Enviva Partners, LP Reports Financial Results for First Quarter 2019 and Announces Fifteenth Consecutive Distribution Increase





BETHESDA, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Enviva Partners, LP (NYSE: EVA) (“Enviva,” the “Partnership,” or “we”)
today reported financial and operating results for the first quarter of
2019.

Highlights:

  • The Partnership declared a quarterly distribution of $0.645 per
    unit, its fifteenth consecutive quarterly increase, and announced it
    expects to distribute at least $2.65 per common unit for full-year 2019
  • For the first quarter of 2019, the Partnership reported a net loss
    of $8.9 million, as compared to a net loss of $19.3 million for the
    first quarter of 2018, and an adjusted EBITDA increase to $21.6
    million, as compared to adjusted EBITDA of $17.6 million for the first
    quarter of 2018
  • The Partnership executed a new off-take contract with RWE Supply &
    Trading GmbH to supply 1,000,000 metric tons over a five-year period
    commencing in 2020
  • Following completion of the previously announced Hamlet
    Transaction, the Partnership is finalizing construction of the Hamlet
    plant and has begun commissioning major process islands

“Our plant and port facilities delivered operating and financial results
consistent with our expectations for what is historically our most
seasonally challenging quarter,” said John Keppler, Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of Enviva. “As we progress through the second quarter
and into the back half of the year, we are excited about the opportunity
to bring our new Hamlet plant online and for our sponsor to begin
construction on the next set of fully contracted assets in our Port of
Pascagoula cluster. With its confidence in the underlying business and
the Partnership’s growth trajectory, the Board declared a distribution
of $0.645 per unit, our 15th consecutive quarterly increase
since our IPO.”

First Quarter Financial Results

For the first quarter of 2019, we generated net revenue of $158.4
million, an increase of 26.4 percent, or $33.0 million, from the
corresponding quarter of 2018. Included in net revenue were product
sales of $156.6 million on 843,000 metric tons of wood pellets sold
during the first quarter of 2019, as compared to $122.3 million on
648,000 metric tons of wood pellets sold during the corresponding
quarter of 2018. The $34.3 million increase in product sales was
primarily attributable to a 30.1 percent increase in sales volumes,
partially offset by a decrease in pricing due primarily to customer
contract mix. Other revenue was $1.8 million for the first quarter of
2019, as compared to $3.0 million for the corresponding quarter of 2018.
The decrease was primarily due to lower fees received from off-take
customers requesting scheduling accommodations.

For the first quarter of 2019, we generated gross margin of $9.9
million, as compared to $(5.0) million for the corresponding period in
2018, an increase of approximately $14.9 million. Adjusted gross margin
was $27.6 million for the first quarter of 2019, as compared to $21.6
million for the first quarter of 2018. Adjusted gross margin per metric
ton was $32.73 for the first quarter of 2019, as compared to adjusted
gross margin per metric ton of $33.40 for the first quarter of 2018.
Adjusted gross margin per metric ton decreased due to customer contract
mix and higher production costs associated with more significant and
longer lasting seasonal factors.

For the first quarter of 2019, net loss was $8.9 million, as compared to
a net loss of $19.3 million for the first quarter of 2018. Adjusted
EBITDA for the first quarter of 2019 was $21.6 million, as compared to
$17.6 million for the corresponding quarter of 2018. The increase was
primarily due to higher sales volumes, partially offset by lower pricing
due to customer contract mix and higher production costs associated with
more significant and longer lasting seasonal factors. Distributable cash
flow, prior to any distributions attributable to incentive distribution
rights paid to our general partner, was $11.8 million for the first
quarter of 2019, as compared to $8.8 million for the corresponding
quarter of 2018.

As of March 31, 2019, the Partnership had $106.7 million of cash on hand
and $119.0 million of borrowings outstanding under its senior secured
revolving credit facility. The $46.0 million increase in revolving
borrowings in the first quarter of 2019 is due primarily to funding of
capital expenditures and timing of changes in working capital.

Distribution

The board of directors of our general partner (the “Board”) declared a
distribution of $0.645 per common unit for the first quarter of 2019.
This distribution represents the fifteenth consecutive distribution
increase since the Partnership’s initial public offering. The
Partnership’s distributable cash flow, net of amounts attributable to
incentive distribution rights paid to our general partner, of $9.8
million for the first quarter of 2019 covers the distribution for the
quarter at 0.51 times. The distribution coverage ratio for the first
quarter of 2019 was impacted by the common units issued in the
Registered Direct Offering discussed below. The quarterly distribution
will be paid on Wednesday, May 29, 2019, to unitholders of record as of
the close of business on Monday, May 20, 2019.

