Aker Solutions ASA

OSE:AKSO

Earnings Call Transcript 2021-Q2

[Marianne Hagen]

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Aker Solutions' presentation of the second quarter results for 2021. My name is Marianne Hagen, and I head up Sustainability, HSSE and Communications. With me here today is our CEO, Kjetel Digre; and our CFO, Idar Eikrem. They will take you through the main developments of the quarter. Our presentation today is a live audiocast, and you can download the slides from our web page. The audiocast will later today also be made available for replay. [Operator Instructions] And with that, I leave the floor to Kjetel.

[Kjetel Rokseth Digre, Chief Executive Officer]

Thank you, Marianne, and welcome to everyone. Let me take you through the highlights in this quarter. The overall message is that we remain on track with our targets and our transition journey. Firstly, our financial results shows that we are on track towards our guidance for the year. Our second quarter revenue was NOK 7 billion, and EBITDA was NOK 392 million, excluding special items. Secondly, our order intake and backlog has increased significantly in recent weeks, demonstrating that we are on track with the growth ambitions we have set out for the coming years. We delivered a very strong order intake of NOK 12.2 billion in the quarter, increasing our order backlog to NOK 45.8 billion at quarter end. This means our backlog has increased by almost 30% from the same period last year. Thirdly, we are also on track with our strategic development and transformation. We maintain our already strong position in oil and gas. We are, in parallel, steadily increasing our engagements within renewables and energy transition-related work, and the streamlining of our organization to enable collaboration and effective use of resources also continued throughout the spring. Another illustration of the ongoing transformation is our announcement from June about the intention to create a leading global decommissioning and recycling company together with the AF Group (sic) [ AF Gruppen ]. We are also working with digitalization of our operations across all work processes. In addition to the increased cost effectiveness, the digitalization also enables us to offer several new value-adding solutions to the customers. One practical example of opportunities for new added value is our new digital system named JustEco. We have developed this tool to enable us to calculate the energy consumption on a new facility being planned or analyze the energy consumption on an installation which is already in production. Based on that analysis, we can offer the customer solutions to reduce carbon emissions while maintaining the production. The operations in the past quarter was characterized by another period of solid execution, making good progress on major projects globally. In Norway, we successfully completed the construction of the first phase of Equinor's Hywind Tampen floating wind project. And we also delivered the jacket for the Johan Sverdrup P2 platform on time and budget. For Aker BP, we reached a milestone with the Hod unmanned wellhead platform in June. Just 1 year after we signed the contract for this industrialized solution, we are now ready to start the installation phase. In Angola, our support to BP's installations are progressing well. And for the planned Empire offshore wind project outside New York, the FEED work commenced in the past quarter. I will also comment briefly on the situation in Malaysia. In June, we experienced that a local manager was charged by the Malaysian police. We have not seen any details, but the allegations seem to somehow be related to the setup of our subsidiaries in the country. The charge has been rejected, and we have not seen information that makes us believe that this will have a significant impact on either our operations or results in Malaysia. We are now working to have this case positively concluded. The COVID-19 situation has improved at several locations globally, with Brazil and India being our most affected locations currently. Our employees are doing a fantastic job, and in parallel with various precaution measures, they have continued the solid execution of ongoing projects. And we will continue our testing and mitigation in close cooperation with local health authorities. We see that the more optimistic outlook for the pandemic also contributes to increased project sanctioning. So now let's move to order intake. In the past quarter, several important awards confirms that we are on track with our transition journey. As you know, our largest award in the second quarter, and actually in several years, was the major subsea gas compression project, Jansz for Chevron in Australia. The contract is worth more than NOK 7 billion, and it is the first time our world-leading compression technology has been selected outside Norway. I will get back to more details on this exciting project later. For offshore wind, we have recently signed a new large EPCI contract for the delivery of HVDC converter platform in a consortium with Siemens Energy. The East Anglia THREE project by ScottishPower Renewables offshore U.K. has a planned capacity of up to 1,400 megawatts, and it's part of one of the world's largest offshore wind developments, the East Anglia Hub. The order intake on East Anglia is subject to FID, which is expected in the first half of 2022. And the value for Aker Solutions is expected to be in the range of NOK 2 billion to NOK 3 billion. We have also announced a FEED to develop an e-Fuel facility for Nordic Electrofuel, where the plan is to produce carbon-neutral synthetic fuels and other fossil replacement products based on hydrogen, CO2 and renewable power. These awards are important confirmations that we are progressing well on our transition journey, and that our technologies and capabilities are highly relevant. In our traditional oil and gas business, we also secured several important awards. We won a topside modification contract on the Hasselmus gas development by OKEA. And we signed a renewal of the existing frame agreement with Shell for maintenance and modifications at the large Nyhamna gas facility in Norway. In Subsea, we secured a 3-year frame agreement with Petrobras to provide subsea services for the fields they operate in Brazil. We also signed a framework agreement with Total Energies, which is call-off based related to subsea service work. This frame agreement can be used globally, but we'll start with work on their operated fields in West Africa. Now let me give you some more details about Jansz, our exciting subsea gas compression project. This more than NOK 7 billion landmark award marks our international breakthrough for our world-leading subsea gas compression technology. This project is also a practical example of how Aker Solutions' expertise can contribute to combining effective oil and gas production with considerable reduction to emissions. For the gas compression technology, we will deliver to Jansz, I'm sure, that no other contractor has a solution with similar capacities and with a proven full-scale track record. In summary, our state-of-the-art solution improves recovery rates, production potential and project efficiency at lower costs and with reduced carbon footprint. This is the world's second subsea gas compression system, both delivered by Aker Solutions, proving our pioneering spirit to create value for customers. The technology builds on the great success from our world-first at Åsgard delivered back in 2015. This was truly a game changer for the industry and has demonstrated an impressive system regularity of close to 100% during its 6 years in operation at the Åsgard field in water depth of about 