Royal Vopak has today completed the previously announced sale of its UK terminals, comprising of Vopak Terminal London, Vopak Terminal Teesside and Vopak Terminal Windmill.
The transaction follows last month's completion of the sale of Vopak's share in Thames Oilport. The sale of all Vopak's UK assets to Macquarie Capital and Greenergy is herewith completed.
The Thames Oilport deal was the first of two transactions regarding the sale of all of Vopak's UK assets to Greenergy and Macquarie Capital. In the second transaction, a joint venture between Macquarie Capital and Greenergy was created, called Navigator Terminals, which holds the assets of the three wholly owned terminals: Vopak Terminal London, Vopak Terminal Teesside and Vopak Terminal Windmill.
Vopak Terminal London, located at West Thurrock, Essex, on the Thames, is the largest of Vopak's terminals in the UK and has a total storage capacity of between 367,365 cubic metres and 379,044 cubic metres, with 86 tanks storing petroleum products, chemicals and liquefied gas.
Vopak Terminal Teesside in Seal Sands, Middlesbrough, has a total storage capacity of 287,000 cubic metres and 168 tanks storing petroleum products, bitumen, liquefied gas, chemicals and vegetable oils.
Vopak Terminal Windmill, located in Barry, near Cardiff, has a storage capacity of 42,000 cubic metres and 12 tanks storing mainly chemical products.
In addition to the three Vopak terminals, the operational storage assets of Greenergy North Tees in Teesside brings Navigator's initial storage capacity to approximately 1.5 million cubic metres, making it the UK's largest independent bulk liquid storage provider.
Commenting on the UK divestment in December, Vopak explained: "The cash and debt free enterprise value of the divestment of Vopak's UK assets amounts to GBP 335 million and the transaction is expected to generate a net cash inflow of approximately GBP 300 million. From a financial reporting perspective the total exceptional gain will be approximately GBP 200 million and will be recognized in 2016. The final proceeds will be determined as per the completion date.
"The proceeds from this transaction will be used to further strengthen Vopak's flexibility to execute its selective capital disciplined growth strategy and to support its consistent dividend policy, while maintaining a robust financial position."
The currency exposure of the divestment has been hedged to the Euro.
The 2016 financial effects, with respect to the transaction, are to be included in the first-quarter interim update, which is scheduled to be published on April 20, 2016.
