This annual report includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, all statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this annual report, including, without limitation, those regarding our future financial position and results of operations, our strategy, plans, objectives, goals and targets, future developments in the markets in which we operate or are seeking to operate or anticipated regulatory changes in the markets in which we operate or intend to operate. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “guidance,” “intend,” “is likely to,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “projected,” “should” or “will” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions or terminology.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this annual report and are not guarantees of future performance and are based on numerous assumptions. Our actual results of operations, financial condition and the development of events may differ materially from (and be more negative than) those made in, or suggested by, the forward-looking statements. Investors should read the section entitled “Item 3.D—Risk Factors” and the description of our segments and business sectors in the section entitled “Item 4.B—Business Overview” for a more complete discussion of the factors that could affect us. Important risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to:

We caution that the important factors referenced above may not be all of the factors that are important to investors. Unless required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or developments or otherwise.

In this annual report, all references to “U.S. dollar” and “$” are to the lawful currency of the United States and all references to “euro” or “€” are to the single currency of the participating member states of the European and Monetary Union of the Treaty Establishing the European Community, as amended from time to time.

The selected financial information as of December 31, 20152016 and 20142015 and for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 2014 and 20132014 is derived from, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, our Annual Consolidated Financial Statements, which are included elsewhere in this annual report and prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB. The selected financial information as of December 31, 2013 and 2012 and for the year ended December 31, 20122014 is derived from, and qualified in its entirety by reference to the annual combinedconsolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 and for the years ended December 31, 20132015, 2014 and 2012,2013, which are included in the prospectusannual report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on January 16, 2015March 1, 2016, and prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB.

On June 18, 2014, we closed our IPO. Prior to the consummation of our IPO, Abengoa contributed, through a series of transactions, which we refer to collectively as the “Asset Transfer,” certain contracted and concessional assets and liabilities described in this annual report, certain holding companies and a preferred equity investment in ACBH. For all periods prior to our IPO, the financial information herein represents the combination of the assets that we acquired and was prepared using Abengoa’s historical basis in the assets and liabilities and the term “Atlantica Yield” (or “Abengoa Yield”, our former name) represents the accounting predecessor, or the combination of the acquired businesses. For all periods subsequent to our IPO, the financial information herein represents our and our subsidiaries’ annual consolidated financial results.

Certain numerical figures set out in this annual report, including financial data presented in millions or thousands and percentages describing market shares, have been subject to rounding adjustments, and, as a result, the totals of the data in this annual report may vary slightly from the actual arithmetic totals of such information. Percentages and amounts reflecting changes over time periods relating to financial and other data set forth in “Item 5—Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” are calculated using the numerical data in our Annual Consolidated Financial Statements or the tabular presentation of other data (subject to rounding) contained in this annual report, as applicable, and not using the numerical data in the narrative description thereof.

This annual report contains non-GAAP financial measures including Further Adjusted EBITDA.

Further Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as profit/(loss) for the year attributable to the parent company, after adding back loss/(profit) attributable to non-controlling interest from continued operations, income tax, share of profit/(loss) of associates carried under the equity method, finance expense net, depreciation, amortization and impairment charges of entities included in the Annual Consolidated Financial Statements, and dividends received from our preferred equity investment in ACBH. Further Adjusted EBITDA for 2014, includes preferred dividends received from ACBH for the first time during the third and fourth quarters of 2014. Further Adjusted EBITDA for 2016 includes compensation received from Abengoa in lieu of ACBH dividends.

 

We present non-GAAP financial measures because we believe that they and other similar measures are widely used by certain investors, securities analysts and other interested parties as supplemental measures of performance and liquidity. The non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies and have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our operating results as reported under IFRS as issued by the IASB. Non-GAAP financial measures and ratios are not measurements of our performance or liquidity under IFRS as issued by the IASB and should not be considered as alternatives to operating profit or profit for the year or any other performance measures derived in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB or any other generally accepted accounting principles or as alternatives to cash flow from operating, investing or financing activities.

In this annual report, we rely on, and refer to, information regarding our business and the markets in which we operate and compete. The market data and certain economic and industry data and forecasts used in this annual report were obtained from internal surveys, market research, governmental and other publicly available information, independent industry publications and reports prepared by industry consultants. Industry publications, surveys and forecasts generally state that the information contained therein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but that the accuracy and completeness of such information is not guaranteed. We believe that these industry publications, surveys and forecasts are reliable but we have not independently verified them, and there can be no assurance as to the accuracy or completeness of the included information.

Certain market information and other statements presented herein regarding our position relative to our competitors are not based on published statistical data or information obtained from independent third parties, but reflect our best estimates. We have based these estimates upon information obtained from our customers, trade and business organizations and associations and other contacts in the industries in which we operate.

Elsewhere in this annual report, statements regarding our contracted concessions activities, our position in the industries and geographies in which we operate are based solely on our experience, our internal studies and estimates and our own investigation of market conditions.

 

All of the information set forth in this annual report relating to the operations, financial results or market share of our competitors has been obtained from information made available to the public in such companies’ publicly available reports and independent research, as well as from our experience, internal studies, estimates and investigation of market conditions. We have not funded, nor are we affiliated with, any of the sources cited in this annual report. We have not independently verified the information and cannot guarantee its accuracy.

All third-party information, as outlined above, has to our knowledge been accurately reproduced and, as far as we are aware and are able to ascertain, no facts have been omitted which would render the reproduced information inaccurate or misleading, but there can be no assurance as to the accuracy or completeness of the included information.

 

The tables below present selected consolidated financial and business level information for Atlantica Yield as of and for each of the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

The selected financial information as of December 31, 20152016 and 20142015 and for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 2014 and 20132014 is derived from, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, our Annual Consolidated Financial Statements, which are included elsewhere in this annual report and prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB. The selected financial information as of and for the yearsyear ended December 31, 2013 and 20122014, is derived from, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, the annual combinedconsolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 and for the years ended December 31, 20132015, 2014 and 2012,2013, which are included in the prospectus filedannual report on Form 20-F with the SEC on January 16, 2015March 1, 2016, and prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB.