300 meters offshore Norway. We have now matured the technology to the next generation. Jansz will be installed at more than 4x the water depth of Åsgard. Jansz will also have close to 3x more compression power at similar physical dimensions as Åsgard and with lower weight. The environmental footprint is significantly lower compared to the traditional solution with processing at the platform topside. CO2 emissions are reduced through less power consumption, and it's estimated that Jansz will require 20% to 60% less energy consumption per year over its lifetime compared to a platform solution. And the size and weight of a subsea system is significantly smaller than a topside solution, with corresponding positive environmental effects throughout the entire value chain. And finally, our subsea system is all-electric and unmanned, which means it removes the risk of hydraulic fluid discharge to sea, it takes people out of harm's way and eliminates the need for logistics and transportation. This results in increased cost efficiency and lower environmental footprint versus the alternative platform topside solution. The compression system will be fabricated at our yard in Egersund in Norway with deliveries from our subsea sites across the world. The work has already started, and execution plan is to take 4 years. Deliveries are scheduled for around mid-2025. In the market, we see a positive growth of opportunities in all our market segments. So let us look at the pipeline for new bids. One overall comment to the market development is that the oil and gas prices support our customers' plans to put priority projects forward toward sanctioning. Also in the market for renewables, we see that the momentum for new projects continue to accelerate, not the least supported by growing national ambitions for reduced emissions in several countries and regions. This market development is also influencing our tender pipeline positively. At our first quarter presentation, we announced that our tender value was record high at NOK 78 billion which was above the levels before the pandemic. And I'm excited to share that the value has increased further even after a quarter of strong order intake. Our current tender value is NOK 90 billion, which is a new all-time high. The background for this is that since last quarter, several prospects have moved into the tender phase. And even though the tender value is high, it's important to stress that we will continue to have a strong focus on being disciplined and selective with respect to which opportunities we pursue. We will retain our focus on projects where we can create both customer value and shareholder value. And we are basing our tenders on standardized products and solutions wherever this is applicable. About 25% of the pipeline is related to energy transition business. Most of the energy companies need a key contractor to realize the actual development and project execution, in addition to support in the operations phase. We have a proven track record for the wide range of energy transition projects that are now being pushed forward. Aker Solutions is one of few contractors able to offer complete solutions, including engineering, project management, construction and installation for new projects as well as support to maintenance and upgrading of existing facilities. We have a project execution model which allows for combining effective performance and local content and value creation. We see that this documented capability is highly relevant and attractive for our customers in many of the project plans they are now considering. So the order intake for both this quarter and the previous quarters illustrates how leading customers select us as their key contractor. One such example is how we are engaging in interesting opportunities together with our partners in the Aker Horizons group. This includes projects within areas such as hydrogen, carbon capture and offshore wind. Leading companies across our global industry are committed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions significantly over the coming 9 years, and many of them are aiming at net zero by 2050. Hence, for almost all upcoming greenfield or brownfield developments, our customers are looking for contractors who can help them reduce their carbon footprint from production. The market has taken an interest in the JustEco digital system I mentioned earlier. Increasingly, this is part of how we stand out in the competition for the prospects illustrated on the bid pipeline. Our ability to propose value-adding solutions and, at the same time, differentiate ourselves is large in the early phases. And as the recent Jansz award illustrates, we see that several of the moderate-size front-end contracts ends up as significant EPCI awards. Hence, the overview of early-phase engagements is giving a good indication of how the opportunities are developing. We have started early-phase activities for 44 new projects in the second quarter alone, and this is a leap up from 32 in the previous quarter. With a solid insight in our customers' operations and plans, we can even better contribute to cost reductions or optimize value-adding solutions for upcoming projects. Of the 44 new front-end contracts, a considerable share is with customers where we have strategic partnerships and alliances. A number of the ongoing studies are expected to lead to FEEDs in the second half of 2021. Many of these are related to the temporary tax incentives in Norway, and we are also working on some significant international FEEDs. About 25% of the front-end work for the first half year in total is related to energy transition business. Our early-phase capabilities are not only a differentiator towards our customers. We see that it's also something that attracts the next generations of employees. Aker Solutions has one of the industry's most admired environments for concept development and front-end work. Over decades, we have nurtured talents and become a very attractive employer for the brightest and best. And we see that this speaks to the youth who wants to contribute to the energy transition from within. Now let me sum up. We delivered a quarter, demonstrating that we remain on track with our targets and our transition journey. We are recognized worldwide as the leading technology provider and contractor who can help customers keep their projects on schedule, budget and with agreed quality. Even during the pandemic, our organization and our employees have impressed customers around the globe by managing to work with strict virus precautions and still move ongoing projects to completion. We will continue our relentless focus on top performance within HSSE and solid project execution, which are both key to being competitive. We have secured a very high order intake recently with an increasing share of energy transition business. This means we have a robust backlog for execution over several years to come, building a solid foundation for our growth ambitions, both short and longer term. Looking ahead, we see increased market activity both in traditional oil and gas and related to energy transition. Our high front-end and tendering activity, combined with our leading capabilities, makes us well positioned moving forward. We expect increased project sanctioning during the rest of 2021 and into next year. With the ongoing energy transition, the customers look for contractors who can deliver new solutions and collaborate in new ways. Aker Solutions is regarded as a leading enabler in the market for the new energy mix. In short, we are seen as a contractor that can help the customers to power the change. And with that, I will hand over to Idar who will now go through the numbers in more detail.