Acquisition and Financing Activities

The Partnership issued an aggregate of 3,508,778 common units to
investors for net proceeds of approximately $100.0 million in a
registered direct offering in March of 2019 (the “Registered Direct
Offering”).

Moreover, as previously announced, on April 1, 2019, the Partnership
made the second and final payment (the “Second Payment”) of $74.0
million in deferred consideration, consisting of approximately $24.0
million in cash and the issuance of 1,691,627 common units, for its
October 2017 acquisition of the deep-water marine terminal in
Wilmington, North Carolina from Enviva Wilmington Holdings, LLC (the
“First JV”), the sponsor’s first development joint venture. In
connection with the Second Payment, the Partnership commenced the
associated terminal services agreement to handle contracted volumes from
the Hamlet plant (the “Hamlet Throughput”).

In addition, on April 2, 2019, the Partnership completed the purchase
(the “Hamlet Transaction”) of the sponsor’s interest in the First JV and
related credit facility for total consideration of $165.0 million. The
Partnership will consolidate the financial results of the First JV. The
First JV owns a wood pellet production plant under construction in
Hamlet, North Carolina (the “Hamlet plant”) and a firm, 15-year
take-or-pay off-take contract (the “MGT contract”) to supply MGT Power
Ltd.’s Tees Renewable Energy Plant with nearly one million metric tons
per year (“MTPY”) of wood pellets, following a ramp period. The
Partnership made an initial payment for the Hamlet Transaction of $75.0
million consisting of $25.0 million in cash and 1,681,237 common units
at closing and will pay an additional $50.0 million upon commencement of
commercial operations (“COD”) of the Hamlet plant and $40.0 million upon
the later of COD and January 2, 2020. COD of the Hamlet plant is
expected to occur in June 2019.

The Partnership issued approximately $200.0 million in common units
(6,881,642 common units) in connection with the above transactions as
partial consideration for the Hamlet Transaction and the Second Payment,
as well as partial financing for the Partnership’s previously announced
production capacity expansions at its wood pellet production plants in
Northampton, North Carolina and Southampton, Virginia (the “Mid-Atlantic
Expansions”). The Partnership expects to finance the remaining payments
for the Hamlet Transaction and the additional capital anticipated to be
required to complete construction of the Hamlet plant and the
Mid-Atlantic Expansions with borrowings under its $350 million senior
secured revolving credit facility.

Barclays Capital, Inc., BMO Capital Markets Corp., Citigroup Global
Markets Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., J.P.
Morgan Securities LLC, and RBC Capital Markets, LLC advised the
Partnership on its financing activities.

Outlook and Guidance

With the benefit of the Hamlet Transaction and the Hamlet Throughput,
the Partnership expects full-year 2019 net income to be in the range of
$18.9 million to $26.9 million and adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of
$140.7 million to $148.7 million. The estimated range of adjusted EBITDA
for full-year 2019 includes the benefit of approximately $10.7 million
of MSA Fee Waivers discussed below. In our press release issued March
25, 2019, the benefit of the MSA Fee Waivers was not included in
estimated adjusted EBITDA, but was included in estimated distributable
cash flow. The Partnership expects to incur maintenance capital
expenditures of $6.8 million and interest expense net of amortization of
debt issuance costs and original issue discount, before accounting for
the impact from incremental borrowings related to Chesapeake Incident
and Hurricane Events, of $41.9 million. As a result, the Partnership
continues to expect full-year 2019 distributable cash flow to be in the
range of $92.0 million to $100.0 million, prior to any distributions
attributable to incentive distribution rights paid to our general
partner. Similar to previous years, the Partnership expects adjusted
EBITDA and distributable cash flow for the second half of 2019 to be
significantly higher than for the first half of the year. For full-year
2019, the Partnership expects to distribute at least $2.65 per common
unit.

The guidance amounts provided above, including the distribution
expectations, include the benefit of the Hamlet Transaction and the
Hamlet Throughput and reflect the associated financing activities
described above. The guidance amounts provided above do not include the
impact of any additional acquisitions by the Partnership from the
sponsor, its joint venture, or third parties, or any additional
recoveries related to the Chesapeake Incident and the Hurricane Events.
The Partnership’s quarterly income and cash flow are subject to
seasonality and the mix of customer shipments made, which vary from
period to period. When determining the distribution for a quarter, the
Board evaluates the Partnership’s distribution coverage ratio on an
annual basis and considers the expected distributable cash flow, net of
expected amounts attributable to incentive distribution rights paid to
our general partner.

