OPAL Fuels Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Results

OPAL Fuels Inc. (“OPAL Fuels” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: OPAL), a vertically integrated leader in the capture and conversion of biogas into low carbon intensity renewable natural gas (RNG) and renewable electricity, today announced financial and operating results for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2023.

“OPAL Fuels continues to progress on its strategic and operational goals,” said Co-CEO Jonathan Maurer. “Over the last two years, we have more than doubled RNG production and significantly expanded our fueling station network while continuing to organically grow our project pipeline with industry leading partners. We are pleased with our results as we leverage the benefits of our vertically integrated platform.”

“Fourth quarter and full year 2023 financial and operational results were in-line with our most recent guidance,” said Maurer. “These results, coupled with achieving strategic initiatives such as closing on our $500 million credit facility and advancing industry partnerships, put us in a position to capitalize on favorable industry fundamentals in 2024.”

“We now have 5.2 million MMBtu of annual design capacity online at eight RNG facilities. We anticipate ending the year with 8.8 million MMBtu of RNG capacity online, adding 3.6 million MMBtu in 2024 as Prince William, Sapphire and Polk County (Florida) projects begin operations. We also anticipate bringing online 2.4 MW of renewable power nameplate capacity (0.2 million MMBtu of biomethane equivalent per year) as our Fall River project commences operations in the fourth quarter. Further, we expect several additional RNG projects to enter construction this year and see increasing momentum in Fuel Station Services, supporting growth beyond 2024.”

“The tailwinds from the capture and conversion of biogas into low carbon intensity energy products that replace fossil fuels continue to be strong. Constructive domestic and international policy support continues to broaden, and demand for RNG is increasing as positive feedback continues from heavy duty fleets testing RNG,” said Co-CEO Adam Comora. “Our business model is designed to position us to take advantage of these tailwinds and drive growth.”

Financial Highlights

• Revenue for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2023, was $87.0 million and $256.1 million, respectively, up 30% and 9%, compared to same periods last year.
• Net income for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2023, was $20.1 million and $127.0 million, respectively, compared to $32.0 million and $32.6 million, in the comparable periods last year.
• Basic net earnings per share attributable to Class A common shareholders for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2023, was $0.11 and $0.70, respectively compared to $0.18 and $0.13 in the comparable periods last year.
• Adjusted EBITDA¹ for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2023, was $32.0 million and $52.0 million, respectively, compared to $20.4 million and $53.4 million in comparable periods last year.
• At December 31, 2023, RNG Pending Monetization totaled $18.5 million.

Operational Highlights

• We exited 2023 with an aggregate annual design capacity of our operating RNG projects of 5.2 million MMBtu.^2,3
• RNG produced was 0.8 million and 2.7 million MMBtu, for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2023, an increase of 33% and 23% compared to the prior-year periods.
• RNG sold as transportation fuel was 13.5 million and 43.8 million GGEs, respectively, for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2023, an increase of 44% and 49% compared to the prior-year periods.
• The Fuel Station Services segment sold, dispensed, and serviced an aggregate of 35.3 million and 133.2 million GGEs of transportation fuel for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2023, an increase of 8% and 15% compared to the prior-year periods.

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¹ This is a non-GAAP measure. A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measure to comparable GAAP measure has been provided in the financial tables included in this press release. An explanation of this measure and how it is calculated is also included below under the heading “Non-GAAP Financial Measures."

² Design capacity is the annual design output for each facility and may not reflect actual production from the projects, which depends on many variables including, but not limited to, quantity and quality of the biogas, operational up-time of the facility, and actual productivity of the facility.

³ Represents OPAL Fuels' proportional share with respect to RNG projects owned with joint venture partners.

Construction Update

• The Prince William RNG project is mechanically complete and in commissioning. The project will commence commercial operations in the coming weeks. This project, owned 100% by OPAL Fuels, represents approximately 1.7 million MMBtu of annual design capacity.
• We anticipate commencing commercial operations at our Sapphire RNG project in the third quarter of 2024. This project represents approximately 0.8 million MMBtu for OPAL Fuels’ 50% ownership share of annual design capacity.
• We expect the Polk County (Florida) RNG project to commence commercial operations in the fourth quarter of 2024. This project, owned 100% by OPAL Fuels, represents approximately 1.1 million MMBtu of annual design capacity.
• Completion of construction at two dairy projects in California (Hilltop and Vander Schaaf) has been delayed due to a dispute with the Engineering, Procurement and Construction contractor over a series of change order requests.⁴
• The Atlantic RNG project is expected to commence commercial operations in mid-2025. This project represents approximately 0.3 million MMBtu for OPAL Fuels’ 50% ownership share of annual design capacity.
• The Fall River project is a renewable power project that is expected to commence operations at the end of 2024. This project represents 2.4 MW of renewable power nameplate capacity (0.2 million MMBtus of biomethane equivalent per year) and is 100% owned by OPAL Fuels.