On June 18, 2014, we closed our IPO. Prior to the consummation of our IPO, Abengoa contributed, through a series of transactions, which we refer to collectively as the “Asset Transfer,” certain contracted and concessional assets and liabilities described in this annual report, certain holding companies and a preferred equity investment in ACBH. For all periods prior to our IPO, the financial information herein represents the combination of the assets or the combination of businesses that we acquired and was prepared using Abengoa’s historical basis in the assets and liabilities and the term “Atlantica Yield” (or “Abengoa Yield”, our former name) represents the accounting predecessor, or the combination of the acquired businesses. For all periods subsequent to our IPO, the financial information herein represents our and our subsidiaries’ annual consolidated financial results.

The selected financial information as of December 31, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012 and for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012 is not intended to be an indicator of our financial condition or results of operations in the future. You should review such selected financial information together with our Annual Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto, included elsewhere in this annual report.

The following tables should be read in conjunction with “Item 5—Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” and our Annual Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes included elsewhere in this annual report.

 

Our results of operations have been, and continue to be, materially affected by conditions in the global economy and in the global capital markets. Concerns over inflation, volatile oil and gas prices, geopolitical issues, the availability and cost of credit, sovereign debt and the instability of the euro have contributed to increased volatility and diminished expectations for the economy and global capital markets going forward. These factors, combined with declining global business and consumer confidence and rising unemployment, have precipitated anin the past economic slowdownslowdowns and have led to a recession and weak economic growth. Adverse events and continuing disruptions in the global economy and in the global capital markets may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Moreover, even in the absence of a market downturn, we are exposed to substantial risk of loss due to market volatility with certain factors, including volatile oil prices, interest rates, consumer spending, business investment, government spending, inflation affecting the business and economic environment that could affect the economic and financial situation of our concession contracts counterparties and, ultimately, the profitability and growth of our business.

 

Generalized or localized downturns or inflationary or deflationary pressures in our key geographical areas could also have a material adverse effect on the performance of our business. A significant portion of our business activity is concentrated in the United States, Mexico, Peru and Spain, and we have significant investments in Brazil.Spain. Consequently, we are significantly affected by the general economic conditions in these countries. Spain, for instance, has recently experienced negative economic conditions, including high unemployment and significant government debt which we believe could adversely affect our operations in the future. The effects on the European and global economy of anythe exit of onethe United Kingdom or moreof any other member states from the Eurozone, such as Greece or the United Kingdom, the dissolution of the euro and the possible redenomination of our financial instruments or other contractual obligations from euro into a different currency, or the perception that any of these events are imminent, are inherently difficult to predict and could give rise to operational disruptions or other risks of contagion to our business and have a material, adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operation. In addition, to the extent uncertainty regarding the European economic recovery continues to negatively affect government or regional budgets, our business, results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely affected. Various European political parties who question the recent austerity policies implemented in certain European countries have added political instability to the region. Additionally, political changes in key geographies, including the U.S., could affect our business.business in the U.S. or in other countries including, for example, Mexico.

The global capital and credit markets continue to experience periods of extreme volatility and disruption. Continued disruptions, uncertainty or volatility in the global capital and credit markets may limit our access to additional capital required to operate or grow our business, including our access to new equity capital to make further acquisitions or access to project debt which we may use to fund or refinance many of our projects, even in cases where such capital has already been committed. Such market conditions may limit our ability to replace, in a timely manner, maturing liabilities and access the capital necessary to grow our business, or replace financing previously committed for a project that ceases to be available to it. As a result, we may be forced to delay raising capital, issue shorter-term securities than we prefer, or bear a higher cost of capital which could decrease our profitability and significantly reduce our financial flexibility or even require us to modify our dividend policy. In the event that we are required to replace previously committed financing to certain projects that subsequently becomes unavailable, we may have to postpone or cancel planned capital expenditures.

 

We operate our activities in a range of international locations, including North America (the United States and Mexico), South America (Peru, Chile, Brazil and Uruguay), and EMEA (Spain, Algeria and South Africa), and we expect tomay expand our operations to certain countries within these core regions. Accordingly, we face a number of risks associated with operating and investing in different countries that may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. These risks include, but are not limited to, adapting to the regulatory requirements of such countries, compliance with changes in laws and regulations applicable to foreign corporations, the uncertainty of judicial processes, and the absence, loss or non-renewal of favorable treaties, or similar agreements, with local authorities or political, social and economic instability, all of which can place disproportionate demands on our management, as well as significant demands on our operational and financial personnel and business. As a result, we can provide no assurance that our future international operations and investments will remain successful.

A significant portion of our current and our potential future operations and investments are conducted in various emerging countries worldwide. Our activities and investments in these countries involve a number of risks that are more prevalent than in developed markets, such as economic and governmental instability, the possibility of significant amendments to, or changes in, the application of governmental regulations, the nationalization and expropriation of private property, payment collection difficulties, social problems, substantial fluctuations in interest and exchange rates, changes in the tax framework or the unpredictability of enforcement of contractual provisions, currency control measures, limits on the repatriation of funds and other unfavorable interventions or restrictions imposed by public authorities. Our U.S. dollar-denominated contracts in Algeria, Mexico and Peru are payable in local currency at the exchange rate of the payment date and our contract for Kaxu in South Africa is denominated and payable in South African rand. In the event of a rapid devaluation or implementation of exchange or currency controls, we may not be able to exchange the local currency for the agreed dollar amount, which could affect our cash available for distribution. Governments in Latin America and Africa frequently intervene in the economies of their respective countries and occasionally make significant changes in policy and regulations. Governmental actions in certain Latin American and African countries to control inflation and other policies and regulations have often involved, among other measures, price controls, currency devaluations, capital or exchange controls and limits on imports.

