Wishpond
Trending >

Finavera Wind says it is closing in on a buyer

Finavera CEO Jason Bak says the company’s true market value has been obscured by “short-term hedge funds that have punitively sold stock against the interest of the long-term shareholder.”After announcing Monday that it had engaged Capital West Partners as advisor in the sale of the cleantech junior, Finavera Wind Energy (TSXV:FVR) says it now has four potential suitors.

The company says the discussions are at an advanced stage and that initial offers are expected shortly.

In a terse message in Monday’s press release, CEO Jason Bak explained the reasoning behind Finavera’s decision to sell itself:

“Ever since the award of our electricity purchase agreements from BC Hydro in 2010, where we were the largest winner of wind power contracts in British Columbia’s history, we have focused on finding the optimal partner to unlock the value of the $2.5-billion in contracted payments to Finavera Wind Energy,” he said adding: “During this time we have dealt with adverse market conditions and short-term hedge funds that have punitively sold stock against the interest of the long-term shareholder. This has resulted in a significant difference between our market capitalization and our inherent value. We are optimistic that a corporate transaction will provide a solution where shareholders are part of a stronger platform to access the value of these assets and realize upside from the current company capitalization.”

_______________________

This article is brought to you by Cantech Letter sponsor BIOX (TSX:BX). The largest producer of biodiesel in Canada, BIOX’s proprietary production process has the capability to use a variety of feedstock, including recycled vegetable oils, agricultural seed oils, yellow greases and tallow. For more information CLICK HERE.

_______________________

Finavera, which is headquartered in Vancouver, was actually founded in Dublin in 2003. The company is now decidedly Canadian in makeup, with three wind projects here compared to just one in Ireland, a 105 MW project on that country’s west coast. In February of last year, The company made a deal with GE Energy Financial Services that would see GE invest $40 million in the Wildmare project that Finavera planned to build near Chetwynd, BC. Then, in July, Finavera sold that property to Innergex Renewable Energy (TSX:INE) for $22-million.

The transaction shored up Finavera’s persistently shaky books. The company lost $3.24 million in 2011, sending its cash position to just $41,209 as of March 31st, 2012.

At press time, shares of Finavera Wind Energy were up 24% to $.36 cents.

________________

_________________

We Hate Paywalls Too!

At Cantech Letter we prize independent journalism like you do. And we don't care for paywalls and popups and all that noise That's why we need your support. If you value getting your daily information from the experts, won't you help us? No donation is too small.

Make a one-time or recurring donation

About The Author /

Cantech Letter founder and editor Nick Waddell has lived in five Canadian provinces and is proud of his country's often overlooked contributions to the world of science and technology. Waddell takes a regular shift on the Canadian media circuit, making appearances on CTV, CBC and BNN, and contributing to publications such as Canadian Business and Business Insider.
insta twitter facebook

Comment

Leave a Reply

RELATED POSTS