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The Pakistan Credit Rating Agency Limited
Press Release

Date
28-Oct-22

Analyst
Madiha Sohail
madiha.sohail@pacra.com
+92-42-35869504
www.pacra.com

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This press release is being transmitted for the sole purpose of dissemination through print/electronic media. The press release may be used in full or in part without changing the meaning or context thereof with due credit to PACRA

PACRA Assigns the Preliminary Rating to China Power Hub Generation Company (Pvt.) Limited | PPSTS-2 | PKR 5bln | TBI

Rating Type Debt Instrument
Current
(28-Oct-22 )
Action Preliminary
Long Term AA+
Short Term A1+
Outlook Stable
Rating Watch -

China Power Hub Generation Company Private Limited ("CPHGC" or "the Company") is coal based 1,320MW power plant and jetty (Complex), set up by State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC), one of the top Five State-owned Power Corporations in China along with Hub Power Company of Pakistan. The financial strength and experience in the energy chain of the sponsoring companies – CPIH and HUBCO reflect positively in the ratings. Rating takes comfort from the Company's strategic importance to economy through its operations, the strong business profile and from the involvement of Pakistani and Chinese governments, as this project is a priority project under CPEC. The Company has successfully achieved all the performance benchmarks and provided 6,647GWh of electricity to the grid during CY21 against 6,939 GWh in CY20. The Company recorded a turnover of PKR 28bln during 1QCY22 (CY21: 100bln) and achieved a bottom-line of PKR 9bln in 1QCY22 against PKR 19bln in CY21. The Company aims to issue a series of commercial paper amounting to PKR ~20bln in total, in order to manage the increasing price of imported coal in the international market out of which PKR 8bln has already been issued and the next tranche of PKR 5bln is expected to be issue at the end of Oct'22. This will be in addition to the short-term borrowings already utilized by the Company. Till date the Company has repaid five installments (i.e.~18%) of its project-related long-term debt.
However, the leverage is yet sizeable and will gradually decline along with the life of the project Maintaining healthy debt service coverages remain important. Accumulation of circular debt may pose challenge to the cash flow management. However, the management supported by relevant business fundamentals remain committed to sustain timely debt repayments.

About the Entity
China Power Hub Generation Company (Pvt.) Limited (CPHGC), incorporated in 2015. CPHGC has been established as a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) between China Power International Holding Limited (CPIHL) and the Hub Power Company (HUBCO). As per JVA, CPIHL through its wholly owned subsidiary China Power International (Pakistan) Investment Limited (CPIPIL) and HUBCO through its wholly owned subsidiary Hub Power Holdings Limited (HPHL) owns 52.5% and 47.5% respectively. The BoD comprises seven members, including the CEO. Four members represent China Power International (Pakistan) Investment Limited, while three represents Hub Power Holdings Limited. The management team is led by Mr. Ren LiHui, CEO. He is supported by a team of experienced professionals from both Chinese and Pakistani team members

About the Instrument
CPHGC is in the process to issue a rated, unsecured, privately placed, short-term sukuk (PPSTS-2) in October 2022. The amount of the instrument is PKR 5,000mln. The purpose of the PPSTS-2 is to finance the company's working capital requirements. The tenor of PPSTS-2 is up to 6 months and will carry a profit rate of 6MK+145bps. profit and principal will be paid in bullet at maturity.

The primary function of PACRA is to evaluate the capacity and willingness of an entity to honor its obligations. Our ratings reflect an independent, professional and impartial assessment of the risks associated with a particular instrument or an entity. PACRA's comprehensive offerings include instrument and entity credit ratings, insurer financial strength ratings, fund ratings, asset manager ratings and real estate gradings. PACRA opinion is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a security, in as much as it does not comment on the security's market price or suitability for a particular investor.