“By issuing $200 million of equity, we have pre-funded the equity
capital needs associated with the Hamlet Transaction and the
Mid-Atlantic Expansions,” said Shai Even, Chief Financial Officer of
Enviva. “The incremental units issued, combined with seasonality impacts
that are associated with the first half of the year, will temporarily
impact our distribution coverage ratio; however, we expect much stronger
adjusted EBITDA and higher distribution coverage for the second half of
2019 and continue to target a distribution coverage ratio of 1.20 times
on a forward-looking annual basis.”

Market and Contracting Update

Our strategy is to fully contract the wood pellet production from our
plants under long-term, take-or-pay off-take contracts. The
Partnership’s current production capacity is matched with a portfolio of
firm off-take contracts that has a total weighted-average remaining term
of 10.5 years and a total product sales backlog of $9.9 billion as of
April 2, 2019. Assuming all volumes under the firm off-take contracts
held by our sponsor and its joint venture, which we expect to have the
opportunity to acquire, were included, our total weighted-average
remaining term and product sales backlog would increase to 12.2 years
and $14.4 billion, respectively.

The Partnership executed a new, firm 5-year take-or-pay off-take
contract with RWE Supply & Trading GmbH to service its growing demand
for wood pellets in the Netherlands and elsewhere. Deliveries under the
contract are expected to commence in 2020 with volumes of 200,000 MTPY
of wood pellets.

In addition, our sponsor’s previously announced 18-year take-or-pay
off-take contract with Sumitomo Corporation to supply wood pellets to a
new biomass power plant located in Fukushima Prefecture in Japan is now
firm, as all conditions precedent to the effectiveness of the contract
have been satisfied. Deliveries under this contract are expected to
commence in 2022 with volumes of 440,000 MTPY of wood pellets.

Several recent developments demonstrate the continued strong growth
expected in global demand for industrial-grade wood pellets:

  • After the finalization of the Renewable Energy Directive II (RED II)
    in December 2018, EU Member States now have until June 2020 to adopt
    it into national law through integrated National Energy and Climate
    Plans. The resulting national policies are expected to provide further
    impetus for new biomass demand across the EU.
  • Pursuant to its final report published in late January 2019, Germany’s
    Commission on Growth, Structural Economic Change and Employment,
    otherwise known as the “Coal Commission,” established the goal of
    decommissioning 12.5 gigawatts (“GWs”) of coal-fired power generation
    capacity by 2022 and more than 25.0 GWs by 2030. The German government
    has declared it will adopt the report’s goals into national law,
    providing a potential driver for utilities in Germany to develop
    industrial-scale biomass projects to convert or replace coal-based
    assets.
  • In Japan, all energy suppliers must achieve a minimum share of 44
    percent of power generation from non-fossil fuel energy sources by
    2030. To achieve and sustain the target energy mix beyond the 20-year
    term of the current feed-in-tariff (“FiT”) scheme, several leading
    firms have started to evaluate biomass projects without FiT scheme
    support.
  • Under South Korea’s Renewable Portfolio Standard, power companies with
    installed power capacity of greater than 500 megawatts must increase
    the mix of renewable energy in their total power generation from 5
    percent in 2018 to 10 percent in 2023. If all dedicated and co-fired
    biomass projects currently planned as a result of this regulatory
    framework were to come online, the country’s demand for industrial
    wood pellets would double by 2023.

Sustainability

Through programs like the Enviva Forest Conservation Fund (the
“Conservation Fund”), our sponsor continues to work with our local
partners to conserve forest land and support forest growth. On March 15,
2019, the Conservation Fund celebrated the dedication of the Salmon
Creek State Natural Area, a 1,000-acre property in Bertie County, North
Carolina. The property contains ecologically significant cypress gum
swamps and bottomland hardwood forests and is also the subject of
archaeological research by the First Colony Foundation. More recently,
on April 24, 2019, the Conservation Fund made a grant to a Virginia
Outdoors Foundation project to acquire and establish a conservation
easement for the “Shand’s Tract,” which contains 8,000 feet of frontage
along the Nottoway River, as well as 425 acres of cypress and tupelo
swampland. In addition to protecting a critical habitat for threatened
species, this project will enhance permanent public access to the
waterway.

The Partnership and the sponsor’s biomass feedstock sourcing practices
play an important role in restoring critical forest ecosystems in the
Southeastern United States, particularly longleaf pine savanna. Longleaf
is an ecosystem that supports dozens of threatened and endangered
species, but it has declined significantly across the Southeastern
coastal plain. In collaboration with the North Carolina Coastal Land
Trust, our sponsor has supported several longleaf restoration projects,
including a recent 25-acre project in Craven County, North Carolina.

