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EQT Corp
Annual Report 2022

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FY2022 Annual Report · EQT Corp
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2022
Annual Report

Syngas for distributed, decarbonised new energy infrastructure

Contents

04

47

Directors and advisors

Independent auditor’s report

05

52

2022 at a glance

Financial statements

07

Chairman’s statement

11

Chief Executive’s report

22

Corporate governance statement

32

Directors’ report

42

Environmental, Social and  
Governance (ESG) report

53
Consolidated statement of profit or loss

54
Consolidated statement of comprehensive income

55
Consolidated statement of financial position

57
Consolidated statement of changes in equity

58
Consolidated statement of cash flows

60
Company statement of financial position

61
Company statement of changes in equity

62
Company statement of cash flows

64
Notes to the financial statements

Image change – Shane

Waste is a ubiquitous and limitless resource. EQTEC’s 
mission is to cleanly and sustainably transform it into 
energy and biofuels that replace the world’s fossil fuel 
legacy with a local-for-local, circular, renewable future.

Where there is waste, there is a potential for clean energy. EQTEC’s 
patented and proprietary technology cleanly converts the widest 
variety of waste types to syngas, an intermediate fuel enabling 
production of the widest range of bioenergy and biofuels, 
including combined heat and power (CHP), renewable natural gas 
(RNG), hydrogen, liquid fuels including sustainable aviation fuel 
(SAF) and other chemicals such as bioethanol and biomethanol.

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  03

Directors  
and advisors

2022 at  
a glance

 IAN PEARSON
Non-Executive Chairman 

 DAVID PALUMBO
Chief Executive Officer

 NAUMAN BABAR
Chief Financial Officer  
and Company Secretary

JEFFREY VANDER LINDEN
Chief Operating Officer

  DR. YOEL ALEMÁN MÉNDEZ
Chief Technical Officer 

 TOM QUIGLEY
Non-Executive Director

REGISTERED OFFICE:
Building 1000, City Gate, Mahon, Cork  

T12 W7CV, Ireland

NOMINATED ADVISOR:
Strand Hanson Limited, 26 Mount Row, Mayfair, 

London W1K 3SQ, United Kingdom

BROKERS:
Panmure Gordon, 40 Gracechurch St, London  

EC3V 0BT, United Kingdom

LEGAL ADVISORS:
Philip Lee, 7-8 Wilton Terrace, Dublin D2, Ireland

Fieldfisher LLP, Riverbank House, 2 Swan Lane, 

London EC4R 3TT, United Kingdom

Fieldfisher Jausas, Passeig de Gràcia, 103,  

Planta 7. 08008 Barcelona, Spain

AUDITOR:
Grant Thornton, 13-18 City Quay, Dublin 2,  

D02 ED70, Ireland

REGISTRAR:
Link Asset Services, 2 Grand Canal Square,  
Dublin 2, D02 A342, Ireland

The Company is incorporated in Ireland  

with registration number: 462861

Innovation 

•  Steam-oxygen gasification  
installation for advanced biofuels
•  Contaminated plastics added  
to feedstock library
•  RDF trials succeed even at high humidity
•  GHG emissions baseline indicates 
cleantech excellence
•  Collaboration with CompactGTL  
toward gas-to-liquids pilot

Focus

• Market launch into France
•  SEPS deal toward contaminated  
plastics pilot
•  World-class partners:  Wood, Petrofac, 
Anaergia, Black & Veatch
•  €18 million+ cost avoidance on UK projects
•  Monthly reviews and reductions of  
working capital

Execution

•  Mechanical completion at  
Italia MDC
•  Investors identified to complete 
Croatia MDC
•  Rapid acquisition of plant for  
France MDC
•  North Fork construction refinance  
and reboot
• Livadia project in Greece 80% funded

Financial performance
  Revenue €8.0 million  
(FY2021:  €9.2 million)
  Cash €1.7 million  
(31 December 2021:   
€6.4 million)
  Net assets €37.1 million  

(31 December 2021:   
€43.4 million)

MDCs
  Italy MDC  
Construction completed; 
commissioning started
  Croatia MDC  
Final investment engaged; 
target 2023 COD
  France MDC   