Poor economic conditions have affected, and continue to affect, government budgets and threaten the continuation of government subsidies such as regulated revenues, cash grants, U.S. federal income tax benefits and other similar subsidies that benefit our business, particularly with respect to renewable energy. Such conditions may also lead to adverse changes in laws. Policies supporting the development of renewable energy have had a significant effect on the growth of investments in renewable energy and they could change at any time. Government subsidies and incentives make the development of renewable projects more competitive by providing tax credits and accelerated depreciation for a portion of the development costs, decreasing the costs associated with developing such projects or creating demand for renewable energy assets through RPS programs. A loss or reduction in such incentives could decrease the attractiveness of renewable energy projects to project developers and the attractiveness of renewable energy to utilities, which could reduce our acquisition opportunities. Such a loss or reduction could also reduce our willingness to pursue renewable energy projects due to higher operating costs or lower revenues. The reduction or elimination of subsidies or incentives or adverse changes in law could have a material adverse effect on the profitability of our existing projects, and the lack of availability of new projects undertaken in reliance on the continuation of such subsidies could adversely affect our growth plan.

Our dividend policy is to distribute all or substantially alla high percentage of our cash available for distribution, after cash interest payments and less reserves for the prudent conduct of our business, each quarter and to rely primarily upon external financing sources, including the issuance of debt and equity securities as well as borrowings under credit facilities to fund our acquisitions and potential growth capital expenditures. See “Item 8.A—Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Dividend Policy.” We may be precluded from pursuing otherwise attractive acquisitions if the projected short-term cash flow from the acquisition or investment is not adequate to service the capital raised to fund the acquisition or investment, after giving effect to our available cash reserves. See “Item 8.A—Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Dividend Policy—Our Ability to Grow Our Business and Dividend.”

We intend to, whenever possible, make regular quarterly cash distributions to our shareholders in an amount equal to a high percentage of the cash available for distribution generated during a given quarter, less reserves for the prudent conduct of our business, and subject to the stated payout ratio during that given period. As such, our growth may not be as fast as that of businesses that reinvest their available cash to expand ongoing operations. To the extent we issue additional equity securities in connection with any acquisitions or growth capital expenditures, the payment of dividends on these additional equity securities may increase the risk that we will be unable to maintain or increase our per share dividend. There are no limitations in our articles of association on our ability to issue equity securities, including securities ranking senior to our shares. The issuance of additional debt securities and/or the incurrence of additional bank borrowings or other debt by us or by intermediate subsidiaries or by our project-level subsidiaries to finance our growth strategy could result in increased interest expense and the imposition of additional or more restrictive covenants, which, in turn, may impact the cash distributions we receive.receive from our subsidiaries.

Our board of directors may change our dividend policy at any point in time or modify the dividend for specific quarters following prevailing conditions.

We intend to enter into an agreement or agreements with aone or more new sponsorsponsors or sponsorspartners that own or develop renewable energy, electric transmission or water assets in the geographies in which we operate. Any such new sponsor or sponsors would be a source of assets in addition to Abengoa. We cannot be certain that we will be successful in identifying or reaching an agreement with a new sponsor or sponsors. We also cannot be certain that any agreement with a new sponsor will have terms similar to the ROFO Agreement with Abengoa and such terms may be less favorable to us. Even if we do reach an agreement with a new sponsor, we cannot be certain that we will be able to acquire assets from any such sponsor in the future.

If we are unable to identify and reach an agreement on favorable terms with new sponsors with suitable assets, and unable to consummate future acquisitions from any such sponsor, it may limit our ability to execute our growth strategy and limit our ability to increase the amount of dividends paid to holders of our shares.

 

Our ability to effectively consummate future acquisitions will also depend on our ability to arrange the required or desired financing for acquisitions or to refinance existing corporate debt. We may not have access to the capital markets to issue new equity or debt securities or sufficient availability under our credit facilities or have access to project-level financing on commercially reasonable terms when acquisition opportunities arise. We have fully drawn all amounts available for borrowing under our Credit Facility. In the second half of 2015 and first half of 2016, our access to financing was curtailed by market conditions and other factors. ThisThese adverse market trend may continue through 2016 and we may not be able to accessconditions could happen again in 2017, thereby preventing us from accessing the capital markets in a manner that would permit us to make an accretive acquisition.

An inability to obtain the required or desired financing could significantly limit our ability to consummate future acquisitions and effectuate our growth strategy. If financing is available, utilization of our credit facilities, debt securities or project-level financing for all or a portion of the purchase price of an acquisition, as applicable, could significantly increase our interest expense, impose additional or more restrictive covenants, and reduce cash available for distribution. Similarly, the issuance of additional equity securities as consideration for acquisitions could cause significant shareholder dilution and reduce our per share cash available for distribution if the acquisitions are not sufficiently accretive. If we are unable to obtain financing necessary for accretive acquisitions, it will impede our ability to execute our growth strategy and limit our ability to increase the amount of dividends paid to holders of our shares.

Our business strategy includes growth through the acquisitions of additional revenue-generating operational assets. This strategy depends on our ability to successfully identify and evaluate acquisition opportunities and consummate acquisitions on favorable terms. However, the number of acquisition opportunities may be limited.

Our ability to acquire future renewable energy projects depends on the viability of renewable energy projects generally. These projects currently are largely contingent on public policy mechanisms including, among others, ITCs, cash grants, loan guarantees, accelerated depreciation, carbon trading plans, environmental tax credits and R&D incentives, as discussed in “Item 4.B—Business Overview—Regulation—Regulation in the United States—U.S. Federal Income Tax Incentives and other Federal Considerations for Renewable Energy Generation Facilities.” These mechanisms have been implemented at the U.S. federal and state levels and in certain other jurisdictions where our assets are located to support the development of renewable generation and other clean infrastructure technologies. The availability and continuation of public policy support mechanisms will drive a significant part of the economics and viability of our growth strategy and expansion into clean energy investments.

Our ability to consummate future acquisitions may also depend on our ability to obtain any required government or regulatory approvals for such acquisitions, including, but not limited to, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, approval under Section 203 of the FPA in respect of acquisitions in the United States; the National Electric Energy Agency, Agencia Nacional de Energia Eletrica, or ANEEL, approval for the acquisition of transmission lines in Brazil; or any other approvals in the countries in which we may purchase assets in the future. We may also be required to seek authorizations, waivers or notifications from debt and/or equity financing providers at the project or holding company level; local or regional agencies or bodies; and/or development agencies or institutions that may have a contractual right to authorize a proposed acquisition.