Our sponsor also recently released the latest data under its industry
leading Track & Trace® system. Over the same period as the Partnership’s
and our sponsor’s use of wood fiber grew from approximately 2.2 million
metric tons in 2014 to approximately 5.4 million metric tons in 2018,
forest inventory in the Partnership’s and our sponsor’s sourcing region
increased by approximately 160 million metric tons (an 8.1 percent
increase). The data shows that forest inventory growth and therefore
increases in carbon stocks result from the market incentives created by
a healthy forest products industry, of which our company is an integral
part.

Enviva’s wood pellets directly displace coal in power generation and
heating applications, lowering the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions
profile of utilities and effectively eliminating the harmful trace
element emissions like mercury and arsenic from burning coal. Through
2018, wood pellets supplied by the Partnership and our sponsor have
effectively displaced 14 million metric tons of coal. With existing
contracts running through 2040, the Partnership and our sponsor are on
track to displace another 65 million metric tons of coal.

Partnership Development Activities

The Partnership expects the Hamlet plant to achieve COD in June 2019 and
reach its nameplate production capacity of approximately 600,000 MTPY in
2021. The Partnership is finalizing construction of the Hamlet plant and
has begun commissioning major process islands. As the Partnership
completed the Hamlet Transaction before the Hamlet plant has achieved
COD and the MGT contract has reached full contracted volumes, the
sponsor executed a make-whole agreement with the Partnership pursuant to
which, among other things, the sponsor agreed to (i) guarantee certain
cash flows from the Hamlet plant until June 30, 2020 and (ii) reimburse
construction cost overruns in excess of budgeted capital expenditures
for the Hamlet plant, subject to certain limited exceptions. In
addition, the sponsor has executed agreements with (i) the First JV,
pursuant to which the sponsor will waive certain management services and
other fees that otherwise would be owed by the First JV until the later
of July 1, 2019 and COD and (ii) the Partnership, pursuant to which the
sponsor will waive certain management services and other fees that
otherwise would be owed by the Partnership until June 30, 2020
(collectively, the “MSA Fee Waivers”).

The Mid-Atlantic Expansions also are progressing, as detailed
engineering is nearing completion and major pieces of equipment have
been ordered. The Partnership expects completion of the expansion
activities in the first half of 2020 with startup shortly thereafter,
subject to receiving necessary permits.

Sponsor Development Activities

The sponsor’s second development joint venture (the “Second JV”)
continues to invest incremental capital in its wood pellet production
plant in Greenwood, South Carolina (the “Greenwood plant”). The
Partnership currently purchases wood pellets produced by the Greenwood
plant under a take-or-pay off-take contract. The Second JV expects to
increase the Greenwood plant’s production capacity from 500,000 MTPY to
600,000 MTPY, subject to receiving necessary permits.

The sponsor’s Second JV continues to progress pre-construction
activities for a deep-water marine terminal in Pascagoula, Mississippi
and a wood pellet production plant in Lucedale, Mississippi. In
addition, the sponsor continues to evaluate additional development
locations to support existing and anticipated future off-take contracts,
including sites in Alabama and Mississippi around the planned Pascagoula
terminal, as well as locations near the Partnership’s existing terminals
in the Port of Chesapeake, Virginia and Port of Wilmington, North
Carolina.

The Partnership expects to have the opportunity to acquire these assets
and related off-take contracts from our sponsor and its development
joint venture.

Presentation of Financial Results

In addition to presenting our financial results in accordance with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”),
in certain cases we have provided financial results excluding the
financial impact of the previously reported fire incident at the
Partnership’s marine export terminal in Chesapeake, Virginia (the
“Chesapeake Incident”), which occurred during the first quarter of 2018,
and Hurricanes Florence and Michael (the “Hurricane Events”), which
occurred during the second half of 2018. References herein to the
financial impact of the Chesapeake Incident and/or the Hurricane Events
include the approximate costs incurred during the first quarter of 2018
and the first quarter of 2019, as applicable, offset by insurance
recoveries received.

Conference Call

We will host a conference call with executive management related to our
first quarter 2019 results and a more detailed market update at 10:00
a.m. (Eastern Time) on Thursday, May 9, 2019. Information on how
interested parties may listen to the conference call is available on the
Investor Relations page of our website (www.envivabiomass.com).
A replay of the conference call will be available on our website after
the live call concludes.