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⁴ For more information, please see the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023.

2024 Guidance

• The Company currently estimates that Adjusted EBITDA for the full year 2024 will range between $90 million and $100 million. Adjusted EBITDA does not include:
  • Approximately $40 million of potential ITC cash proceeds from Emerald and the three landfill RNG projects coming online this year, which would be included in net income in 2024;
  • An increase of approximately $15 million from RNG pending monetization in 2024, which represents the time lag between the recognition of RNG production costs compared with the associated revenues; and
  • An adjustment for development and project start up expenses⁵ of approximately $12 million in 2024, which is predominantly the Prince William virtual pipeline expense.
• We anticipate Adjusted EBITDA from our Fuel Station Services segment to grow by 75%-90% compared to 2023.
• We expect 2024 RNG production to range from 4.4 to 4.8 million MMBtu.
• We expect full year 2024 capital expenditures at wholly-owned and joint venture projects to total approximately $230 million. This total includes approximately $28 million for Fuel Station Services and $41 million relating to equity method investments in RNG projects.
• We anticipate putting into construction at least 2.0 million annual MMBtu of RNG design capacity in 2024 which is included in our 2024 capital expenditure guidance.
• 2024 guidance assumes a weighted average annual price for D3 RINs of approximately $3.0/gallon, natural gas price of $2.00/MMBtu, and an LCFS credit price of $65.0/metric ton.

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⁵Project development and start up expenses will be presented as a separate line item on the Income Statement in 2024.

Results of Operations

Landfill RNG Facility Capacity and Utilization Summary

RNG Pending Monetization Summary

Liquidity

As of December 31, 2023, we have drawn approximately $186.6 million, and utilized $13.8 million of our revolver availability to issue letters of credit, under the $500 million senior secured credit facility we entered into in September 2023.

As of December 31, 2023, our liquidity was $347.8 million, consisting of $299.6 million of availability under the above referenced credit facility, and $48.2 million of cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments.

We believe our liquidity and anticipated cash flows from operations are sufficient to meet our existing funding needs.

Capital Expenditures

During the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, OPAL Fuels invested $113.8 million across RNG projects in construction and OPAL Fuels proprietary fueling stations in construction as compared to $131.4 million in the prior year.

In addition, for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, the Company's portion of capital expenditures in unconsolidated entities was $20.6 million. This represents our share of capital expenditures incurred by Paragon for the Emerald and Sapphire projects post deconsolidation.

Earnings Call

A webcast to review OPAL Fuels’ Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 results is being held tomorrow, March 14, 2024 at 11:00AM EDT.

Materials to be discussed in the webcast will be available before the call on the Company's website.

Participants may access the call at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/igoxez25. Investors can also listen to a webcast of the presentation on the company’s Investor Relations website at https://investors.opalfuels.com/news-events/events-presentations.

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Glossary of terms

“Environmental Attributes” refer to federal, state, and local government incentives in the United States, provided in the form of Renewable Identification Numbers, Renewable Energy Credits, Low Carbon Fuel Standard credits, rebates, tax credits and other incentives to end users, distributors, system integrators and manufacturers of renewable energy projects that promote the use of renewable energy.

“GGE” refers to Gasoline gallon equivalent. The conversion ratio is 1MMBtu of natural gas equal to 7.74 GGE.

“LFG” refers to landfill gas.

“MMBtu” refers to British thermal units.

“Renewable Power” refers to electricity generated from renewable sources.

“RNG” refers to renewable natural gas.

“D3” refers to cellulosic biofuel with a 60% GHG reduction requirement.

“RIN” refers to Renewal Identification Numbers.

“EPA” refers to Environmental Protection Agency.

About OPAL Fuels Inc.