Additionally, acquisitions of companies and assets are subject to substantial risks, including the failure to identify material problems during due diligence (for which we may not be indemnified post-closing), the risk of over-paying for assets (or not making acquisitions on an accretive basis) and the ability to retain customers. Further, the integration and consolidation of acquisitions requires substantial human, financial and other resources and, ultimately, our acquisitions may divert management’s attention from our existing business concerns, disrupt our ongoing business or not be successfully integrated. There can be no assurances that any future acquisitions will perform as expected or that the returns from such acquisitions will support the financing utilized to acquire them or maintain them. As a result, the consummation of acquisitions may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows and ability to pay dividends to holders of our shares.

 

Furthermore, we will compete with other companies for acquisition opportunities from third parties, which may increase our cost of making acquisitions or cause us to refrain from making acquisitions from third parties. Some of our competitors for acquisitions are much larger than us, with substantially greater resources. These companies may be able to pay more for acquisitions due to cost of capital advantages, synergy potential or other drivers, and may be able to identify, evaluate, bid for and purchase a greater number of assets than our financial or human resources permit. If we are unable to identify and consummate future acquisitions, it will impede our ability to execute our growth strategy and limit our ability to increase the amount of dividends paid to holders of our shares.

Finally, demand for renewable energy may be affected by the cost of other energy sources, including nuclear, coal, natural gas and oil. For example, low natural gas prices have led, in some instances, to increased natural gas consumption in lieu of other energy sources. To the extent renewable energy becomes less cost-competitive cheaper alternatives or otherwise, demand for renewable energy could decrease. Slow growth or a long-term reduction in the energy demand could cause a reduction in the development of renewable energy programs projects. Decreases in the prices of electricity could affect our ability to acquire accretive assets, as renewable energy developers may not be able to compete with providers of other energy sources at such lower prices. Our inability to acquire accretive assets could have a material adverse effect on our ability to execute our growth strategy.

We rely, in a significant part, on environmental and other regulations of industrial and local government activities, including regulations mandating, among other things, reductions in carbon or other greenhouse gas emissions or use of energy from renewable sources. If the businesses to which such regulations relate were deregulated or if such regulations were materially changed or weakened, the profitability of our current and future projects could suffer, which could in turn have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, uncertainty regarding possible changes to any such regulations has adversely affected in the past, and may adversely affect in the future, our ability to refinance a project or to satisfy other financing needs.

Subsidy regimes for renewable energy generation have been challenged in the past on constitutional and other grounds (including that such regimes constitute impermissible European Union state aid) in certain jurisdictions. In addition, certain loan guaranteeloan-guarantee programs in the United States, including those which have enabled the DOE to provide loan guarantees to support our Solana and Mojave projects, have been challenged on grounds of failure by the appropriate authorities to comply with applicable U.S. federal administrative and energy law. If all or part of the subsidy and incentive regimes for renewable energy generation in any jurisdiction in which we operate were found to be unlawful and, therefore, reduced or discontinued, we may be unable to compete effectively with conventional and other renewable forms of energy.

The production from our renewable energy facilities is the subject of various tax relief measures or tax incentives in the jurisdictions in which they operate. These tax relief and tax incentive measures play an important role in the profitability of our projects. In the future, it is possible that some or all of these tax incentives will be suspended, curtailed, not renewed or revoked. The occurrence of any of the above could adversely affect the profitability of our current plants and our ability to refinance projects, which could in turn have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We are subject to extensive governmental regulation in a number of different jurisdictions, and our inability to comply with existing regulations or requirements or changes in applicable regulations or requirements may have a negative impact on our business, results of operations or financial conditioncondition.

 

We are subject to extensive regulation of our business in the United States, Mexico, Spain, Peru, South Africa and Brazil and in each of the other countries in which we operate. Such laws and regulations require licenses, permits and other approvals to be obtained in connection with the operations of our activities. See “Item 4.B—Business Overview—Regulation.” This regulatory framework imposes significant actual, day-to-day compliance burdens, costs and risks on us. In particular, the power plants and transmission lines that we own are subject to strict international, national, state and local regulations relating to their operation and expansion (including, among other things, leasing and use of land, and corresponding building permits, landscape conservation, noise regulation, environmental protection and environmental permits and electric transmission and distribution network congestion regulations). Non-compliance with such regulations could result in the revocation of permits, sanctions, fines or even criminal penalties. Compliance with regulatory requirements, which may in the future include increased exposure to capital markets regulations, may result in substantial costs to our operations that may not be recovered. In addition, we cannot predict the timing or form of any future regulatory or law enforcement initiatives. Changes in existing energy, environmental and administrative laws and regulations may materially and adversely affect our business, margins and investments. Our business may also be affected by additional taxes imposed on our activities, reduction of regulated tariffs and other cuts or measures.

Further, similar changes in laws and regulations could increase the size and number of claims and damages asserted against us or subject us to enforcement actions, fines and even criminal penalties. In addition, changes in laws and regulations may, in certain cases, have retroactive effect and may cause the result of operations to be lower than expected. In particular, our activities in the energy sector are subject to regulations applicable to the economic regime of generation of electricity from renewable sources and to subsidies or public support in the benefit of the production of biofuelsenergy from renewable energy sources, which vary by jurisdiction, and are subject to modifications that may be more restrictive or unfavorable to us.