About Enviva Partners, LP

Enviva Partners, LP (NYSE: EVA) is a publicly traded master limited
partnership that aggregates a natural resource, wood fiber, and
processes it into a transportable form, wood pellets. The Partnership
sells a significant majority of its wood pellets through long-term,
take-or-pay agreements with creditworthy customers in the United Kingdom
and Europe. The Partnership owns and operates six plants with a combined
production capacity of nearly three million metric tons of wood pellets
per year in Virginia, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Florida and is
nearing completion of construction of a seventh plant with a nameplate
production capacity of approximately 600,000 metric tons in Hamlet,
North Carolina. In addition, the Partnership exports wood pellets
through its owned marine terminal assets at the Port of Chesapeake,
Virginia and the Port of Wilmington, North Carolina and from third-party
marine terminals in Mobile, Alabama and Panama City, Florida.

To learn more about Enviva Partners, LP, please visit our website at www.envivabiomass.com.

Notice

This press release is intended to be a qualified notice under Treasury
Regulation Section 1.1446-4(b)(4). Brokers and nominees should treat 100
percent of the Partnership’s distributions to non-U.S. investors as
being attributable to income that is effectively connected with a United
States trade or business. Accordingly, the Partnership’s distributions
to non-U.S. investors are subject to federal income tax withholding at
the highest applicable effective tax rate.

Financial Statements

 

ENVIVA PARTNERS, LP AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(In thousands, except number of units)

         

March 31,

2019

December 31,

2018
(unaudited)
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 106,745 $ 2,460
Accounts receivable 64,904 54,794
Insurance receivables 1,300 5,140
Related-party receivables 13,558 1,392
Inventories 27,999 31,490
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 2,391   2,235  
Total current assets 216,897 97,511
 
Property, plant and equipment, net 560,372 557,028
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net 26,957
Goodwill 85,615 85,615
Other long-term assets 5,939   8,616  
Total assets $ 895,780   $ 748,770  
 
Liabilities and Partners’ Capital
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable $ 7,667 $ 15,551
Related-party payables and accrued liabilities 17,294 28,225
Deferred consideration for Wilmington Drop-Down due to related-party 74,000 74,000
Accrued and other current liabilities 58,656 41,400
Current portion of interest payable 13,020 5,434
Current portion of long-term debt and finance lease obligations 2,762   2,722  
Total current liabilities 173,399 167,332
Long-term debt and finance lease obligations 475,975 429,933
Long-term operating lease liabilities 27,730
Long-term interest payable 1,040 1,010
Other long-term liabilities 2,165   3,779  
Total liabilities 680,309 602,054
Commitments and contingencies
 
Partners’ capital:
Limited partners:
Common unitholders—public (18,176,319 and 14,573,452 units issued
and outstanding at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018,
respectively)
290,845 207,612
Common unitholder—sponsor (11,905,138 units issued and outstanding
at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018)
60,011 72,352
General partner (no outstanding units) (135,680 ) (133,687 )
Accumulated other comprehensive income 295   439  
Total partners’ capital 215,471   146,716  
Total liabilities and partners’ capital $ 895,780   $ 748,770  
 
 

ENVIVA PARTNERS, LP AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

(In thousands, except per unit amounts)

(Unaudited)

 
     

Three Months Ended

March 31,

2019     2018
Product sales $ 156,599 $ 122,322
Other revenue 1,770   3,002  
Net revenue 158,369 125,324
Cost of goods sold 137,392 121,038
Depreciation and amortization 11,070   9,304  
Total cost of goods sold 148,462   130,342  
Gross margin 9,907 (5,018 )
General and administrative expenses 9,837   6,804  
Income (loss) from operations 70 (11,822 )
Other income (expense):
Interest expense (9,633 ) (8,645 )
Other income, net 640   1,132  
Total other expense, net (8,993 ) (7,513 )
Net loss $ (8,923 ) $ (19,335 )
Net loss per limited partner common unit:
Basic $ (0.42 ) $ (0.78 )
Diluted $ (0.42 ) $ (0.78 )
Net loss per limited partner subordinated unit:
Basic $ $ (0.78 )
Diluted $ $ (0.78 )
Weighted-average number of limited partner units outstanding:
Common—basic 26,759 14,438
Common—diluted 26,759 14,438
Subordinated—basic and diluted 11,905
 
 

ENVIVA PARTNERS, LP AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)

 
      Three Months Ended

March 31,
2019     2018
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss $ (8,923 ) $ (19,335 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash (used in) provided by
operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization 11,208 9,408
Amortization of debt issuance costs, debt premium and original issue
discounts
295 272
Impairment of inventory 10,383
Loss on disposal of assets 1,130
Unit-based compensation 2,472 1,343
Fair value changes in derivatives 2,216 525
Unrealized gains (losses) on foreign currency transactions, net 92 (69 )
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts and insurance receivables (6,359 )