Acquired; permitted;  
SPV buyer identified

Other projects
  Deeside project (UK)   
Initial FEED completed; 
refinements pursued 
  North Fork project (USA)  
Refinanced; construction 
restarted
  Livadia project (Greece)  

80% funded; final funding 
identified

Delivery platform
  Engineering benchmarks 
target top quartile talent
  EQTEC France   
New go-to-market with  
strong pipeline
  Equity and debt finance 

secured for business continuity

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  05

Strategic 
reports

Aerial view of control room at future France 
MDC, Villers-sous-Montrond, France

06  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

Chairman’s 
statement

INTRODUCTION
If 2021 was for EQTEC 
a year of growth and 
momentum, then 2022 
was a year of focused 
execution amidst adverse 
market conditions. I 
am pleased with the 
decisiveness and rapid 
response exercised by  
our executive directors  
in the face of uncertainty. 
On reflection, and despite 
EQTEC’s falling short of  
our aspirations for the 
year, the difficulties we 
faced head-on in 2022 exercised our 
leadership’s commitment, resolve  
and capacity for innovation in a way  
that will benefit the Company in  
years to come. 

The year started with post-pandemic 
market uncertainty, suddenly and 
dramatically exacerbated by Russia’s 
attack on Ukraine and the consequent 
crisis in energy and consumables. 
Ironically, even as the case was being 
made so clearly in the media for 
deployment of alternative, baseload 
solutions for energy security and 
independence, EQTEC was experiencing 
dramatic tightening of capital markets, 
constraining momentum with 
deployment of its technology that 
delivers just that.  

THE VIRTUE OF FOCUS
Our leadership responded quickly to 
these events, designing and deploying 
a Focus Plan that prioritised MDCs and 
other strategic projects, curtailing any 
expenditure not directly supporting 
priorities and reducing working capital  
to preserve cash, across the business. 

By the end of 2022, EQTEC delivered 
revenues of €8.0 million, less than in 
2021 but more than three and a half 
times that of 2020, and in a tougher 
market. Perhaps more critically, the 
team’s focus and hard work delivered 
measurable progress with MDCs: the Italy 
MDC reached mechanical and electrical 
completion; the Croatia MDC had 
components manufactured to support 
its capacity upgrade thereby attracting 
investor interest and a France MDC was 
successfully acquired and added to the 
portfolio. 

France is itself a success story. Launched 
in March 2022, EQTEC France is already 
producing the Company’s strongest 
pipeline, led by the France MDC, 
which the Group rapidly acquired and 
successfully confirmed with French 
authorities in July 2022. The MDC will 
not only be another demonstration of 
EQTEC’s technology but a reference 
plant for France, for mixed feedstock 
(waste wood with RDF) and for another 
localised solution on a highly active 
waste management site. 

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  07

 IAN PEARSON
Non-Executive Chairman 

05 May 2023

Chairman’s statement

Chairman’s statement

The difficulties we faced head-on 
in 2022 exercised our leadership’s 
commitment, resolve and capacity  
for innovation in a way that will 
benefit the Company in years  
to come.

 IAN PEARSON
Non-Executive Chairman

THE FRENCH CONNECTION
The progress in France demonstrates the 
combination of three factors for success: 
a talented and hard-working team; 
strategic focus; and a brand associated 
with world-leading innovation. There is 
no doubt that the tireless efforts of our 
leadership in France and across EQTEC 
drove the rapid progress in that new 
market for the business. 

France is the Group’s best example of 
a market following EQTEC’s business 
strategy. The pipeline there is founded 
on a MDC. The projects being progressed 
there are funded before EQTEC engages 
with them, so the Company need not 
invest its own capital and can devote 
its efforts and resources to design, 
engineering and technology supply. It 
is the first market wherein EQTEC will 
charge for its services from the outset 
of work all the way through to plant 
commissioning and beyond. 

