Fortis Inc. ("Fortis") and Teck Resources Limited (“Teck”), has announced an agreement under which Fortis will purchase Teck’s two-thirds interest in the Waneta Dam and related transmission assets in British Columbia, Canada, for $1.2 billion cash.
Under the agreement, Teck Metals Ltd. (“Teck Metals”) will be granted a 20-year lease to use Fortis’ two-thirds interest in Waneta to produce power for its industrial operations in Trail (“Trail Operations”). Annual payments will begin at approximately $75 million per year and escalate at 2% per annum, equivalent to an initial power price of $40/MWh based on 1,880 GWh of energy per annum. Teck Metals will have an option to extend the lease for a further 10 years at comparable rates.
“This agreement will further strengthen Teck’s balance sheet and provide significant new capital that can be reinvested to grow our overall business,” said Don Lindsay, President and CEO, Teck. “We have secured a long-term power supply for Trail Operations at competitive, below-market pricing and will invest in innovative projects to further enhance and modernize this facility.”
“Waneta is a high-quality, renewable energy facility located in an area central to our BC operations, making this acquisition a natural fit with our strategy to increase our investment in sustainable energy,” said Mr. Barry Perry, President and CEO of Fortis. “Waneta will be a stable long-term asset that will generate strong cash flows secured by a 20-year lease with Teck. The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to earnings per share.”
Teck expects to realize a net book gain of approximately $800 million on the closing of the transaction. No cash tax will be payable on the proceeds.