31,232

Related-party receivables (8,022 ) 1,800
Prepaid expenses and other current and long-term assets (72 ) (50 )
Inventories 3,366 (16,509 )
Derivatives 298 (601 )
Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and other current liabilities (1,229 ) 8,677
Related-party payables and accrued liabilities (12,330 ) (6,501 )
Accrued interest 7,514 7,574
Operating lease liabilities (893 )
Other long-term liabilities 98   37  
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities (10,269 ) 29,316
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property, plant and equipment (11,279 ) (1,999 )
Net cash used in investing activities (11,279 ) (1,999 )
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from (repayments on) long-term debt and finance lease
obligations, net
45,447 (1,172 )

Proceeds from common unit issuances, (net in 2018)

100,000 241
Distributions to unitholders, distribution equivalent rights and
incentive distribution rights holder
(19,614 ) (17,847 )
Payment to General Partner to purchase affiliate common units for
Long-Term Incentive Plan vesting
(2,341 )
Payment for withholding tax associated with Long-Term Incentive Plan
vesting
  (1,665 )
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 125,833   (22,784 )
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 104,285 4,533
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period 2,460   524  
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period $ 106,745   $ 5,057  
 
 

ENVIVA PARTNERS, LP AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Continued)

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)

 
      Three Months Ended

March 31,
2019     2018
Non-cash investing and financing activities:
The Partnership acquired property, plant and equipment in non-cash
transactions as follows:
Property, plant and equipment acquired included in accounts payable
and accrued liabilities
$ 11,237 $ 1,587
Property, plant and equipment acquired under finance lease
obligations
626 674
Property, plant and equipment transferred from inventories 2
Property, plant and equipment capitalized interest 102
Distributions included in liabilities 873 1,352
Withholding tax payable associated with Long-Term Incentive Plan
vesting
1,870
Common unit issuance costs in accrued liabilities 3,339
Depreciation capitalized to inventories 442 1,037
Supplemental cash flow information:
Interest paid

$

1,929

$

795

 

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We use adjusted net (loss) income, adjusted gross margin per metric ton,
adjusted EBITDA, and distributable cash flow to measure our financial
performance.


Adjusted Net (Loss) Income

We define adjusted net (loss) income as net (loss) income excluding
certain expenses incurred related to the Chesapeake Incident and the
Hurricane Events, consisting of emergency response expenses, expenses
related to the disposal of inventory, and asset disposal and repair
costs, offset by insurance recoveries received, and interest expense
associated with incremental borrowings related to the Chesapeake
Incident. We believe that adjusted net (loss) income enhances
investors’ ability to compare the past financial performance of our
underlying operations with our current performance separate from certain
items of gain or loss that we characterize as unrepresentative of our
ongoing operations.


Adjusted Gross Margin per Metric Ton

We use adjusted gross margin per metric ton to measure our financial
performance. We define adjusted gross margin as gross margin excluding
asset disposals, depreciation and amortization, changes in unrealized
derivative instruments related to hedged items included in gross margin,
and certain items of income or loss that we characterize as
unrepresentative of our ongoing operations, including certain expenses
incurred related to the Chesapeake Incident and Hurricane Events,
consisting of emergency response expenses, expenses related to the
disposal of inventory, and asset disposal and repair costs, offset by
insurance recoveries received. We believe adjusted gross margin per
metric ton is a meaningful measure because it compares our
revenue-generating activities to our operating costs for a view of
profitability and performance on a per metric ton basis. Adjusted gross
margin per metric ton will primarily be affected by our ability to meet
targeted production volumes and to control direct and indirect costs
associated with procurement and delivery of wood fiber to our production
plants and the production and distribution of wood pellets.


Adjusted EBITDA

We view adjusted EBITDA as an important indicator of our financial
performance. We define adjusted EBITDA as net (loss) income excluding
depreciation and amortization, interest expense, income tax expense,
early retirement of debt obligations, non-cash MSA Fee Waivers and unit
compensation expenses, asset impairments and disposals, changes in
unrealized derivative instruments related to hedged items included in
gross margin and other income and expense, and certain items of income
or loss that we characterize as unrepresentative of our ongoing
operations, including certain expenses incurred related to the
Chesapeake Incident and Hurricane Events, consisting of emergency
response expenses, expenses related to the disposal of inventory, and
asset disposal and repair costs, offset by insurance recoveries
received. Adjusted EBITDA is a supplemental measure used by our
management and other users of our financial statements, such as
investors, commercial banks and research analysts, to assess the
financial performance of our assets without regard to financing methods
or capital structure.