[Idar Eikrem, Chief Financial Officer]

Thank you, Kjetel. I will now take you through the key financial highlights of the second quarter, a segment performance and run through our financial guidance. As always, all numbers mentioned are in Norwegian kroner. So let me start with the income statement. The second quarter revenue was NOK 7 billion, up from NOK 6.7 billion a year ago driven by the Renewables and Field Development and EMM segments. At the same time, we are still in early phases of execution of recent awards. We expect activity levels to ramp up in the second half of this year and into next year as we continue to progress on our project portfolio. The underlying EBITDA was NOK 392 million, down from NOK 503 million a year ago. And as a reminder, margins in the same quarter last year included positive one-off effects of the legacy Kvaerner business. The underlying EBIT was NOK 126 million versus NOK 169 million a year ago. Income taxes in the second quarter was positively impacted by changes in full year estimates. We ended the quarter with a net income, excluding special items, of NOK 66 million and earnings per share of NOK 0.14. Now moving to our balance sheet and cash flow. We ended the second quarter with a good cash flow performance and solid financial position. Our working capital ended at minus NOK 398 million. Cash flow from operating -- from operations was NOK 259 million. And our cash flow from investments was minus NOK 28 million. Net interest-bearing debt-to-EBITDA is robust at minus 1x, well below our leverage covenant at 3.5x. Our financial position remains solid with a net cash position of NOK 0.8 billion and a liquidity buffer of NOK 8.5 billion at the end of the quarter. Now over to the segments. For Renewables and Field Development, the second quarter revenue increased to NOK 2.7 billion from NOK 2.3 billion a year ago. The underlying EBITDA was NOK 95 million with a margin of 3.6%. Margins were negatively impacted due to several projects in early phases of execution without profit recognition. As a reminder, the comparable quarter last year had a positive one-off effects in the legacy Kvaerner business, and in the first quarter this year, we booked a positive effect of NOK 125 million from an arbitration ruling. The order intake was NOK 1.2 billion or 0.5x book-to-bill. The activity level in this segment is expected to be somewhat lower in the second half of the year. This is simply due to the phasing of our project portfolio, where some projects are finalizing and recent awards are still in an early phase of execution. This segment is currently experiencing high tender activity and is positioning for large opportunities within renewables, including East Anglia, Norfolk, Empire Wind and others. For the EMM segment, the second quarter revenue increased to NOK 2.4 billion from NOK 2.1 billion a year ago driven by increased progress on ongoing projects. The underlying EBITDA was NOK 126 million with a margin of 5.3%, up from 4% a year earlier. Order intake was solid at NOK 2.2 billion or close to 1x book-to-bill. And the backlog remains strong at NOK 18.8 billion. The activity level in this segment is expected to increase slightly in the second half of this year on the back of ongoing work and recent awards. In the Subsea segment, the second quarter revenue was NOK 2 billion, down from NOK 2.5 billion a year ago. We expect increased activity level in Subsea in the second half of the year and into next year, with progress ramping up on recently awarded projects. The underlying EBITDA was NOK 224 million with a margin of 11%. Order intake was very strong at NOK 8.8 billion or 4.3x book-to-bill. This was driven by the major Jansz award from Chevron, which Kjetel has presented already. The backlog in Subsea is strong at NOK 18.4 billion. The Subsea segment continued to experience high tendering activity, in particular on the Norwegian continental shelf. Now over to order intake and backlog. We had a very strong order intake in the second quarter of NOK 12.2 billion or 1.8x book-to-bill, and our order backlog is now at NOK 45.8 billion, which is an increase by almost 30% from the same quarter last year. This means we have a solid backlog coverage moving forward. We also see that the share of revenue from renewables and energy transition-related work, including low-carbon solutions for oil and gas production, has increased to 17% in the second quarter from only 6% last year, and it accounts for 30% of our order backlog. This illustrates that our transition journey is on track. Now to sum up. In the second quarter, we continued to improve our margins, delivered very strong order intake and maintained our solid financial position. We also continued to deliver on our strategy of being a leading execution partner for both existing oil and gas markets and emerging energy industries. This demonstrates that we are on track with the merger ambitions that we set out 1 year ago for revenue growth, cost improvements and cash generation. Based on our current project portfolio and ongoing tender activity, we now see our 2021 revenues around NOK 28 billion. EBITDA margins continue to be seen up from last year towards the higher end of the 5.5% to 6% level. The outlook for project sanctioning for the rest of the year and into next year remains positive, and we have a strong position in active markets. Aker Solutions is in excellent position to take full advantage of the market opportunities ahead. Thank you for listening. That was the end of our presentation. We will now take questions you might have.

