April 18, 2019. Moscow,
Russia. PJSC RusHydro (ticker
symbol: MICEX-RTS, LSE: HYDR; OTCQX: RSHYY) announces operating
results for the 1st quarter of 2019, of the parent company
and subsidiaries of RusHydro Group reflected in consolidated
financial statements.
Key
highlights:
First
quarter results reflected certain decrease of output on the back of
extremely high water inflows to the majority of reservoirs of the
HPPs in the first quarter 2018, which were more than twice above the
normal level. Total water inflow in 1Q to the reservoirs of the
Volga-Kama cascade was at the long-run average, while water inflow
to the reservoirs in the south of Russia, Siberia and the Far East
was higher than long-run average;
Decrease
in production will be mitigated by growth of spot prices in the 1st
and 2nd
price zones which have increased 10-11% in 1Q 2019 as compared to 1Q
2018[i];
Total
electricity generation by RusHydro Group including Boguchanskaya
hydropower plant reached 32,694 GWh (+5.6%)[ii];
Total
production of RusHydro Group’s HPPs/PSPPs came in at
19,127 GWh (-13.6%),
production of thermal power plants – 9,722 GWh (+1.5%) and
production of alternative renewable energy facilities – 104 GWh
(-9.1%);
Total
electricity production by RusHydro Group’s generating facilities
in the Far East amounted to 13,914 GWh (-1.2%), heat output by
thermal power plants amounted to 12,172 thousand GCal (-6.7%) mostly
driven by warm weather conditions;
Electricity
output by RusHydro Group’s electricity retail companies in 1Q 2019
amounted to 5,588 GWh (-6.7%);
Water
inflow to the main reservoirs in 2Q 2019 is expected to be close to
the long-run average or slightly below it.
Electricity
generation by the plants of RusHydro Group, GWh
|
1Q'19
|
1Q'18
|
chg, %
|
Center of Russia
|
8,180
|
10,957
|
-25.3%
|
South of Russia and North Caucasus
|
1,169
|
1,141
|
2.6%
|
Siberia
|
5,642
|
5,594
|
0.9%
|
Total for the price zones
|
14,991
|
17,692
|
-15.3%
|
Far East
|
13,914
|
14,080
|
-1.2%
|
Armenia
|
48
|
63
|
-24.9%
|
TOTAL
|
28,952
|
31,835
|
-9.1%
|
incl. by HPPs, PSPPs[iii]
|
19,127
|
22,140
|
-13.6%
|
incl. by TPPs and other
|
9,722
|
9,581
|
1.5%
|
Incl. by alt. renewables (geothermal, solar, wind)
|
104
|
114
|
-9.1%
|
Boguchanskaya HPP1
|
3,741
|
2,803
|
33.5%
|
The underlying factors of the production change in
January-March 2018 were:
return of water inflows back to the normal
level, while in 1Q 2018 they were over twice that of the normal
level;
total water inflow to the reservoirs in the
south of Russia and Siberia above the long-run average;
growth of electricity generation by thermal
power plants in the Far East;
decrease of electricity and heat consumption
in the Far East driven by weather conditions;
decrease in electricity sales to China by
32.9% (to 370.2 GWh) as compared to the same period last year.
Center of
Russia
Hydropower plants of the Volga-Kama cascade are
operating under the winter period regime of pre-flooding reservoir
drawdown. The water reserves of the cascade’s reservoirs are higher
by 17% and by 28% as compared to the normal level and last year,
respectively. Reservoir drawdown is expected to be higher as compared
to the normal level and last year. Increase of unregulated side
inflows are projected in third decade of April. Flood control
committees were established at HPPs to ensure the hydro facilities
and equipment’s readiness to pass the flooding season.
Currently no safety risks are projected.
In the first quarter of 2018 water inflow to most
of the reservoirs on Volga and Kama was close to the normal level.
Total water inflow to the reservoirs of the Volga-Kama cascade
reached 24.9 km3 (normal level - 21.3 km3).
Total electricity production by the hydropower
plants of the Volga-Kama cascade and Zagorsksaya pumped storage in
the first quarter of 2019 reached 8,180 GWh.
South of
Russia and North Caucasus
According to the Hydrometeorology Center of
Russia, in the first quarter of 2019 the snow accumulation in the
mountains of the North Caucasus is above the normal level. The water
inflow from the mountains will reach the hydro system in the end of
May – beginning of June. The high water period will last until the
end of August.
Water inflow to the reservoir of Chirkeyskaya HPP
in 1Q 2019 was 20% above the normal level. Average daily water inflow
to the reservoir of Chirkeyskaya HPP in the months of January and
February 2019 was 75.7 m3. The HPP is operating under
water economy regime to preserve high water level in the reservoir as
water reserves in the snow deposits of the Sulak River are below the
normal level.
Total electricity production by the hydropower
plants in the South of Russia and North Caucasus decreased by 2.6% to
1,169 GWh as compared to the corresponding period last year.
Siberia
Water inflow to the reservoirs on the rivers of
Siberia in the first quarter of 2019 was higher than normal level by
15%.
Overall electricity production by the hydropower
plants in Siberia increased by 0.9% to 5,642 GWh as compared to the
first quarter of last year. The Boguchanskaya HPP produced 3,741 GWh
in the first quarter of 2019, an increase of 33.5% over the
corresponding period last year.
Far East
The spring flooding season in the Far East is
expected at the end of April – beginning of May.
In the first quarter of 2019, water inflow to
Kolymskoye and Zeyskoye reservoirs was 25-40% above the normal level.
