London, UK, Oct. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Seaspan Corporation
("Seaspan"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas Corp. ("Atlas")
(NYSE:ATCO), today announced the closing of Seaspan's
sustainability-linked loan ("SLL"). The SLL will be a $200 million increase to Seaspan's portfolio
financing program (the "Program"), the first of its kind in the
containership leasing industry. The SLL received a BBB- senior
secured rating from Kroll Bond Rating Agency.
The SLL consists of a $200 million
term loan with a tenor of six years. The expanded Program is
comprised of a $300 million revolving
credit facility ("RCF") and approximately $1.5 billion of term loan commitments, with
staggered maturities between 2024 and 2026. Proceeds from the SLL
are intended to pay down the RCF, bolstering liquidity and capacity
for growth opportunities.
Bing Chen, Chief Executive Officer and Interim Chief Financial
Officer of Atlas said, "Our execution of the SLL marks the first
sustainability-linked financing in the containership leasing space
and aligns Seaspan's long-standing commitment to sustainability
with our capital structure strategy. Further, our team has been
consistently executing on quality growth and capital structure
improvement through a difficult period for the global capital
markets. We are proud of the partnerships we have fostered over the
last 20 years – with both liner customers and financial partners –
which have made this milestone possible."
Matthew Tinari, Head of Corporate
Development added, "We are excited to be in a position to drive
innovation in both ship finance and sustainability-linked lending,
which aligns with our corporate goals and key priorities for
Seaspan."
Sustainability Feature
- Landmark for container shipping – The SLL is the first
sustainability-linked loan in the containership leasing
industry.
- Second Party Opinion from Sustainalytics – Sustainalytics,
a leading independent provider of ESG research and ratings, has
confirmed the SLL as being aligned with the Sustainability-Linked
Loan Principles (SLLP).
- Aligned with Poseidon Principles – Framework inspired by
the Poseidon Principles, the global framework by which financial
institutions can assess the climate alignment of their ship finance
portfolios.
- Aligns sustainability targets with financials – SLL
pricing is adjusted based on Seaspan's achievements measured
against two key performance indicators (KPIs).
- The first aims at measuring the alignment of the carbon
intensity of the collateral vessels with the International Maritime
Organization (IMO) 2050 decarbonization trajectory.
- The second aims at fostering cooperation with charterers in
order to advance the decarbonization agenda, by seeking to include
sustainability-linked provisions in future charter contracts, hence
creating an innovative value chain approach to
decarbonization.
Advisors & Lenders
The SLL is fully underwritten by Société Générale and BNP
Paribas as mandated lead arrangers, underwriters and bookrunners,
with Société Générale acting as the sole Sustainability
Coordinator.
About Atlas
Atlas is a leading global asset management company,
differentiated by its position as a best-in-class owner and
operator with a focus on deploying capital to create sustainable
shareholder value. Atlas brings together an experienced asset
management team with deep operational and capital allocation
experience. We target long-term, risk adjusted returns across
high-quality infrastructure assets in the maritime sector, energy
sector and other infrastructure verticals. Our two portfolio
companies, Seaspan Corporation and APR Energy are unique,
industry-leading operating platforms in the global maritime and
energy spaces, respectively.
For more information visit atlascorporation.com
About Seaspan
Seaspan is a leading independent owner and operator of
containerships with industry leading ship management services. We
charter our vessels primarily pursuant to long-term, fixed-rate,
time charters to the world's largest container shipping liners.
Seaspan's fully delivered fleet consists of 127 containerships,
representing total capacity of approximately 1,073,000 TEU.
Seaspan's operating fleet of vessels has an average age of
approximately 7 years and an average remaining lease period of
approximately 4 years, on a TEU-weighted basis.
For more information visit seaspancorp.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains certain forward-looking statements (as
such term is defined in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended) concerning future events, including
forward-looking statements regarding the possible future redemption
of the Notes. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend
upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words
such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes",
"estimates", "projects", "forecasts", "will", "may", "potential",
"should", and similar expressions are forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements reflect management's current
expectations only as of the date of this release. As a result, you
are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements.
Although these statements are based upon assumptions we believe to
be reasonable based upon available information, they are subject to
risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but
are not limited to: the possibility that we will not be able to
execute on our growth strategy, the possibility that we will not
redeem the Notes prior to maturity; and other factors detailed from
time to time in our periodic reports and filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including Atlas' Annual Report
on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31,
2019. We expressly disclaim any obligation to update or
revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether because of
future events, new information, a change in our views or
expectations, or otherwise. We make no prediction or statement
about the performance of any of our securities.
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SOURCE Atlas Corp.