Acciona to Name Advisers for Foreign Energy Float

Spanish infrastructure and energy firm Acciona is close to mandating advisers for a stock market listing of its foreign wind farms and may sell its shipping business this year in a push keep debt under control, an executive said on Wednesday.

Indebted Acciona agreed to sell a one-third stake in its international energy business to private equity firm KKR last month and the two companies have said they plan to list a so-called "yieldco" holding the assets next year.

As with peer Abengoa's recently-listed Abengoa Yield, such companies own and operate the generating assets of their parent firms and have long-term output purchase agreements with power utilities, guaranteeing a stable cash flow that can be paid out in dividends.

The amount to be raised in the listing would not be below $250 million, Juan Muro-Lara, chief corporate development and investor relations officer, said on a conference call, adding that the final amount would depend on market conditions and pricing.

Acciona also plans to sell its Transmediterranean shipping business this year, he said, as part of a drive to sell non-core assets and stabilize debt.

The company is targeting net debt of around 6 billion euros in 2014 versus 5.8 billion at end-June.

The group, which has been shedding assets after its Spanish wind farms business was hit by new energy regulations, posted a 43 percent rise in first-half net profit to 68 million euros thanks to capital gains from divestments.

The net profit rise also reflected the company's decision to extend the lifespan of its wind farms to 25 years from 20, thus reducing depreciation and amortization charges.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) fell 16 percent to 472 million euros in the first six months to June from a year earlier, also hit by new energy regulations and a construction slowdown in Spain.

Shares in Acciona, which have gained 56 percent so far this year, were up 1.6 percent to 66.10 euros, one of the top gainers in Spain's blue-chip index.

By Tracy Rucinski (C) Reuters 2014.