans and
rapeseeds and a reduced focus on corn,
proved effective, as oilseeds farming was no-
tably profitable in FY2024. On the other hand,
storage capacity limitations in the previous
season, driven by export logistics constraints,
led to quality deterioration and subsequent
losses of nearly 30 thousand tons of grain due
to improper storage conditions.
Operating performance in FY2024 allowed us
to de-lever the Group. In December 2023, fol-
lowing three debt restructuring processes
since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion,
we repaid over USD 600 million in PXF and
bilateral credit lines. This decision was driven
by an improved export logistics environment,
a stabilized business outlook, and a solid li-
quidity position. After this, our loan portfolio
consisted of long-term facilities from EIB and
EBRD (USD 164 million as of 30 June 2024),
Eurobonds totaling USD 600 million, and USD
159 million in financing from local and interna-
tional banks. The net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio as
of 30 June 2024 was at a comfortable 0.7x
level.
Following the reporting period, despite chal-
lenges posed by restrictive capital controls in
Ukraine due to the ongoing war and uncertain-
ties about future operations, we successfully
repaid the USD 300 million Eurobonds at ma-
turity on 17 October 2024. This achievement
underscores our commitment to maintaining a
strong credit history, positioning us as one of
Ukraine’s most reliable borrowers. Addition-
ally, we secured the first-ever financing pro-
vided by international lenders since the begin-
ning of the full-scale war in Ukraine – a sun-
flower oil pre-export financing facility for the to-
tal amount of USD 150 million.
In light of the significant uncertainties and risks
to the Group's future, the Board of Directors
recommended shareholders not distribute div-
idends for the financial year ending 30 June
2024.
FY2025 outlook
The new season, like the three preceding
ones, will be substantially shaped by geopoli-
tics and war-related risks, with significant im-
plications for Kernel:
• Our business remains heavily dependent
on the Black Sea as the main export chan-
nel. Any disruptions to this route could se-
verely impact our operations, as we experi-
enced during some periods of FY2022-
2024. While we have developed alternative
export options, they are not sufficient sub-
stitutes should this risk materialize.
• The threat of damage to our key assets is
significant and has already materialized in
the past. Our port facilities suffered damage
in the summer and autumn of 2023 and still
remain under repair. Additionally, in August
2024, our largest oil extraction plant was hit
by a Russian drone attack. The crushing
plant in Vovchansk was wiped off the face
of the earth as a result of Russia's offensive
in the northern Kharkiv region, and our facil-
ity in Prykolotne sustained heavy bombing
damage. With the ongoing intensification of
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s civil infrastruc-
ture and no insurance coverage available,
this remains one of the most critical risks we
face in FY2025.
• The protracted war in Ukraine has in-
creased risks related to human capital, as
ongoing conscription draws more men into
military service. Although we have managed
to adjust our operations to this challenge so
far, the situation could deteriorate. Addition-
ally, there is a potential for increased tax
obligations if the Ukrainian government
faces difficulties funding escalating war ex-
penses, adding to the already high taxes
and social donations we make.
• The threat of power outages looms large,
especially in light of intensified Russian at-
tacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Although we have prepared most of our fa-
cilities to manage such scenarios, a severe
power shortage could lead to rising costs
and, in the worst case, substantially disrupt
our operations.