We are subject to significant environmental regulation, which, among other things, requires us to obtain and maintain regulatory licenses, permits and other approvals and comply with the requirements of such licenses, permits and other approvals and perform environmental impact studies on changes to projects. There can be no assurance that:

We believe that we are currently in material compliance with all applicable regulations, including those governing the environment. While we employ robust policies with regard to environmental regulation compliance, there are occasions where regulations are breached. On occasion, we have been found not to be in compliance with certain environmental regulations, and have incurred fines and penalties associated with such violations which, to date, have not been material in amount. We can give no assurance, however, that we will continue to be in compliance or avoid material fines, penalties, sanctions and expenses associated with compliance issues in the future. Violation of such regulations may give rise to significant liability, including fines, damages, fees and expenses, and site closures. Generally, relevant governmental authorities are empowered to clean up and remediate releases of environmental damage and to charge the costs of such remediation and clean-up to the owners or occupiers of the property, the persons responsible for the release and environmental damage, the producer of the contaminant and other parties, or to direct the responsible parties to take such action. These governmental authorities may also impose a tax or other liens on the responsible parties to secure the parties’ reimbursement obligations.

Environmental regulation has changed rapidly in recent years, and it is possible that we will be subject to even more stringent environmental standards in the future. For example, our activities are likely to be covered by increasingly strict national and international standards relating to climate change and related costs, and may be subject to potential risks associated with climate change, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. We cannot predict the amounts of any increased capital expenditures or any increases in operating costs or other expenses that we may incur to comply with applicable environmental, or other regulatory, requirements, or whether these costs can be passed on to our concession contract counterparties through price increases.

Some of our activities require some consumption of energy and gas, and we are vulnerable to material fluctuations in their prices. For example, our Spanish solar assets produced approximately 2%a small percentage of their electricity using natural gas in 2015.2016. Although our energy and gas purchase contracts generally include indexing mechanisms, we cannot guarantee that these mechanisms will cover all of the additional costs generated by an increase in energy and gas prices, particularly for long-term contracts, and some of the contracts entered into by us do not include any indexing provisions. Significant increases in the cost of energy or gas, or shortages of the supply of energy and/or gas, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

A significant portion of the electric power we generate, the transmission capacity we have and our desalination capacity is sold under long-term offtake agreements with public utilities, industrial or commercial end-users or governmental entities, with a weighted average remaining duration of approximately 2221 years as of December 31, 2015.2016.

If, for any reason, including, but not limited to, a deterioration in their financial situation, any of the purchasers of power, transmission capacity or transmissiondesalination capacity under these agreements are unable or unwilling to fulfill their related contractual obligations or if they refuse to accept delivery of power delivered thereunder or if they otherwise terminate such agreements prior to the expiration thereof, our assets, liabilities, business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow could be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, to the extent any of our power, transmission capacity or transmissiondesalination capacity purchasers are, or are controlled by, governmental entities, our facilities may be subject to sovereign risk or legislative or other political action that may impair their contractual performance.

The power generation industry is characterized by intense competition and our electric generation assets encounter competition from utilities, industrial companies and other independent power producers, in particular with respect to uncontracted output. In recent years, there has been increasing competition among generators for offtake agreements and this has contributed to a reduction in electricity prices in certain markets characterized by excess supply above designated reserve margins. In light of these market conditions, we may not be able to replace an expiring or terminated agreement with an agreement on equivalent terms and conditions, including at prices that permit operation of the related facility on a profitable basis. In addition, we believe many of our competitors have well-established relationships with our current and potential suppliers, lenders and customers and have extensive knowledge of our target markets. As a result, these competitors may be able to respond more quickly to evolving industry standards and changing customer requirements than we will be able to. Adoption of technology more advanced than ours could reduce our competitors’ power production costs, resulting in their having a lower cost structure than is achievable with the technologies we currently employ and adversely affect our ability to compete for offtake agreement renewals. If we are unable to replace an expiring or terminated offtake agreement, the affected facility may temporarily or permanently cease operations. External events, such as a severe economic downturn, could also impair the ability of some counterparties to our offtake agreements and other customer agreements to pay for energy and/or other products and services received.

Our inability to enter into new or replacement offtake agreements or to compete successfully against current and future competitors in the markets in which we operate could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

 

We are exposed to the credit risk profile of the counterparties to our long-term concession contracts, our suppliers and our financing providers, which could impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. Although we actively manage this credit risk through diversification credit insurance and other measures, our risk management strategy may not be successful in limiting our exposure to credit risk. This could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

We are exposed to various types of market risk in the normal course of business, including the impact of interest rate changes and foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. Some of our indebtedness (including project-level indebtedness) bears interest at variable rates, generally linked to market benchmarks such as EURIBOR and LIBOR. Any increase in interest rates would increase our finance expenses relating to our variable rate indebtedness and increase the costs of refinancing our existing indebtedness and issuing new debt. See “Item 5.A—Operating Results—Factors Affecting Our Results of Operations—Interest Rates”. Although most of our long-term contracts are denominated in, indexed or hedged to U.S. dollars, we conduct our business and incur certain costs in the local currency of the countries in which we operate. In addition, the revenues, costs and debt of our solar assets in Spain are denominated in euros. As of date of this annual report, weWe have a currency swap agreement with Abengoa, or the Currency Swap Agreement, with Abengoa, which provides for a fixed exchange rate for the distributions from Spanish assets. If Abengoa sells the shares of Atlantica Yield that it owns, the Currency Swap Agreement would be terminated. In addition, since the beginning of 2017, we have euro-denominated debt. We may therefore modify our Currency Swap Agreement with Abengoa. Interest payments in euros and our euro denominated general and administrative expenses create a natural hedge for a portion of the distributions from Spanish assets. Taking into consideration the financial situation of Abengoa, we have signed two currency options with banks in order to hedge the remaining portion of the cash flows expected from Spanish assets in 2017. The revenues, costs and debt of Kaxu in South Africa are denominated in South African rand.

As we continue expanding our business into existing markets such as South America, and Europe and into other new markets, such as Africa, and the Middle East, we expect that an increasing percentage of our revenue and cost of sales willmay be denominated in currencies other than our reporting currency, the U.S. dollar. As a result,Under that scenario, we willwould become subject to increasing currency translation risk, whereby changes in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the other currencies in which we do business could result in foreign exchange losses.

We seek to actively manage these risks by entering into interest rate options and swaps, which according to our policies, generally cover at least 75% of the outstanding project debt, to hedge against interest rate risk.