EQTEC’s strongest and most active R&D 
programme is with LERMAB (Laboratoire 
d’Études et de Récherches sur le Matériau 
Bois) at the University of Lorraine, located 
in Épinal, France. That programme, 

active for a decade, has brought not 
only R&D success to both LERMAB and 
EQTEC, but also considerable renown 
in the renewables sector across France 
and beyond. It is fitting that EQTEC’s 
reputation is based on its technology 
and the ongoing innovation in which 
we invest—that is at the core of what 
we do. The more this is recognised 
and amplified across the world, the 
more I believe we will see well-funded 
projects and pipelines springing up and 
demanding our attention.   

FOCUSING FORWARD
Having now seen our leadership team 
address the market challenges of 2022 
by focusing the business on execution 
against a narrower agenda, I have great 
faith that this approach will be adopted 
by the business in the years ahead. With 
a technology as relevant and reliable 
as ours, it is easy to be overcome by 
impatience to see it succeed everywhere. 
The hard lessons of 2022 forced us to 
invest our considerable energies into  
a narrower scope of execution, which  
I believe gives us a stronger and stabler 
platform from which to grow faster  
in the future.

David Le Saint, EQTEC France Market 
Lead, at future France MDC

08  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  09

Chief Executive’s 
report

INTRODUCTION  
In the face of economic 
challenges and limited 
resources, EQTEC in 2022 
reaffirmed its business 
strategy, adapted its growth 
platform and toughened its 
resolve. Based on having  
one of the few technologies 
of its kind with a proven 
track record, we focused  
our energies on ensuring 
we can truly make our 
technology available,  
reliably and consistently,  
for the several business 
models we support in the world of  
new energy infrastructure. 

Our target remains making EQTEC 
a leading licensor and innovator of 
technology that delivers clean, baseload 
energy and biofuels solutions to the 
world’s leading Industrial and Utility 
companies and to Municipalities and 
Agroindustry around the globe. To 
become that, we must be more than 
simply the leading innovator for waste-
to-value solutions; we must also be 
known for deploying our technology 
through projects that consistently deliver 
on time, to budget and for plants that 
deliver healthy returns on investment, 
sustainably over their lifetimes. 

Our business strategy is therefore built 
around three, major focus areas: first, 
demonstration of EQTEC’s versatile 
syngas solutions in live, reference  
plants that deliver attractive returns 
through a variety of business models; 
second, deployment of our solutions 
through the world’s best funded,  

best managed projects and most 
capable partners; and third, retaining  
our technology leadership through  
R&D and innovation, improving the 
efficiency and productivity of existing 
solutions and developing new solutions 
that keep pace with the market for new 
energy infrastructure. 

In 2022, we delivered focused, formative 
progress in all three areas. 

DEMONSTRATING NEW ENERGY 
INFRASTRUCTURE

Our immediate targets for demonstration 
of EQTEC syngas solutions are our 
Market Development Centres (MDCs): 
live, profitable reference plants that 
demonstrate a range of EQTEC solutions 
for waste conversion and syngas 
application. 2022 saw completed 
construction of our first MDC, 
measurable progress on a second and 
acquisition of a third. 

In Italy, the Italia MDC hired its plant 
manager and a full-time plant operations 
team, onboarded and trained them and 
in parallel achieved mechanical and 
electrical completion of the plant. At the 
end of the year, EQTEC’s engineering 
team kicked off final commissioning 
toward commercial operations, which  
it achieved in Q1 2023, with handover  
to the plant’s operations team imminent 
at the time of publication of this report. 
In early 2023, we hosted visits at the  
Italia MDC with prospective, strategic  
partners and investors and we have  
a busy schedule of future visits to the 
plant already arranged for the remainder 
of the year. 

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  11

 DAVID PALUMBO
Chief Executive Officer 

05 May 2023

Side of EQTEC Italia MDC srl and 
surrounding Val d’Orcia, Tuscany, Italy

10  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

Chief Executive’s report

The Italia MDC demonstrates EQTEC’s 
syngas solutions for Agricultural  
business models. These offer 
autonomous energy generation in 
remote locations, from locally sourced 
agricultural and/or forestry waste, with 
the potential for additional revenue  
from biochar, which enjoys a healthy  
and growing market value, particularly 
for agricultural applications. 