OPAL Fuels Inc. (Nasdaq: OPAL) is a leader in the capture and conversion of biogas into low carbon intensity renewable electricity and renewable natural gas (RNG). OPAL Fuels is also a leader in the marketing and distribution of RNG to heavy duty trucking and other hard to de-carbonize industrial sectors. RNG is chemically identical to the natural gas Americans use to cook with, heat homes, and fuel natural gas engines, with one significant difference: RNG is produced by recycling harmful methane emissions created by decaying organic waste as opposed to fossil natural gas which is pumped from the ground. For additional information please visit www.opalfuels.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this communication may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and generally relate to future events or OPAL Fuels’ (the “Company”) future financial or other performance metrics. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “potentially,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “target,” “plan,” “expect,” or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. New risks and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company and its management, as the case may be, are inherently uncertain and subject to material change. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include various factors beyond management’s control, including but not limited to general economic conditions and other risks, uncertainties and factors set forth in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in the Company's annual report on Form 10K filed on March 29, 2023, and other filings the Company makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Nothing in this communication should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements in this communication, which speak only as of the date they are made and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the cautionary statements herein. The Company expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any statement is based.

Disclaimer

This communication is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase, nor a solicitation of an offer to sell, subscribe for or buy, any securities, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer or securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures (Unaudited)

This release includes various financial measures that are non-GAAP financial measures as defined under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. We believe these measures provide important supplemental information to investors to use in evaluating ongoing operating results. We use these measures, together with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP" or "U.S. GAAP"), for internal managerial purposes and as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons. However, we do not, and you should not, rely on non-GAAP financial measures alone as measures of our performance. We believe that non-GAAP financial measures reflect an additional way of viewing aspects of our operations, that when taken together with GAAP results and the reconciliations to corresponding GAAP financial measures that we also provide give a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting our business. We strongly encourage you to review all of our financial statements and publicly filed reports in their entirety and to not solely rely on any single non-GAAP financial measure.

Non-GAAP financial measures are limited as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, the Company's GAAP results. The Company expects to continue reporting non-GAAP financial measures, adjusting for the items described below (and/or other items that may arise in the future as the Company's management deems appropriate), and the Company expects to continue to incur expenses, charges or gains like the non-GAAP adjustments described below. Accordingly, unless expressly stated otherwise, the exclusion of these and other similar items in the presentation of non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed as an inference that these costs are unusual, infrequent, or non-recurring. These Non-GAAP financial measures are not recognized terms under GAAP and do not purport to be alternatives to GAAP net income or any other GAAP measure as indicators of operating performance. Moreover, because not all companies use identical measures and calculations, the Company's presentation of Non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures used by other companies. We strongly encourage you to review all of our financial statements and publicly filed reports in their entirety and to not solely rely on any single non-GAAP financial measure.

Adjusted EBITDA

To supplement the Company's unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP, the Company uses a non-GAAP financial measure that it calls adjusted EBITDA ("Adjusted EBITDA"). This non-GAAP measure adjusts net income for interest and financing expense, net, loss on debt extinguishment, net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests, depreciation, amortization and accretion expense, adjustments to reflect Adjusted EBITDA from equity method investments, loss on warrant exchange, unrealized (gain) loss on derivative instruments, non-cash charges, one-time non-recurring expenses, major maintenance on renewable power and gain on deconsolidation of VIEs.

Management believes this non-GAAP measure provides meaningful supplemental information about the Company's performance, for the following reasons: (1) it allows for greater transparency with respect to key metrics used by management to assess the Company's operating performance and make financial and operational decisions; (2) the measure excludes the effect of items that management believes are not directly attributable to the Company's core operating performance and may obscure trends in the business; (3) the measure better aligns revenues with expenses; and (4) the measure is used by institutional investors and the analyst community to help analyze the Company's business. In future quarters, the Company may adjust for other expenditures, charges or gains to present non-GAAP financial measures that the Company's management believes are indicative of the Company's core operating performance.

Non-GAAP financial measures are limited as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, the Company's GAAP results. The Company expects to continue reporting non-GAAP financial measures, adjusting for the items described below (and/or other items that may arise in the future as the Company's management deems appropriate), and the Company expects to continue to incur expenses, charges or gains like the non-GAAP adjustments described below. Accordingly, unless expressly stated otherwise, the exclusion of these and other similar items in the presentation of non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed as an inference that these costs are unusual, infrequent, or non-recurring. Adjusted EBITDA is not a recognized term under GAAP and does not purport to be an alternative to GAAP net income or any other GAAP measure as an indicator of operating performance. Moreover, because not all companies use identical measures and calculations, the Company's presentation of Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures used by other companies.

The following table presents the reconciliation of our Net income to Adjusted EBITDA:

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