Fluxys raises EUR 350 million in private bond placement

Fluxys Belgium, the operator of the Zeebrugge LNG terminal, reports on the arrangement of a private placement of bonds with a total nominal value of €350 million.

Total market appetite reached over €700 million, which confirms the confidence of institutional fixed income investors in Fluxys Belgium’s credit and the key role of the Belgian natural gas grid as crossroads for Northwestern Europe, according to statement by Fluxys.

To refinance the retail bond issued by Fluxys Belgium in 2009 and which matures in 2015, Fluxys Belgium went on an extensive pan-European roadshow with Europe’s largest fixed income investors. On the basis of very positive feedback received during the roadshow, Fluxys Belgium on 20 November raised €350 million from more than 40 investors in 7 countries. Despite the large number of new bonds that were brought to the market on 20 November, the investors showed a lot of appetite for the bond as there was over €700 million of demand. The private debt placement is split between two tranches:

• a €250 million 15-year tranche priced at 2.802% (140bps over midswap) and maturing November 2029;
• a €100 million 20-year tranche priced at 3.29% (168bps over midswap) and maturing November 2034.

Through this transaction Fluxys Belgium locks in record low bond coupon levels. With tenors of 15 and 20 years the company also achieves one of the longest tenors ever in the nascent European private placement market by a non rated corporate issuer.

The transaction was managed by BNP Paribas and ING as coordinating banks and joint bookrunners and by Belfius Bank and Crédit Agricole CIB as joint bookrunners. The bonds will be settled through the securities settlement system of the National Bank of Belgium and will be listed on Euronext Brussels as of 27 November 2014.

[mappress mapid=”16055″]

Press Release; Image: Fluxys