Endesa and Iberdrola will next month begin to receive the first gas tankers from the Corpus Christi gas liquefaction plant, after this installation received the necessary permits for putting into function its first convoy. In this way, both Spanish companies put in action agreements of above 10 billion euros for the purchase of gas over the next 20 years.
The electricity distribution network in Portugal is going to be re-auctioned within an ambitous programme of liberalisation launched by the Government. The Portuguese electricity market, with more than 6 million connections, is a quarter that of Spain. Endesa looks to take advantage as it has 18% of the energy supply market in the country.
The three big electricity companies with operations in Spain, namely Iberdrola, Gas Natural Fenosa and Endesa, earned 5.627 billion euros in 2017, up 3% from a year earlier.
Cepsa wants to open up a gap for itself in the sector for commercialisation of residential electricity and gas, with the aim of grabbing a 1o% share over the coming years. It will thus become one of the four main operators along with Endesa, Iberdrola or Gas Natural Fenosa.
An average user’s electricity bill rose 10.8% in 2017 from a year earlier, according to Facua-Consumidores en Acción (Consumers in Action). Whatsmore, Facua denounces the “brutal” 16% increase in tariffs for energy consumed.
In 2016, the electricity system registered a surplus of 421,45 million euros, according to the final figure for the year released by The National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC in Spanish).
Endesa’s new strategy will improve the group’s long-term visibility and allow dividends to be sustained thanks to its robust cash generation. A minimum dividend of 1,32 eur/share in 2017 and 1,33 eur/share in 2018 has been confirmed. This implies a dividend yield 2018 estimated of 7% (higher than the sector average of 5%).
Droughts are not new in Spain, but current year is the third driest year of all time, behind 1981 and 2005. This situation is hitting the hydroelectric capacity of both Spanish utilities Iberdrola and Endesa. In fact, hydroelectric production in Spain fell almost 58% as reservoirs are at 37% capacity when they are normally at 60% during this time of the year.
While the telecoms sector (mainly represented by Telefónica) is very attractive for investors, “looming pressure on returns” is clouding investor interest in the utilities.
Enel is Spanish Endesa’s main shareholder with a 70% stake. Spain’s Energy, Tourism and Digital Agenda minister, Álvaro Nadal, has accused Enel of “playing politics for the Italians to the detriment of Spanish consumers and workers.”