Air Liquide Successfully Launches its First Green Bond Issue by Raising 500 Million Euros
Main characteristics are as follows:
- Amount: €500 million
- Issuer: Air Liquide Finance, guaranteed by L’Air Liquide SA
- Settlement: May 27, 2021
- Maturity: May 27, 2031 (10 years)
- Format: Fixed rate, repayment at maturity
- Coupon: 0.375% p.a.
Air Liquide has successfully launched its first green bond issue, by raising 500 million euros which will be dedicated to financing and refinancing the development of several sustainable projects, in particular in hydrogen, biogas and oxygen.
This operation is in line with its first SRI-labeled bonds, which the Group had issued as early as 2012 to finance the expansion of its Home Healthcare business. This new bond issue will notably contribute to the financing of the ambitious sustainable projects the Group announced on March 23, 2021.
This transaction, significantly oversubscribed by investors, was executed under the Group’s Euro Medium Term Note (EMTN) programme. With this issuance, Air Liquide is raising €500 million with a 10-year maturity at a yield of 0.461%.
Proceeds from this issuance will allow Air Liquide to refinance its September 2021 bond maturities in advance and will secure sustainable financing to support the Group’s long term growth under very competitive conditions.
This issue will be rated « A- » by Standard & Poor’s and « A3 » by Moody’s.
Fabienne Lecorvaisier, Executive Vice President Finance and Operations Control, commented “The success of this inaugural green bond issuance illustrates the investors’ confidence in Air Liquide’s ability to implement projects that will contribute to building a sustainable future.
It is in line with the ambitious sustainable projects we announced in March, particularly in terms of reducing CO2 emissions, and will allow us to materialize them. With the ambition to become a regular issuer of sustainable bonds, Air Liquide is more than ever committed to putting economic and financial performance and ESG at the heart of its growth strategy.”
A world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in 78 countries with approximately 64,500 employees and serves more than 3.8 million customers and patients.
Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life, matter and energy. They embody Air Liquide’s scientific territory and have been at the core of the company’s activities since its creation in 1902.
Air Liquide’s ambition is to be a leader in its industry, deliver long term performance and contribute to sustainability – with a strong commitment to climate change and energy transition at the heart of its strategy.
The company’s customer-centric transformation strategy aims at profitable, regular and responsible growth over the long term. It relies on operational excellence, selective investments, open innovation and a network organization implemented by the Group worldwide.
Through the commitment and inventiveness of its people, Air Liquide leverages energy and environment transition, changes in healthcare and digitization, and delivers greater value to all its stakeholders.
Air Liquide’s revenue amounted to more than 20 billion euros in 2020. Air Liquide is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (compartment A) and belongs to the CAC 40, EURO STOXX 50 and FTSE4Good indexes.
Source: airliquide
