Enviva Announces Comprehensive Agreements to Delever Balance Sheet and Strengthen Financial Position
Restructuring Plan Expected to Reduce Debt by Approximately $1.0 Billion, Improve Profitability, and Better Position the Business for Long-Term Success
Company Commences Voluntary Chapter 11 Proceedings to Implement Pre-Arranged Restructuring Plan
Company Secures Commitment for $500 Million in Debtor-in-Possession Financing
Enviva Continues Operations while Advancing its Transformation Plan
Enviva Inc. (“Enviva” or the “Company”), a leading producer of sustainably sourced wood-based biomass, announced that it has entered into two Restructuring Support Agreements (“RSAs”): one RSA with an ad hoc group of holders (the “Ad Hoc Group”) representing approximately 72% of its senior secured credit facility, approximately 95% of its 2026 senior notes, approximately 78% of bonds related to its Epes, Alabama plant currently under construction (“Epes”), and approximately 45% of bonds related to its greenfield project near Bond, Mississippi (“Bond”), and a second RSA with certain holders representing more than 92% of bonds related to the Bond project.
The RSAs have broad support across the Company’s capital structure and are designed to support an expedited restructuring to reduce the Company’s debt by approximately $1.0 billion, as well as improve profitability, strengthen liquidity, and better position the business for long-term success as the world’s largest producer of industrial wood pellets.
To implement this pre-arranged restructuring, Enviva and certain of its subsidiaries have commenced voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (the “Court”). The Company has also secured commitments for $500 million in debtor-in-possession financing (“DIP Facility”) and other financing accommodations from the Ad Hoc Group, a portion of which will be allocated by the Company to eligible stockholders in accordance with a syndication process that is subject to Court approval. The DIP Facility is expected to provide, subject to Court approval, sufficient liquidity to support continued operations across Enviva’s business throughout the restructuring process, as well as help fund the completion of Epes.
Glenn Nunziata, Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer commented, “These agreements with our lenders and noteholders represent a significant milestone in the ongoing process to transform our business, as we focus on improving profitability, reducing costs, enhancing asset productivity, and optimizing our capital structure. We look forward to emerging from this process as a stronger company with a solid financial foundation and better positioned to be a leader in the future growth of the wood-based biomass industry. We appreciate the support of our lenders, our vendors, and our customers, and the tremendous efforts of our entire team as we continue to execute our transformation plan.”
The Company is filing with the Court several customary “first-day” motions. These motions, which Enviva expects to be approved in short order, are expected to help facilitate a smooth transition into Chapter 11. Enviva expects to continue to pay suppliers in the ordinary course for authorized goods received and services provided after the filing.
The restructuring is targeted to be completed during the fourth quarter of 2024, and throughout the process, Enviva plans to continue constructing its Epes plant, with an in-service date expected to be during the first half of 2025.
The Company also announced plans to pause development of Bond. The Company intends to revisit restarting Bond, depending on the level of customer contracting, once it emerges from its in-court restructuring process.
The terms of the RSA with the Ad Hoc Group provide for existing equity holders to receive (i) 5% of the common equity of the reorganized company at exit from Chapter 11 proceedings and (ii) warrants to purchase an additional 5% of the reorganized equity, both subject to dilution from shares issued in connection with, among other sources, a contemplated equity rights offering, equity participation election rights for creditors under the DIP Facility, and a management incentive plan, in each case, subject to Court approval.
Enviva has been in contact with the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) and anticipates the continued listing of its common stock on the NYSE throughout the restructuring process so long as the Company continues to meet the minimum continued listing standards set forth by the NYSE.
Additional information about Enviva’s restructuring process and proceedings is available at www.kccllc.net/Enviva. Stakeholders with questions may call the Company’s Claims Agent, KCC, at (888) 249-2695 or (310) 751-2601 if calling from outside the U.S. or Canada, or email envivainfo@kccllc.com.
Vinson & Elkins LLP is serving as legal counsel; Lazard is serving as investment banker; and Alvarez & Marsal is serving as financial advisor to Enviva. Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is serving as legal advisor and Evercore Group L.L.C. is serving as financial advisor to the Ad Hoc Group.
About Enviva
Enviva Inc. (NYSE: EVA) is the world’s largest producer of industrial wood pellets, a renewable and sustainable energy source produced by aggregating a natural resource, wood fiber, and processing it into a transportable form, wood pellets. Enviva owns and operates ten plants with annual production of approximately 5.0 million metric tons in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi, and is constructing its 11th plant in Epes, Alabama. Enviva sells most of its wood pellets through long-term, take-or-pay off-take contracts with customers located primarily in the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Japan, helping to accelerate the energy transition away from conventional energy sources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a lifecycle basis in hard-to-abate sectors like steel, cement, lime, chemicals, and aviation. Enviva exports its wood pellets to global markets through its deep-water marine terminals at the Port of Chesapeake, Virginia, the Port of Wilmington, North Carolina, and the Port of Pascagoula, Mississippi, and from third-party deep-water marine terminals in Savannah, Georgia, Mobile, Alabama, and Panama City, Florida.
To learn more about Enviva, please visit our website at www.envivabiomass.com. Follow Enviva on social media @Enviva.
Contact:
Media Contact – media@envivabiomass.com
Source: Enviva, Inc.