Bogdanka reflects the impact of green transition processes in its results
Bogdanka reported that in view of the current market situation, it has decided to carry out an impairment test of its assets, resulting in a write-down of PLN 1,174 million. This has the nature of an accounting operation and does not affect the current condition of the company. The Company published Current Report No. 28/2024 on this matter on 27 August 2024.
The Polish economy, like all European Union countries, is pursuing the energy transition, aiming for zero-carbon by 2050. This means a gradual shift away from fossil fuels, such as coal, to renewable energy sources (RES). As a result, renewable energy generation capacity is growing, causing a decrease in demand for coal. Reducing the share of this raw material in the national energy mix, while ensuring the security of energy supply for the Polish economy, is a key task for the entire sector. Bogdanka is part of this trend by responsibly preparing transition processes and planning for its future in changing, increasingly unfavorable conditions.
Declining demand for coal, due to the growing importance of RES and decarbonization efforts, puts coal companies in a difficult position. Many of them, including Bogdanka, have to revise their strategies at this point and adapt to changing market realities. At the same time, companies like ours are facing cost pressures that are constantly increasing - particularly in the manufacturing area, where material prices and operating costs are getting higher,
- said Zbigniew Stopa, President of the Management Board of Lubelski Węgiel Bogdanka S.A.
An additional challenge for Bogdanka is wage pressure from the trade unions, which, despite being aware of macroeconomic trends, are demanding further wage increases for employees. With falling demand, intense competition and declining margins, it is very difficult or even impossible to meet these expectations. Since failure to implement trade union demands could lead to social tensions, the company is balancing the need to optimize costs with employee demands. However, the absolute priority is always to protect jobs and the future of the company's operations.
As a result of an analysis of the indications, the Company has decided to test its assets for impairment to ensure that their valuation reflects current market conditions. The result of this test indicated a need to reduce the carrying value of the Company's non-current assets by PLN 1,174 million. Although this operation charges the operating result, it does not affect EBITDA (i.e. operating profit plus depreciation, amortization and impairment charges), and does not affect the Company's liquidity. The liquidity remains stable and the Company has secured funds for current and investment activities,”
- said Artur Wasilewski, Vice-President of the Management Board of Lubelski Węgiel Bogdanka for Economic and Financial Affairs.
In the face of these challenges, Bogdanka is carrying out optimization activities aimed at leveraging its competitive advantages and adapting to the dwindling supply of domestic coal. The Company has also begun work on updating its strategy, which is expected to be announced by the end of 2024. The new strategy is intended to help Bogdanka adapt to the growing importance of RES and the challenges of the energy transition and decarbonization.
At the same time, Bogdanka continues its active cooperation with coal buyers both at home and abroad, aiming to ensure the stability of sales in the long term, despite changing market conditions.
Lubelski Węgiel Bogdanka S.A. is a leading hard coal producer in Poland that stands apart from its peers in terms of its modern and efficient mining. It is one of the largest Polish hard coal mines. Lubelski Węgiel Bogdanka S.A. chiefly conducts mining operations in terms of hard coal extraction, enrichment and sales. It supplies this raw material mainly to industrial offtakers. Supply contracts are long-term, and the product is sold to the commercial power sector and the industrial power sector.
The company has been listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange since June of 2009. In August 2022, Lubelski Węgiel Bogdanka S.A. returned to listing on the WIG-ESG Index.
Since October of 2015 Bogdanka has been a member of the Enea Group, the second largest player on Poland’s electrical power market in terms of the generation of electricity, which manages the entire value chain on the electricity market ranging from fuel to the generation of electricity, distribution, sales (supply) and customer service.