If our risk management strategies are not successful in limiting our exposure to changes in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates or if Abengoa fails to comply with its obligations under the Currency Swap Agreement, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

The markets in which our assets or projects operate change rapidly because of technological innovations and changes in prices, industry standards, product instructions, customer requirements and the economic environment. New technology or changes in industry and customer requirements may put pressure on the profitability of our existing projects by increasing the incentives of counterparties to our long-term contracts to seek new alternative projects or request higher service standards.

 

Our projects rely on the supply of services, equipment, including technologically complex equipment, or software which we subcontract to Abengoa or other third-party suppliers in order to meet our contractual obligations under our contracted concessions. We rely on the equipment, design and technology of third parties to operate our assets. In circumstances where key components of our equipment fail because of design failures or faulty operation or for any other reason, we rely on third parties to continue operating our assets. The delivery of products or services which are not in compliance with the requirements of the subcontract, or the late supply of products and services, can cause us to be in default under our contracts with our concession counterparties. To the extent we are not able to transfer all of the risk or be fully indemnified by Abengoa or other third-party contractors and suppliers, we may be subject to a claim by our customers as a result of a problem caused by a third party that could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

We often rely on a single contracted supplier or a small number of suppliers, which in some cases may beare subsidiaries of Abengoa, for the provision of equipment, technology, fuel, transportation of fuel, equipment, technology and/or other services required for the operation of certain of our facilities. In addition, certain of our suppliers, including Abengoa and its subsidiaries, provide long-term warranties with respect to the performance of their products or services. If any of these suppliers cannot perform under their agreements with us, or satisfy their related warranty obligations, we will need to utilize the marketplace to provide or repair these products and services. There can be no assurance that the marketplace can provide these products and services as, when and where required. We may not be able to enter into replacement agreements on favorable terms or at all. If we are unable to enter into replacement agreements to provide for fuel, equipment, technology or fuel and other required services, we would seek to purchase the related goods or services at market prices, exposing us to the risk of unavailability and market price volatility and the risk that fuel and transportation may not be available during certain periods at any price.volatility. We may also be required to make significant capital contributions to remove, replace or redesign equipment that cannot be supported or maintained by replacement suppliers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, credit support terms and cash flows.

The failure of any supplier or customer to fulfill its contractual obligations to us could have a material adverse effect on our financial results. Consequently, the financial performance of our facilities is dependent on the credit quality of, and continued performance by, our suppliers and vendors.

As a part of our growth strategy, we intend to make certain acquisitions and/or financial investments, and we may take on additional equity and debt to pay for such acquisitions. Moreover, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to complete all, or any, such transactions that we might contemplate in the future. To the extent we do, such transactions expose us to risks inherent in integrating acquired businesses and personnel, such as the inability to achieve projected cash flows; recognition of unexpected liabilities or costs; and regulatory complications arising from such transactions. Furthermore, the terms and conditions of financing for such acquisitions or financial investments could restrict the manner in which we conduct our business, particularly if we were to use debt financing. These risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

In addition, we have made and may continue to make equity investments in certain strategic assets managed by or together with third parties, including governmental entities and private entities. In certain cases, we may only have partial or joint control over a particular asset. For example, we currently hold only economic rights in respect of our Brazilian investment through ACBH, which economic rights provide us with the right to receive a preferred dividend of $18.4 million annually, but we do not have control over ACBH. On January 29, 2016, Abengoa informed us that several indirect subsidiaries of Abengoa in Brazil, including ACBH, have initiated an insolvency procedure under Brazilian law (“reorganizaçao judiciaria”) as a “Pedido de processamento conjunto”, which means the substantial consolidation of the three main subsidiaries of Abengoa in Brazil, including ACBH. Given that this process will likely negatively affect the value of ourSee “—Our exchangeable preferred equity investment in ACBH is subject to inherent risks and considering the high degree of uncertainty on its final outcome, we have recorded an impairment of this preferred equity investment.uncertainty”. In addition, we hold a minority stake in Honaine and do not have control over the operation of that asset. Investments in assets over which we have no, partial or joint control are subject to the risk that the other shareholders of the assets, who may have different business or investment strategies than us or with whom we may have a disagreement or dispute, may have the ability to independently make or block business, financial or management decisions, such as the decision to distribute dividends or appoint members of management, which may be crucial to the success of the project or our investment in the project, or otherwise implement initiatives which may be contrary to our interests. Additionally, the approval of other shareholders or partners may be required to sell, pledge, transfer, assign or otherwise convey our interest in such assets,assets. Similarly, the approval of other shareholders or for uspartners may be required to acquire Abengoa’s or third parties’ interests in such assets as an initial matter.potential acquisitions. Alternatively, other shareholders may have rights of first refusal or rights of first offer in the event of a proposed sale or transfer of our interests in such assets or in the event of our acquisition of an interest in new assets pursuant to the ROFO Agreement or with third parties. These restrictions may limit the price or interest level for our interests in such assets, in the event we want to sell such interests.

Finally, our partners in existing or future projects may be unable, or unwilling, to fulfill their obligations under the relevant shareholder agreements or may experience financial or other difficulties that may adversely affect our investment in a particular joint venture. In certain of our joint ventures, we may also be reliant on the particular expertise of our partners and, as a result, any failure to perform our obligations in a diligent manner could also adversely affect the joint venture. If any of the foregoing were to occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.

Our board of directors may approve acquisitions and investments at any time. This could result in our making acquisitions or investments in assets that are located in different jurisdictions and are different from, and possibly riskier than, those jurisdictions that are described in this annual report. These changes could adversely affect the market price of our shares or our ability to make distributions to shareholders.