In Croatia, we confirmed completion of 
manufacturing for key components and 
continued progress with investors in and 
operators of the recommissioned Croatia 
MDC plant in Belišće, Croatia. We expect 
financial close, commissioning and live 
operation of the plant in late 2023. 

The Croatia MDC will demonstrate 
EQTEC’s syngas solutions for Industrial 
business models, which offer on-premise 
or near-premise, circular transformation 
of industrial and/or other waste into 
valuable energy or biofuels. Typically, the 
waste taken from a given industrial site 
is cleanly and efficiently returned to that 
site as electrical power, thermal energy 
and/or biofuels in support of industrial 
operations. Not only is this circular 
process clean, but it replaces  
the business costs of both waste  
removal and energy generation  
with a single, cost-effective solution. 

In France, we confirmed the French 
state’s approval of our acquisition of 
an existing waste-to-energy facility 
with a previously failed gasification 
technology and our intention to retrofit 
the plant with our own technology. The 
plant, located in Villers-sous-Montrond, 
Doubs, near the Franco-Swiss border, 
will transform mixed feedstock including 
waste wood, contaminated waste wood 
and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) from 
municipal waste into electrical power 
and thermal energy. In late 2022, we 
made steady progress with a large utility 
company toward full acquisition of the 
project and recommissioning of the 
facility. We expect full sale of the project 
by mid-2023, with live operation of the 
plant in 2024. 

The France MDC will demonstrate 
EQTEC’s syngas solutions for Utility 
business models, which offer energy 
and biofuel infrastructure operators 
a route to decarbonisation of their 
current footprints, with profitable, 
new lines of business based on future-
ready infrastructure. We envision 
selling portfolios of our solutions to 
Utility and Industrial clients in line with 
their strategic roadmaps, as they seek 
baseload energy production alternatives 
to enable their energy transitions. 

WORLD-CLASS CUSTOMERS AND 
PARTNERS 

In 2022, we activated relationships with 
Tier 1 delivery partners, appointing them 
to specific projects and contracting them 
for specific pieces of work to accelerate 
progress and safeguard delivery quality. 
We also forged new relationships with 
large, infrastructure owners and investors, 
for activation in 2023. Finally, and 
critically, we took specific steps to de-risk 
the Company from legacy obligations 
unaligned to our business strategy. 

In the UK, we pressed ahead with front-
end engineering design (FEED) for a 
combined, anaerobic digestion and 
syngas technology facility at Deeside, 
Flintshire, through appointment of 
global engineering company Black & 
Veatch, who completed the FEED work 
within the year. That design is now 
being revisited toward simplifying and 
phasing the project, thus making it more 
attractive to prospective investors.  

Also in the UK, we appointed Wood as 
our technology partner at the Southport 
project, where the second phase 
of work would result in a municipal 
waste-to-syngas-to-hydrogen plant 
built around an integrated technology 
solution from EQTEC and Wood. The 
appointment is built on our strategic 
collaboration agreement with Wood, 
signed in late 2021, and is expected to 
be first of several projects we undertake 
together, based on a growing pipeline of 
opportunities we are jointly pursuing. 

Our target remains 
making EQTEC a 
leading licensor  
and innovator of
technology that 
delivers clean, 
baseload energy 
and biofuels 
solutions to the
world’s leading 
Industrial and Utility 
companies and to 
Municipalities and
Agroindustry around 
the globe.

 DAVID PALUMBO
Chief Executive Officer 

Chief Executive’s report

At both Deeside and Southport, we 
are deepening our relationship with 
Anaergia Inc., a technology and delivery 
partner with leading capabilities in 
anaerobic digestion. At Southport, the 
first phase of work will apply Anaergia 
technology, and Anaergia has also 
agreed to be the EPC for that work, as 
well as the operations & maintenance 
(O&M) company for it. We are exploring 
similar options at Deeside with Anaergia, 
currently collaborating on a simplified 
and cost-effective technology solution 
for a Phase 1 implementation, where 
Anaergia has proposed becoming  
a delivery partner as well. 