[Marianne Hagen]

Thank you, Idar. Thank you, Kjetel. We have received a few questions, and I'll start with one from Victoria McCulloch. She says, "With the pipeline at record-high levels, could you give some color on how margins have evolved over the past 3 months in bidding environments for each of your key markets?"

[Kjetel Rokseth Digre, Chief Executive Officer]

Yes. I think my answer to that is threefold. And it's a bidding question, but let's start with the first item. It's really linked to us being in sort of the late phase of rounding of a portfolio of projects which was won in an even more competitive environment. I think that's important in itself. And then the second big topic, as I mentioned in the presentation, is that we are still extremely focused on which kind of projects we are onboarding and the discipline that we have in doing so. The third item is really that we want to investigate, explore new ways of working and particularly then in the alliances and partnerships that we are invited to or that we invite to. And in those kind of settings where we are really exploring how to both create safe and effective project execution together and also then basing it on the win-win type of thinking is something we seek.

[Idar Eikrem, Chief Financial Officer]

Yes. Just to add to that one, I think it's important to stress that whatever segments we are looking into, we are onboarding project and we are in the bidding process, and the tendering activity is in order to take on project with healthy margins going forward. And that has -- it is high on our agenda and will continue to be higher on our agenda going forward.

[Marianne Hagen]

Then Victoria has another question, and she says, "Do you think Aker Solution needs to have its own net-zero target to continue to secure energy transition contracts and align itself with customers?"

[Kjetel Rokseth Digre, Chief Executive Officer]

Yes. I think the simple answer is that I think we all do. And in Aker Solutions, we have that -- have matured that. And in 2030, we have an ambition of reducing our Scope 1 and 2 emissions to -- by 50% and also then as an industry and globally looking at 2050 and then also having a net-zero target ambition there.

[Marianne Hagen]

The next question is from Frederik Lunde writing, "Are you seeing any effect of the massive increase in steel prices this year? Are you now improving pricing?"

[Kjetel Rokseth Digre, Chief Executive Officer]

Yes, we see that the activity level is rising. That is a good situation to be. And we see some consequences there. And then as we allude to, the steel prices have seen an increase. It is likely to stabilize at a certain point. But anyhow, we have the insight and the control over those increases, and we are including them in all our tendering activity and in our dialogue with customers so that we are in control and we are picking up in all the work in the next wave of projects to come.

[Marianne Hagen]

The next question is from Haakon Amundsen, and his second question is about the same issue, about the rising steel prices. So we consider that answered already. But his first question is, "Can you quantify how your Q2 margin would have been without dilution from the legacy projects with no margin recognition?"

[Idar Eikrem, Chief Financial Officer]

Yes. We don't go into specific details on that one. But on the other hand, as we have said before, we are in the finalization phase of that one, and most of it is completed. We are in the phase of final account and final negotiation on some of these. So this will be closed out soon.

[Marianne Hagen]

So this concludes our presentation today. So thank you all for joining us.