Water inflow to the cross section of Bureyskaya HPP decreased
following a landslide that occurred in December of 2018. The
situation has been restored in February 2019 once an outlet was
formed. Since then 1.16 km3 of water has entered the dam
storage. In the first wuarter of 2019, the facility was operating
under normal conditions, in the pre-flooding reservoir drawdown
regime.
Total electricity generated by hydro and
geothermal power plants in the Far East (not included in the RAO ES
East subgroup) in the first quarter of 2019 decreased by 9.5% to
3,281 GWh against the same period last year.
Total electricity generated by RAO ES East
subgroup in the first quarter of 2019 amounted to 10,627 GWh, an
increase of 1.6% as compared to the first quarter last year. JSC Far
Eastern Generating Company’s (DGK) share of electricity generated
was 74% or 7,847 GWh, an increase of 0.3% against the same period
last year.
The main driver behind the increase was a decrease
in production by HPPs operating in United Power System of the East.
Energy consumption in the Unified Power System of the East in the
first quarter of 2019 decreased by 0.3% over the same period last
year. Electricity sales to China decreased by 32.9% to 370.2 GWh,
while sales to UES of Siberia increased by 40.7% to 159.5 GWh.
Heat output by thermal plants of RAO ES East
Subgroup in the first quarter of 2019 decreased by 6.7% to 12,172
GCal as compared to the corresponding period of 2018 due to higher
air temperatures in all the regions of the Far East with an exception
of Kamchatka Krai, Magadan region and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.
Heat
output by thermal plants of RAO ES of the East Subgroup, ‘000 GCal
|
1Q’/19
|
1Q’/18
|
chg.
|
JSC DGK
|
8,246
|
9,420
|
-12.5%
|
JSC RAO ES East
|
333
|
-
|
-
|
PJSC Yakutskenergo
|
1,056
|
1,059
|
-0.3%
|
JSC Sakhaenergo
|
33
|
38
|
-13.1%
|
JSC Teploenergoservice
|
498
|
548
|
-9.1%
|
PJSC Kamchatskenergo
|
753
|
740
|
1.8%
|
JSC KSEN
|
34
|
30
|
13.3%
|
PJSC Magadanenergo
|
476
|
463
|
2.8%
|
JSC Chukotenergo
|
151
|
148
|
2.0%
|
PJSC Sakhalinenergo
|
593
|
594
|
-0.2%
|
TOTAL
|
12,172
|
13,039
|
-9.2%
|
Armenia
Electricity generation by the Sevan-Hrazdan
cascade of hydropower plants in Armenia in the first quarter of 2019
decreased by 24.9% to 48 GWh. The power generation by the plants of
the cascade is dependent on water inflows of the Hrazdan river and
water discharge from Sevan Lake.
Electricity
retail
Total electricity output by RusHydro Group’s
energy retail companies in 1Q 2019 decreased by 3.3% to 14,779 GWh as
compared to 1Q 2018. Decrease came on the back of climate factor as
the average temperature in the first quarter of 2019 was higher than
in the first quarter of 2018.
In the first quarter of 2019, total electricity
output by RusHydro’s retail companies, operating in Chuvashia,
Ryazan and Krasnoyarsk regions, amounted to 5,588 GWh.
Electricity output by PJSC DEK (energy retail
company operating in the Primorskiy Krai, Khabarovskiy Krai, Amur
region and Jewish Autonomous region, the main supplier of electricity
to the population in the second non-price zone of the wholesale
energy market) in the first quarter of 2019 amounted to 6,416 GWh.
The decrease in performance in 2018 is primarily driven by abnormally
warm weather conditions in 1Q 2019.
Total electricity output by RusHydro’s companies
located in the isolated energy systems in the Far East Federal
District amounted to 2,775 GWh in 1Q 2019, an increase of 4.9% as
compared to the same period last year.
Electricity
output by RusHydro Group’s retail companies, GWh
|
1Q’19
|
1Q’18
|
chg, %
|
Krasnoyarskenergosbyt
|
3,529
|
3,916
|
-9.9%
|
Chuvash retail company
|
936
|
960
|
-2.5%
|
Ryazan retail company
|
698
|
730
|
-4.3%
|
ESC RusHydro
|
425
|
387
|
9.9%
|
Total
|
5,588
|
5,992
|
-6.7%
|
PJSC DEK (for reference)
|
6,416
|
6,643
|
-3,4%
|
Isolated energy systems (for reference)
|
2,775
|
2,645
|
4,9%
|
Total by Group
|
14,779
|
15,280
|
-3.3%
|
Water
inflows forecast
According to the forecast of the Hydrometeorology
Center of Russia, the following dynamics of water inflows to the
major reservoirs is expected in the 2nd quarter of 2019:
Total water inflows to reservoirs on Volga
and Kama are expected to be below the long-run average, in the range
of 128 - 148 km3 (as compared to the normal level of 161
km3);
Inflows to reservoir of the rivers of North
Caucasus and Siberia for the most part are expected to be close to
long-run average;
Inflows to Zeyskoe reservoir in the Far East
are expected to be slightly above the long-run average, while
inflows to Kolymskoe reservoir are expected to be above the long-run
average.
[i]
ATS (Trading System Administrator) spot prices.
[ii]
The Boguchanskaya hydropower plant is part of the Boguchanskiy Energy
and Metals Complex (BEMO), a 50/50 joint venture (JV) between
RusHydro and UC RUSAL, and is not part of RusHydro Group. According
to RusHydro’s shareholding in the JV (50%), the results of the
plant are reported in the official financial statements in “Share
of results of associates and jointly controlled entities”.
Operations of the HPP have been put into the press-release for
general reference.
[iii]
Includes generation by HPPs of JSC RusHydro, Kolymskaya HPP and
Viluiskie HPPs (RAO ES East Subgroup).
|