Distributable Cash Flow

We define distributable cash flow as adjusted EBITDA less maintenance
capital expenditures and interest expense net of amortization of debt
issuance costs, debt premium, original issue discounts, and the impact
from incremental borrowings related to the Chesapeake Incident and
Hurricane Events. We use distributable cash flow as a performance metric
to compare the cash-generating performance of the Partnership from
period to period and to compare the cash-generating performance for
specific periods to the cash distributions (if any) that are expected to
be paid to our unitholders. We do not rely on distributable cash flow as
a liquidity measure.


Limitations of Non-GAAP Measures

Adjusted net (loss) income, adjusted gross margin per metric ton,
adjusted EBITDA, and distributable cash flow are not financial measures
presented in accordance with GAAP. We believe that the presentation of
these non-GAAP financial measures provides useful information to
investors in assessing our financial condition and results of
operations. Our non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as
alternatives to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.
Each of these non-GAAP financial measures has important limitations as
an analytical tool because they exclude some, but not all, items that
affect the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. You should
not consider adjusted net (loss) income, adjusted gross margin per
metric ton, adjusted EBITDA, or distributable cash flow in isolation or
as substitutes for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP.

Our definitions of these non-GAAP financial measures may not be
comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby
diminishing their utility.

The following tables present a reconciliation of adjusted net loss,
adjusted gross margin per metric ton, adjusted EBITDA, and distributable
cash flow to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, as
applicable, for each of the periods indicated.

    Three Months Ended March 31,
2019     2018
(in thousands)
Reconciliation of net loss to adjusted net loss:
Net loss $ (8,923 ) $ (19,335 )
Chesapeake Incident and Hurricane Events 289 16,590

Interest expense from incremental borrowings related to Chesapeake
Incident and Hurricane Events

490    
Adjusted net loss $ (8,144 ) $ (2,745 )
 
         
Three Months Ended March 31,
2019     2018
(in thousands except per metric ton)
Reconciliation of gross margin to adjusted gross margin per metric
ton:
Gross margin $ 9,907 $ (5,018 )
Depreciation and amortization 11,070 9,304
Chesapeake Incident and Hurricane Events 359 16,590
Changes in unrealized derivative instruments 2,010 769
Acquisition costs1 4,243    
Adjusted gross margin $ 27,589   $ 21,645  
Metric tons sold 843 648
Adjusted gross margin per metric ton $ 32.73 $ 33.40
 
     
Three Months Ended March 31,
2019     2018
(in thousands)
Reconciliation of net loss to adjusted EBITDA and distributable cash
flow:
Net loss $ (8,923 ) $ (19,335 )
Add:
Depreciation and amortization 11,208 9,408
Interest expense 9,633 8,645
Non-cash unit compensation expense 2,472 1,343
Chesapeake Incident and Hurricane Events 289 16,590
Changes in the fair value of derivative instruments 2,010 769
Acquisition costs1,2 4,927   153  
Adjusted EBITDA 21,616 17,573
Less:
Interest expense, net of amortization of debt issuance costs, debt
premium, original issue discount and impact from incremental
borrowings related to Chesapeake Incident and Hurricane Events
8,848 8,373
Maintenance capital expenditures 928   388  
Distributable cash flow attributable to Enviva Partners, LP 11,840 8,812
Less: Distributable cash flow attributable to incentive distribution
rights3
2,042   1,264  
Distributable cash flow attributable to Enviva Partners, LP limited
partners
$ 9,798   $ 7,548  
 
Cash distributions declared attributable to Enviva Partners, LP
limited partners3
$ 19,403 $ 16,509
 
Distribution coverage ratio3 0.51 0.46
 

The following table provides a reconciliation of the estimated range of
adjusted EBITDA to the estimated range of net (loss) income, in each
case for the twelve months ending December 31, 2019 (in millions):

     

Twelve Months Ending

December 31, 2019

Estimated net (loss) income $18.9 – 26.9
Add:
Depreciation and amortization 49.1
Interest expense 43.1
Non-cash unit compensation expense 9.7
Chesapeake Incident and Hurricane Events 0.3
Changes in the fair value of derivative instruments 2.0
Acquisition costs1,2 4.9
MSA Fee Waivers 10.7
Other non-cash expenses 2.0
Estimated adjusted EBITDA $140.7 – 148.7
Less:
Interest expense net of amortization of debt issuance costs, debt
premium, original issue discount and impact from incremental
borrowings related to Chesapeake Incident and Hurricane Events
41.9
Maintenance capital expenditures 6.8
Estimated distributable cash flow $92.0 – 100.0
 
   

1.