At our Billingham, Teesside project in the 
UK, we appointed Petrofac as our FEED 
partner, also signing a letter of intent to 
formalise our joint commitment to the 
project. Petrofac’s selection was based 
on a competitive tendering process,  
with Petrofac producing the superior 
proposal following close collaboration 
with our team over many months. In 
addition to specifying Petrofac as the 
FEED partner and potential EPC, the 
Letter of Intent expressed our joint  
objective to co-present the project to 
prospective investors, something we are 
now pursuing. We also expressed our 
joint intent to identify and collaborate  
on more projects together in future.  

Additional investors and funding sources 
were lined up across other projects with 
our joint ventures in Croatia and Greece. 
Marko Slunjski, Managing Director 
of Synergy Projects d.o.o. in Croatia, 
engaged a consortium of investors for 
the Croatia MDC and an agreement 
is expected in the first half of 2023. In 
Greece, Eleni Bairami of Synergy Projects 
Limited (Synergy Projects Greece), 
arranged a new debt facility with Optima 
Bank S.A. to support construction of the 
Livadia mixed biomass-to-energy project 
plant, making it 80 percent funded. 
The Optima facility is backed in part by 
the European Commission’s Recovery 
and Resilience Facility (RRF) for Greece. 

Partner spotlight

Partner: Technology  |  Market: RNG and Hydrogen

Richard Spires
Technology Development Director

Edward Davis 
Commercial Manager Technology 
& Products

Omar Bedani
Commercial Manager Technology 
& Products Italy

Wood is one of the world’s leading 
consulting and engineering companies 
operating across Energy and Materials 
markets, with 35,000 professionals across 
60 countries and with annual revenues  
of c. $5.5 billion. Wood’s stated purpose  
is to unlock solutions to the world’s  
most critical challenges, in Energy and 
Materials markets.

Wood’s VESTA technology is an 
established solution for methanation or 
hydrogen separation from syngas, which 
is efficiently produced through EQTEC’s 
advanced gasification technology. The 
advantage of VESTA over the other 

methanation methods is its full flexibility 
to balance both capital and operative 
expenditures, and the adaptation of  
any source of syngas, such as biomass  
or waste.

EQTEC and Wood have been acquainted 
since 2020 and in November 2021 
signed a formal collaboration agreement 
aimed at joint development and sales 
of integrated technology solutions 
for converting a wide range of waste 
types into RNG (renewable natural 
gas) or hydrogen through EQTEC’s 
syngas technology and Wood’s VESTA 
technology.

Since then, the partners’ integrated 
Collaboration Management Team has 
met monthly to build and qualify a joint 
pipeline of work, advance projects and 
undertake joint R&D activities toward 
integrated solution development.

With Wood’s appointment at EQTEC’s 
Southport project and additional 
opportunities in France, Italy, Ireland and 
the USA, and with demand for RNG and 
hydrogen expected to grow dramatically 
in both the near term and longer term, 
the collaboration looks forward to an 
exciting time ahead.

12  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  13

 
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

  Revenue: For the financial year 
ending 31 December 2022, the 
Group recognised revenue of  
€8.0 million (FY 2021: €9.2 million).

  Profit/loss: For the financial year, 
the Group incurred losses, before 
significant and non-recurring items, 
of €5.6 million (FY 2020: €4.7 million).

  Assets: The net assets of the  
Group were recorded at €37.1 
million as at 31 December 2022  
(31 December 2021: €43.4 million).

  Placing: The Company in  
July raised £3.7 million  

(€4.2 million) before expenses,  
in an oversubscribed placing.

  Cash: The cash balance of the 
Group as at 31 December 2022 
stood at €1.7 million (31 December 
2021: €6.4 million).

  Debt: The Company in March 
agreed a new loan facility of  
£10 million (€11.3 million) with 
Riverfort Global Opportunities PCC 
Limited and YA II PN. In December, 
another loan facility of £2 million 
(€2.3 million) was also entered into 
with Altair Group, EQTEC’s largest 
shareholder.

Chief Executive’s report

Second, we received third-party 
validation of EQTEC technology’s 
suitability for clean conversion of 
contaminated plastic waste into 
synthesis gas (syngas), resulting in a 
formal agreement with French industrial 
waste management company SEPS for 
joint pursuit of contaminated waste-to-
energy projects in France, starting with 
an initial project already secured by SEPS. 

