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Investing.com -- Elia Group (EBR:ELI) on Wednesday reaffirmed its 2025 earnings forecast, projecting net profit of €490 million to €540 million, following the completion of a €2.2 billion equity raise and continued progress on grid infrastructure projects.
The equity funding consists of an €850 million private placement and a €1.35 billion rights issue.
The private placement, completed on March 26, involved 13.7 million shares priced at €61.88 each, with participation from Publi-T/NextGrid, ATLAS Infrastructure/The Future Fund, BlackRock (NYSE:BLK), and CPP Investments.
The rights offering, completed on April 8, raised €1.35 billion through 21.8 million shares at the same price.
Fully subscribed and listed on Euronext (EPA:ENX) Brussels, the offering increased Elia Group’s total share count from 87.3 million to 109.1 million. The new shares are ineligible for the 2024 dividend, scheduled for payment on June 2.
The proceeds will support regulated grid investments in Belgium and Germany and partially repay a term loan used to acquire energyRe Giga.
Elia expects net profit of €255 million to €285 million from its Belgian operations, assuming an average 10-year OLO yield of 2.8%.
Planned investments for the year total approximately €1.5 billion. In Germany, the group projects net profit between €380 million and €420 million, with about €3.6 billion in capital spending, based on a 2.3% regulatory base rate.
The non-regulated segment, including Nemo Link, is expected to report a loss of €35 million to €45 million.
Nemo Link is projected to contribute approximately €25 million, contingent on availability.
The company stated its guidance excludes the impact of any future mergers or acquisitions.
In Belgium, the Brabo III project entered a new phase with conductor installation and is scheduled to become operational by spring 2026.
The environmental impact assessment for the Ventilus project has been submitted to Flemish authorities, and the Flemish government approved the launch notice for a substation tied to the Massenhoven-Van Eyck project.
Elia Transmission Belgium postponed signing high-voltage direct current contracts for the Princess Elisabeth Island project, citing inflation, material costs and limited supplier availability. Alternative design options are being reviewed with public authorities.
In Germany, subsidiary 50Hertz awarded €650 million in civil engineering contracts for the SuedOstLink direct current connection in Saxony-Anhalt, with completion expected in 2027.
Cable laying began on the Ostwind 3 offshore grid project. The 150-kilometer Uckermark Line was inaugurated on February 17, tripling transmission capacity.
Eurogrid GmbH, parent of 50Hertz, secured a €1 billion green loan in February to fund the Ostwind 4 and LanWin3 offshore projects.
The company also increased an existing €850 million bond by €200 million, bringing the total to €1.05 billion, maturing in 2035.
The Bornholm Energy Island project, a joint effort between 50Hertz and Danish operator Energinet, secured €645 million in EU funding through the Connecting Europe Facility. The company also plans to hire 600 employees.