Includes $4.2 million of incremental costs, which are
unrepresentative of our ongoing operations, in connection with our
evaluation of the potential purchase of a third-party wood pellet
production plant (the “Potential Target”). When we commenced our
review, the Potential Target had recently returned to operations
following an extended shutdown during a bankruptcy proceeding with
the intent of demonstrating favorable operations prior to
conducting an auction sale process; however, the Potential Target
had not yet established a logistics chain through a viable export
terminal, given that the terminal through which the plant
historically had exported was not operational at the time and was
not reasonably certain to become operational in the future.
Accordingly, as part of our diligence of the Potential Target, we
developed an alternative logistics chain to bring the Potential
Target’s wood pellets to market and began purchasing the
production of the Potential Target for a trial period. The
incremental costs associated with the establishment and evaluation
of this new logistics chain primarily consist of barge, freight,
trucking, storage, and shiploading services. We have completed our
evaluation of the alternative logistics chain and determined it is
not viable; consequently, we do not expect to incur additional
costs of this nature in the future.

 

2.

Includes $0.7 million in costs, primarily legal fees related to
the Hamlet Transaction, in addition to the costs described in
footnote 1.

 

3.

Distributable cash flow attributable to incentive distribution
rights, cash distributions declared attributable to Enviva
Partners, LP limited partners, and distribution coverage ratio for
the first quarter of 2019 were calculated based on common units
outstanding as of March 31, 2019.

 

Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements and information in this press release, including
those concerning our future results of operations, acquisition
opportunities, and distributions, may constitute “forward-looking
statements.” The words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,”
“intend,” “foresee,” “should,” “would,” “could,” or other similar
expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which
are generally not historical in nature. These forward-looking statements
are based on the Partnership’s current expectations and beliefs
concerning future developments and their potential effect on the
Partnership. Although management believes that these forward-looking
statements are reasonable as and when made, there can be no assurance
that future developments affecting the Partnership will be those that it
anticipates. The forward-looking statements involve significant risks
and uncertainties (some of which are beyond the Partnership’s control)
and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially
from the Partnership’s historical experience and its present
expectations or projections. Important factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from forward-looking statements include,
but are not limited to: (i) the volume and quality of products that we
are able to produce or source and sell, which could be adversely
affected by, among other things, operating or technical difficulties at
our plants or deep-water marine terminals; (ii) the prices at which we
are able to sell our products; (iii) failure of the Partnership’s
customers, vendors, and shipping partners to pay or perform their
contractual obligations to the Partnership; (iv) the creditworthiness of
our contract counterparties; (v) the amount of low-cost wood fiber that
we are able to procure and process, which could be adversely affected
by, among other things, disruptions in supply or operating or financial
difficulties suffered by our suppliers; (vi) changes in the price and
availability of natural gas, coal, or other sources of energy; (vii)
changes in prevailing economic conditions; (viii) our inability to
complete acquisitions, including acquisitions from our sponsor and joint
ventures, or to realize the anticipated benefits of such acquisitions;
(ix) inclement or hazardous environmental conditions, including extreme
precipitation, temperatures and flooding; (x) fires, explosions or other
accidents; (xi) changes in domestic and foreign laws and regulations (or
the interpretation thereof) related to renewable or low-carbon energy,
the forestry products industry, the international shipping industry, or
power generators; (xii) changes in the regulatory treatment of biomass
in core and emerging markets; (xiii) our inability to timely acquire or
maintain necessary permits or rights for our production, transportation,
or terminaling operations as well as expenditures associated therewith;
(xiv) changes in the price and availability of transportation; (xv)
changes in foreign currency exchange or interest rates, and the failure
of our hedging arrangements to effectively reduce our exposure to the
risks related thereto; (xvi) risks related to our indebtedness; (xvii)
our failure to maintain effective quality control systems at our
production plants and deep-water marine terminals, which could lead to
the rejection of our products by our customers; (xviii) changes in the
quality specifications for our products that are required by our
customers; (xix) labor disputes; (xx) the effects of the anticipated
exit of the United Kingdom from the EU on our and our customers’
businesses; (xxi) our inability to hire, train or retain qualified
personnel to manage and operate our business and newly acquired assets;
(xxii) our inability to borrow funds and access capital markets; (xxiii)
our mis-estimation of the timing and extent of our ability to recover
the costs associated with the Chesapeake Event and the Hurricanes
through our insurance policies and other contractual rights; and (xxiv)
our inability to successfully execute our project development and
construction activities on time and within budget.

For additional information regarding known material factors that could
cause the Partnership’s actual results to differ from projected results,
please read its filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(the “SEC”), including the Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q most recently filed with the SEC. Readers are
cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements,
which speak only as of the date thereof. The Partnership undertakes no
obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements
after the date they are made, whether as a result of new information or
future events or otherwise.