REG - ATOME PLC - Proposed Villeta equity partners club confirmed

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RNS Number : 0175M  ATOME PLC  18 December 2025

 

For immediate release

18 December 2025

 

 

ATOME PLC

("ATOME" or the "Company")

 

ATOME announces the successful constitution of its proposed equity partners
club for the $630m Villeta Project

 

Targeting Final Investment Decision

 

ATOME (AIM: ATOM), the world-leading low-carbon fertiliser developer and the
UK's only dedicated international industrial scale low-carbon fertiliser
company, is very pleased to announce that the proposed equity club consortium
for the funding of ATOME's landmark US$630 million, 260,000 tonne-per-year
low-carbon fertiliser plant at Villeta, Paraguay ("Villeta" or "the Project"),
has been successfully constituted conditional only on final structuring and
execution of definitive documentation at Final Investment Decision ("FID"),
the negotiations of which are at an advanced stage.

 

Introduction

 

ATOME, in a first of a kind US$630 million green fertiliser project, has been
methodically addressing the conditions necessary to expeditiously achieve
Final Investment Decision ("FID").

 

The successful constitution of the equity funding portion of Villeta allows us
to have a clear path to FID now targeted by the end of January 2026. The
constituents of the oversubscribed debt portion of the funding package have
already been finalised.

 

Both equity and debt will be in a special purpose vehicle ("SPV") for the
Villeta Project with ATOME itself holding its interest in the SPV as well as
its continuing pipeline of projects.

 

Equity Club Constitution

 

The constituents of the equity club funding portion for the Project, led by
Hy24, the world's largest low-carbon hydrogen asset manager, includes
substantial international institutions known for their expertise in investing
in Latin America. ATOME benefits from the previously announced US$60 million
pre-FID value in Villeta attributable to ATOME's continuing interest.

 

The constitution of the equity club demonstrates the confidence in ATOME to
operate and deliver the landmark Villeta Project alongside its globally
recognised project partners and strategic partners such as Yara International
ASA and Casale S.A. As well as its significant shareholding interest in the
Project, ATOME will manage the Villeta Project under a management services
agreement.

 

Next Steps

 

ATOME is now finalising the financial structure and the negotiations of the
definitive agreements with the equity and debt providers which represent the
last steps prior to declaration by ATOME of FID.

 

In anticipation of FID, detailed engineering work is well underway both with
our EPC contractors, Casale, and with ATOME's own internal engineering
division which is expanding to ensure it is fit and ready for the tasks ahead.

 

 

Olivier Mussat, CEO of ATOME, commented:

 

"Following all the milestones delivered in 2025, notably the signings of the
definitive EPC contract and Yara offtake agreements, marking the end of the
technical and commercial project work, bringing a competitive debt financing
led by multilateral banks and now the successful constitution of the equity
participants, means that we are a short step away from bringing Villeta, the
world's first dedicated industrial scale low-carbon fertiliser project, to
reality.

 

"ATOME has a great opportunity to gain significant value above and beyond the
pre-money valuation of Villeta and we note that current market forces for
fertilisers are moving in a very encouraging direction for the prospects of
the Company.

 

"With the key pieces now in place, we are focused on moving to close out FID
and start building."

 

 

For further information on ATOME, please visit the Company's Curation Connect
showcase at: https://app.curationconnect.com/company/Atome-71605
(https://app.curationconnect.com/company/Atome-71605)

 

For more information, please visit https://www.atomeplc.com or contact:

 

 ATOME PLC                                +44 (0) 113 337 2210
 Nikita Levine, Investor Relations
info@atomeplc.com

 Beaumont Cornish (Nominated Adviser)     +44 (0) 20 7628 3396
 Roland Cornish, Michael Cornish

 Stifel (Joint Broker)                    +44 (0) 20 7710 7600

 Jason Grossman, Ashton Clanfield
 SP Angel (Joint Broker)                  +44 (0) 20 3490 0470
 Richard Hail, Jen Clarke
 FTI Consulting (Communications Adviser)  +44 (0) 20 3727 1000

                                        atome@fticonsulting.com (mailto:atome@fticonsulting.com)
 Elizabeth Adams, Ben Brewerton

 

 

 

MAR

 

The information communicated within this announcement is deemed to constitute
inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No
596/2014 which is part of UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal)
Act 2018. Upon publication of this announcement, this inside information is
now considered to be in the public domain. The person who arranged for the
release of this announcement on behalf of the Company was Peter Levine,
Chairman.

 

About ATOME

 

ATOME PLC is an AIM-listed company targeting green fertiliser production with
445-megawatt of projects in Paraguay and a further pipeline of potential
projects in Central America. ATOME has now created its ATOME POWER division
which is in the early stages of developing a significant green power
generation and infrastructure business. ATOME's projects are situated at the
heart of one of the world's largest food export hubs - the Mercosur region in
the Southern Cone of South America with the Argentinian and Brazilian markets
next door. ATOME's production will disrupt the region's heavy dependence on
imported fossil fuel generated fertilizer, contributing to regional food
security goals.

 

ATOME's first project in Villeta, Paraguay, benefits from a 145MW renewable
power purchase agreement and a 30-hectare site in a tax-free zone, with an
option already secured to purchase an additional 13 hectares of adjacent land.
Front End Engineering Design studies have been completed and a 10-year
Definitive Offtake Agreement signed with Yara International, the leading
international fertiliser company, for offtake of all of Villeta's green
fertiliser production. In early 2025, ATOME announced Hy24, the leading clean
hydrogen asset manager, as anchor and lead equity investor in the project, and
confirmed the signing of the US$465 million fixed-price EPC contract with
leading ammonia and fertilizer engineering specialist Casale S.A. The Company
is now negotiating the project finance with a view to commencing work in 2025.
There is a further up to 300MW of renewable power reserved for ATOME in
Paraguay.

 

In Costa Rica, The National Ammonia Corporation S.A. was formed in 2022 with
local partner Cavendish S.A. based in Costa Rica to develop green fertiliser
projects for the region. As well as straddling the Pacific and Atlantic
Oceans, Costa Rica is a democratic Central American country. In agriculture,
Costa Rica is the second largest supplier of pineapples in the world and is in
the top ten banana growers.

 

All power for ATOME is from 100% renewable sources and all chosen sites are
located close to the power and water sources and export facilities to serve
significant domestic and then international demand. Roughly a third of
human-caused GHG emissions is linked to food production according to UN data,
and fertiliser use and production is the source of more emissions than the
shipping and aviation industries combined. ATOME's green Calcium Ammonium
Nitrate product will contribute to decarbonising the food sector from the
bottom up, getting to the root of the food value chain's emissions. ATOME's
renewably-generated fertiliser is both clean and promotes high crop yields,
unlike conventional nitrogen fertiliser which has a heavy carbon footprint.

 

The Company has a green-focused Board which is supported by major shareholders
including Peter Levine, Schroders, a leading fund manager, and Baker Hughes, a
global technology company operating in the energy and industry sectors.

Other information

 

Beaumont Cornish Limited ("Beaumont Cornish") is the Company's Nominated
Adviser and is authorised and regulated by the FCA. Beaumont Cornish's
responsibilities as the Company's Nominated Adviser, including a
responsibility to advise and guide the Company on its responsibilities under
the AIM Rules for Companies and AIM Rules for Nominated Advisers, are owed
solely to the London Stock Exchange. Beaumont Cornish is not acting for and
will not be responsible to any other persons for providing protections
afforded to customers of Beaumont Cornish nor for advising them in relation to
the proposed arrangements described in this announcement or any matter
referred to in it.

 

-ends-

 

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