Proposed Villeta equity partners club confirmed

Atome

18/12/2025 07:00

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

 

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

 

ATOME PLCNikita Levine, Investor Relations
+44 (0) 113 337 2210
 info@atomeplc.com
Beaumont Cornish (Nominated Adviser)Roland Cornish, Michael Cornish
+44 (0)20 7628 3396
Stifel (Joint Broker)
Jason Grossman, Ashton Clanfield
+44 (0) 20 7710 7600
SP Angel (Joint Broker)Richard Hail, Jen Clarke
+44 (0) 20 3490 0470
FTI Consulting (Communications Adviser)
Elizabeth Adams, Ben Brewerton
+44 (0) 20 3727 1000atome@fticonsulting.com

 

 

 

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.

 

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