The facilities we operate often put our employees and others in close proximity with large pieces of mechanized equipment, moving vehicles, manufacturing or industrial processes, heat or liquids stored under pressure and highly regulated materials. On most projects and at most facilities, we, together with the operations and maintenance supplier, are responsible for safety and, accordingly, must implement safe practices and safety procedures, which are also applicable to on-site subcontractors such as our O&M services providers.subcontractors. If we or the operations and maintenance supplier fail to design and implement such practices and procedures or if the practices and procedures we implement are ineffective or if our O&M service providers or other suppliers do not follow them, our employees and others may become injured and our and others’ property may become damaged. Unsafe work sites also have the potential to increase employee turnover, increase the cost of a project to our customers or the operation of a facility, and raise our operating costs. Any of the foregoing could result in financial losses, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

In addition, our projects and the operation of our facilities can involve the handling of hazardous and other highly regulated materials, which, if improperly handled or disposed of, could subject us or our suppliers to civil and criminal liabilities. We are also subject to regulations dealing with occupational health and safety. Although we maintain functional groups whose primary purpose is to ensure we implement effective health, safety and environmental work procedures throughout our organization, including construction sites and maintenance sites, the failure to comply with such regulations could subject us to liability. In addition, we may incur liability based on allegations of illness or disease resulting from exposure of employees or other persons to hazardous materials that we handle or are present in our workplaces.

 

If one or more of our plants, facilities or electric transmission lines were to be subject in the future to fire, flood, extreme weather conditions (including severe wind), earthquakes or other natural disaster, adverse weather conditions, drought, terrorism, power loss or other catastrophe, or if unexpected geological or other adverse physical conditions (including earthquakes) were to develop at any of our plants, facilities or electric transmission lines, we may not be able to carry out our business activities at that location or such operations could be significantly reduced. For example, drought may affect the cooling capacity of our concentrating solar power projects. Any of these circumstances could result in lost revenue at these sites during the period of disruption and costly remediation, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, despite security measures taken by us, it is possible that our sites and assets could be affected by criminal or terrorist acts. Any such acts could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our business is exposed to the inherent risks in the markets in which we operate. Although we seek to obtain appropriate insurance coverage in relation to the principal risks associated with our business, we cannot guarantee that such insurance coverage is, or will be, sufficient to cover all of the possible losses we may face in the future. If we were to incur a serious uninsured loss or a loss that significantly exceeded the coverage limits established in our insurance policies, the resulting costs could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

In addition, our insurance policies are subject to review by our insurers. If premiums were to increase in the future or certain types of insurance coverage were to become unavailable, we might not be able to maintain insurance coverage comparable to those that are currently in effect at comparable cost, or at all. If we were unable to pass any increase in insurance premiums on to our customers, such additional costs could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We are subject to the risk of legal claims and proceedings, andrequests for arbitration as well as regulatory enforcement actions in the ordinary course of our business and otherwise. The results of legal and regulatory proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty. We cannot guarantee that the results of current or future legal or regulatory proceedings or actions will not materially harm our business, financial condition, results of operations or operations, nor can we guarantee that we will not incur losses in connection with current or future legal or regulatory proceedings or actions that exceed any provisions we may have set aside in respect of such proceedings or actions or that exceed any available insurance coverage, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. See “Item 4.B—Business Overview—Legal Proceedings.”

We rely on our reputation to do business, obtain financing, hire and retain employees and attract investors, one or more of which could be adversely affected if our reputation were damaged. Harm to our reputation could arise from real or perceived faulty or obsolete technology, failure to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, difficulties in meeting contractual obligations or standards of quality and service, ethical issues, money laundering and insolvency, among others.

Our reputation is closely related tostill affected by Abengoa’s reputation. The public image and reputation of Abengoa have suffered as a result of its financial condition and its filing under article 5 bis of the Spanish Insolvency Lawrestructuring process as discussed below. We have been adversely affected due to our relationship with Abengoa. Any further developments of Abengoa with respect to itsAbengoa’s financial condition or operating performance or any failure by Abengoa to satisfactorily resolve the proceedings discussed below could further harm our reputation, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

On November 27, 2015, Abengoa reported that it filed a communication pursuant to article 5 bis5bis of the Spanish Insolvency Law 22/2003 with the Mercantile Court of Seville nº 2. The filing by Abengoa was intended to initiate a process to try to reach an agreement with its main financial creditors, aimed to ensure the right framework to carry out such negotiations and provide Abengoa with financial stability in the short and medium term. The

On September 24, 2016, Abengoa announced that it signed a restructuring agreement with a group of investors and creditors, which included a commitment from investors and banks to contribute new money to Abengoa. On the same date, Abengoa opened the accession period for the rest of its financial creditors. On October 28, 2016, Abengoa announced that it presented the request for judicial approval (“homologación judicial”) of its restructuring agreement to the Judge of the Mercantile Court published a decreeof Seville. According to admit the filingannouncement, Abengoa had previously obtained approval from creditors representing 86% of its financial debt, above the 75% limit required by the law. On November 8, 2016, the Judge of the communication onMercantile Court of Seville declared judicial approval of Abengoa’s restructuring agreement, extending the terms of the agreement to those creditors who had not approved the restructuring agreement. On November 22, 2016, Abengoa obtained the approval of its shareholders for the restructuring agreement and measures required to implement its restructuring. On December 15, 2015 and set a deadline16, 2016, Abengoa obtained the approval of March 28, 2016 for Abengoa to reach an agreement with its main financial creditors. The filing under article 5 bis was intended to allow Abengoa to protect and preserve its value while it works on the design and development of an appropriate viabilityChapter 11 plan for its future.U.S. subsidiaries and on December 20, 2016, Abengoa announced the insolvency proceeding of Abengoa Mexico. On February 3, 2017, Abengoa announced that it has obtained approval from creditors representing 94% of its financial debt following an extraordinary accession period.  On February 14, 2017, Abengoa announced that it launched a waiver request in order to approve certain amendments to the restructuring agreement and opened a voting period ending on February 28, 2017.

The implementation of Abengoa’s restructuring is subject to a series of conditions precedent which have not been fully completed as of the date of this report. We may suffer further reputational harm if Abengoa is unable to successfully reach an agreementcomply with its main financial creditors and designthe implementation’s conditions precedent, execute a restructuring and implement a viability plan for its future.