Third, we announced a formal 
collaboration with gas-to-liquids 
technology company CompactGTL, for 
joint development of an integrated, low-
carbon waste-to-liquid fuels solution, 

with a synthetic aviation fuels (SAF) 
reference plant already targeted by  
the two companies for development. 

BUSINESS CONTINUITY THROUGH 
TURBULENT MARKETS 

Sustainable growth is not built on the 
luxury of a constantly expanding market, 
but on focused planning, consistent 
execution and agile adaptation. 2022 
kicked off with Russia’s invasion of 
Ukraine, which triggered an unwelcome 
domino effect in capital markets. Not 
only did the attack introduce additional 
uncertainty into an already uncertain, 

post-pandemic market, but Russia’s 
added controls over supply of oil and 
natural gas meant the capital markets 
and the investment capital on which  
we could depend previously was simply 
no longer there. 

The option for us was clear: we needed 
to preserve our capital, reduce any 
capital liabilities and accelerate our 
strategy of becoming a pure-play 
technology company. By Q2, we had 
launched our Focus Plan, which aimed 
at doing precisely that. We put up our 
largest projects for sale to infrastructure 
investors or operators, identified where 

Chief Executive’s report

Synergy Projects Greece is now pursuing 
a large, equity investor for the balance of 
Livadia funding and a broader portfolio 
of investments. 

In France, we engaged local, regional 
and national government-level funding 
sources as well as Tier 1 and Tier 2 
owner-operators of infrastructure. The 
engagement started in late 2022 has 
already born fruit in early 2023 with 
several announcements of pre-funded 
projects through government and 
private sources. We look forward to 
further updating during the course  
of the year. 

To reduce our direct investments into 
projects and accelerate our strategy of 
transition to a technology licensor, we 
worked hard in 2022 and continue in 
2023 to minimise our exposure to project 
development and other liabilities. This 
focuses especially on removing EQTEC 
from any non-engineering role in project 
development, favouring collaboration 
with leading partners. 

At the Southport project, we announced 
an agreement with development partner 
Rotunda Group Limited under which 

Rotunda would retain the Phase 1 
anaerobic digestion scope and release 
the Company from liabilities for it, whilst 
securing outstanding development 
services fees due to us. At the Billingham 
project, we announced an agreement 
with Scott Bros. Enterprises Limited 
for an option for the grant of a lease in 
respect of the project land, releasing 
us from liabilities for acquisition of 

the project land, enabling us to focus 
on funding, detailed design and financial 
close. Finally, we announced that the 
project company for our North Fork, 
California project had entered into an 
agreement for financial restructuring 
with the project lenders towards 
full funding of the project up to live 
operation of the plant. The funding 
was agreed through pre-negotiated, 
Chapter 11 bankruptcy arrangements. 
Not only did this allow work on site to 
recommence in earnest, but it effectively 
replaced our previously announced loan 
facility in favour of a more appropriate 
funding source. 

TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP 

In 2022, we made strong and 
strategically important progress 
advancing the capabilities and 
application of EQTEC technology,  
making three major announcements. 

First, we upgraded our R&D facility 
housed at the Université de Lorraine 
in Épinal, France, adding capability for 
steam-oxygen gasification. This will allow 
trials for advanced applications such as 
hydrogen, renewable natural gas (RNG) 
and liquid biofuels and gives us a unique, 
applied R&D capability to support our 
growth with these new applications. 
We already have plans and requests in 
2023 for trials on behalf of prospective 
customers and partners. 

Partner spotlight

Partner: EPC and O&M  |  Market: UK and global

Jonathan Carpenter 
Vice President,  
New Energy Services

Alex Haynes
Head of Business Development,  
New Energy Services

Chet Biliyok
Technical Director,  
New Energy Services

Petrofac is a leading energy services 
company whose purpose is to help its 
clients meet the world’s evolving energy 
needs by applying its engineering know-
how and consultancy expertise to design, 
build, and operate world-class energy 
facilities engineered for safety, optimal 
efficiency, and low emissions.

Petrofac’s New Energies business is 
focused on engaging a wide range of new 
technologies to support sustainable and 
renewable energy projects as the world 
transitions from energy derived from 
hydrocarbons.  In 2020, new energy 
projects accounted for 22% of Petrofac’s 
intake, and the sector remains a focus  

for the business. Petrofac’s growth in  
New Energies is underpinned by its 
delivery of projects across the wind, 
hydrogen, carbon capture utilisation  
and storage (CCUS), and waste-to- 
value sectors.

EQTEC and Petrofac have been 
collaborating since 2020 and quickly 
identified their strategic synergies. In 2022, 
EQTEC requested proposals from multiple, 
prospective front-end engineering design 
(FEED) partners and prospective EPCs 
for the Billingham project, its largest and 
most complex. Petrofac submitted a highly 
robust and attractive proposal that was 
ultimately selected by EQTEC and resulted 

in Petrofac’s appointment in July 2022, 
with the two companies signing a letter  
of intent for collaboration on the project.

Petrofac’s ability to operate in a range 
of markets and across the entire asset 
lifecycle, from design to decommissioning, 
makes it especially versatile as a partner. 
Its approach to flexible commercial 
models and robust, local delivery make 
it well aligned with EQTEC’s strategy of 
commercially attractive business models 
for local-to-local value delivery. In  
addition to being a strong delivery  
partner, Petrofac’s multinational reach 
makes it a strong, prospective go-to-
market partner.

EQTEC COO Jeff Vander Linden (second from left) with Julia Hoggett, CEO of London Stock Exchange (fourth from 
left), Lord Callanan (fifth from left) and other LSE leaders and renewable energy company executives, at the 2022 
LSE Green Economy Mark Cohort recognition event.

14  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  15

Chief Executive’s report

Chief Executive’s report

we needed to exit agreements that 
encumbered us with unduly large capital 
liabilities and accelerated engagement 
of our growing ecosystem of world-class 
partners to ensure we could impress 
investors with quality delivery.  

To ensure business continuity in the face 
of the economic downturn and tighter 
capital markets, we agreed two loan 
facilities, one as a convertible loan facility 
with our largest shareholder, Altair Group 
Investment Limited. We also raised £3.75 
million (before expenses) through the 
placing of new ordinary shares, with 
the majority of our Board of Directors 
participating individually. 

Russia’s manipulation of baseload supply 
highlighted the need for alternative 
solutions for energy security. While 
this created the potential to accelerate 
our impact and demonstrate how our 
technology can meet this need from an 
almost limitless supply of local waste, it 
was simultaneously undercut by the lack 
of capital available to us to pursue the 
opportunity in earnest.  

We remain on the edge of accelerated 
growth, needing to make clear EQTEC’s 
potential for a range of customers 
and investors in the post-transition 
energy market. Once our MDCs are 
fully operational and our partners are 
ready to replicate success continuously, 
we believe our market visibility and 
sustainable growth as a technology 
company are inevitable. 

FUNDING STRATEGIC GROWTH

As we accelerate our business strategy 
toward technology licensing, we are 
witnessing a significant increase in 
the size and stature of the clients 
and partners approaching us for 
our advanced syngas technology. 
Recognition of our capabilities is 
growing, particularly with investors 
in RNG and biofuels applications, 
where larger projects typically attract 

consortiums of strategic investors. 
Leveraging EQTEC’s growing profile as a 
leading technology for these advanced 
applications will be critical for securing 
access to capital for this new energy 
infrastructure. To position the Company 
to address these opportunities, we 
have engaged a top-tier investment 
bank for a strategic project focused on 
evaluating financing options for the 
Company through individual projects, 
portfolios of projects or at Group level.

OUTLOOK 

2022 was a challenging year in a rapidly 
changing market, but for EQTEC it 
was also the start of a significant pivot 
from small-scale projects with local 
developers and partners to larger-
scale projects with the world’s best 
developers, technology partners and 
delivery partners.  The tighter capital 
markets accelerated our strategic focus 
and forced choices that will facilitate 
completion of the pivot toward 
technology licensing.