We depend on our experienced management team and the loss of one or more key executives may negatively affect our business. We also depend on our ability to retain and motivate key employees and attract qualified new employees. We may not be able to replace departing members of our management team or key employees. Integrating new executives into our management team and training new employees with no prior experience in our industry could prove disruptive to our projects, require a disproportionate amount of resources and management attention and ultimately prove unsuccessful. An inability to attract and retain sufficient technical and managerial personnel could limit our ability to effectively manage our projects, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Certain of our operations are conducted pursuant to contracted concessions granted by various governmental bodies. Generally, these contracted concessions give us rights to provide services for a limited period of time, subject to various governmental regulations. The governmental bodies or private clients responsible for regulating and monitoring these services often have broad powers to monitor our compliance with the applicable concession contracts and can require us to supply them with technical, administrative and financial information. Among other obligations, we may be required to comply with investment commitmentsoperating targets and efficiency and safety standards established in the concession. Such commitments and standards may be amended in certain cases by the governmental bodies. Our failure to comply with the concession agreements or other regulatory requirements may result in contracted concessions being revoked, not being granted, upheld or renewed in our favor, or, if granted, upheld or renewed, may not be done on as favorable terms as currently applicable. This could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

In some of the markets in which we are present, or in which we may own assets in the future, political instability, economic crisis or social unrest may give rise to a change in policies regarding long-term contracted assets with private companies, like us, in strategic sectors such as power generation, electric transmission or electric transmission.water. Any such changes could lead to modifications of the economic terms of our concession contracts or, in extreme scenarios, the nationalization of our assets, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

The revenue that we generate from our contracted concessions is significantly dependent on regulated tariffs or other long-term fixed rate arrangements. Under most of our concession agreements, a tariff structure is established in such agreements, and we have limited or no possibility to independently raise tariffs beyond the established rates and indexation or adjustment mechanisms. Similarly, under a long-term PPA, we are required to deliver power at a fixed rate for the contract period, in some cases with limitedpredefined escalation rights. In addition, we may be unable to adjust our tariffs or rates as a result of fluctuations in prices of raw materials, exchange rates, labor and subcontractor costs during the operating phase of these projects, or any other variations in the conditions of specific jurisdictions in which our concession-type infrastructure projects are located, which may reduce our revenue.profitability. Moreover, in some cases, if we fail to comply with certain pre-established conditions, the government or customer (as applicable) may reduce the tariffs or rates payable to us. In addition, during the life of a concession, the relevant government authority may unilaterally impose additional restrictions on our tariff rates, subject to the regulatory frameworks applicable in each jurisdiction. Governments may also postpone annual tariff increases until a new tariff structure is approved without compensating us for lost revenue. Furthermore, changes in laws and regulations may, in certain cases, have retroactive effect and expose us to additional compliance costs or interfere with our existing financial and business planning. In Spain, the definitions and values of all payment criteria may be changed at the end of each regulatory period. The Spanish government modified regulations applicable to renewable energy assets, including solar power, in 2013 and 2012 which as a result, lowered yearly revenues of such assets. The first regulatory period commenced on July 14, 2013, the date on which Royal Decree-law 9/2013 came into effect, and will end on December 31, 2019. In the case that any one or more of these events occur, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

In addition to regulated incentives, revenue and operating costs from certain of our projects depend to a limited extent on market prices for sales of electricity. Market prices may be volatile and are affected by various factors, including the cost of raw materials, user demand, and if applicable, the price of greenhouse gas emission rights. In several of the jurisdictions in which we operate, we are exposed to remuneration schemes which contain both regulated incentive and market price components. In such jurisdictions, the regulated incentive component may not compensate for fluctuations in the market price component, and, consequently, total remuneration may be volatile. There can be no assurance that market prices will remain at levels which enable us to maintain profit margins and desired rates of return on investment. A decline in market prices below anticipated levels could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

 

Recently, certainCertain countries, such as the United States, a market that is one of our principal markets, have in recent years enacted policies of active support for renewable energy. These policies have included feed-in tariffs and renewable energy purchase obligations, mandatory quotas and/or portfolio standards imposed on utilities and certain tax incentives (such as the Investment Tax Credit in the United States). See “Item 4.B—Business Overview—Regulation—Regulation in the United States—U.S. Federal Income Tax Incentives and other Federal Considerations for Renewable Energy Generation Facilities—Section 1603 U.S. Treasury Grant Program.”

Although support for renewable energy sources by governments and regulatory authorities in the jurisdictions in which we operate has historically been strong, and European authorities, along with the United States government, have reaffirmed their intention to continue such support, certainCertain policies currently in place may expire, be suspended or be phased out over time, cease upon exhaustion of the allocated funding or be subject to cancellation or non-renewal, particularly if the cost of renewable energy exceeds the cost of generation of energy from other means. Accordingly, we cannot guarantee that such government support will be maintained in full, in part or at all. See “—Government regulations providing incentives and subsidies for renewable energy could change at any time, including pursuant to the proposed environmental and tax policies of the current administration in the United States, and such changes may negatively impact our growth strategy”.

If the governments and regulatory authorities in the jurisdictions in which we operate or plan to operate were to further decrease or abandon their support for development of solar and wind energy due to, for example, competing funding priorities, political considerations or a desire to favor other energy sources, renewable or otherwise, the assets we plan to acquire in the future could become less profitable or cease to be economically viable. Such an outcome could have a material adverse effect on our ability to execute our growth strategy.

We own an exchangeable preferred equity investment in ACBH which gives us the right to receive during a five-year period since July 1, 2014 a preferred dividend of $18.4 million per year and thereafter the option for us to remain as preferred equity holder with the right to receive such dividend or exchange the preferred equity for ordinary shares of specific project companies owned by ACBH, yielding at least $18.4 million of recurrent dividends. We and Abengoa Concessions Investments Limited, the Abengoa subsidiary that holds our shares, entered into a deed pursuant to which certain subordination measures are implemented to protect our right to receive such preferred dividend in full. Our exchangeable preferred equity investment in ACBH is subject to certain inherent risks, including those described below.