The pivot continues in 2023 and will 
carry on until the momentum of 
growth takes over.  Not only will our 
ecosystem of partners provide essential 
capability across the value chain of 
developing, building and running 
plants with EQTEC technology, but 
they will also take EQTEC technology to 
market with us.  The partners we have 
built are already bringing us projects 
and prospective clients.  They are 
spreading the word and attaching their 
respected brands to it.

As the Company pivots away from 
legacy projects and sheds the burden 
of the liabilities they carry, and as we 
apply our business strategy to make the 
right choices about the projects ahead 
in France, in Italy, in the UK, in the USA 
and beyond, we will gain momentum 
toward our objective of becoming a 
leading, global technology licensor and 
innovator of new energy infrastructure.

Based on having one of the few technologies of its kind with 
a proven track record, we focused our energies on ensuring 
we can truly make our technology available, reliably and 
consistently, for the several business models we support in 
the world of new energy infrastructure.

Yoel Alemán Méndez (CTO) briefs 
construction subcontractors on 
site at North Fork, California, USA

 DAVID PALUMBO
Chief Executive Officer 

16  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  17

DR ESTHER LORENTE ROYO 
Senior Process Engineer 

MARCOS GARCÍA BARTOLOMÉ 
Automation Control Engineer 

DR. YOEL ALEMÁN MÉNDEZ 
Chief Technical Officer (Innovation and Engineering)

ARIEL ENTENZA MEDINA 
Electrical Engineer 

ERNESTO BRAVO CAMPOS 
Mechanical Engineer 

ALEX MARTIN
Electrical Engineer

DENISA RODRIGUEZ ROYO 
Project Manager 

FACUNDO SEBASTIAN MOLINA
Project Manager

50

project engineers 
through engineering 
partner CT3

14

engineering 
professionals, 
led by 4 PhDs in 
gasification

LIZ DE ABREU DEVIA 
Process Engineer 

DR CÉSAR BERRUECO MORENO 
Chief Process Engineer 

CRISTINA CÁMARA
Office Manager 

Innovation and 
engineering

EQTEC technical centre (Barcelona)

The quality and versatility of EQTEC 
syngas is made possible by the team’s 
understanding of and experience with the 
end-to-end process of thermochemical 
conversion. 

The source of EQTEC’s differentiation as 
a technology company is its rich, holistic 
understanding of the numerous variables at 
play, from waste feedstock treatment through 
input into the gasification reactor, through to 
syngas production, cleaning and refinement. 
Not only does EQTEC stand alone in its ability 
to model with precision the complex reactions 
that occur inside the reactor, but it programs in 
house its own, proprietary control systems to 
maximise the efficiency of reactions through 
the entire process from feedstock input to  
pure syngas output. 

Based in Barcelona, Spain, EQTEC’s Technical 
Centre is led by CTO and inventor of the 
technology, Dr Yoel Alemán Méndez, who 
has over 20 years of experience in waste 
gasification and is the author of the Company’s 
several patents. Prior to joining EQTEC, Dr 
Alemán Méndez was renowned for reviving 
failed gasification plants. Since joining EQTEC, 
he has designed, built, commissioned, and 
operated gasification facilities at both pilot and 
commercial scale. 

Dr Alemán Méndez is supported by three PhDs 
in Chemical Engineering, two of whom also  
have long careers specialising in gasification.

INNOVATION
EQTEC drives the front-edge of syngas 
innovation through well-planned and intensive 
trials with R&D facilities at the Université 

de Lorraine (France) and Universidad de 
Extremadura (Spain), and with an emerging list 
of private sector partners able to apply EQTEC’s 
world-leading syngas to a range of applications.

EQTEC also offers testing capability to customers, 
for specific feedstock and offtake requirements. 
During 2022, EQTEC successfully proved the 
conversion of contaminated plastics to syngas 
and steam-oxygen gasification, for production  
of hydrogen, RNG and other biofuels.

EQTEC’s annual R&D programme supports 
development of greater process efficiency, 
feedstock diversity and application versatility. 
More R&D facilities are planned.  

PROCESS ENGINEERING
EQTEC’s core capability is the design and 
modelling of the end-to-end gasification 
process, based on decades of research and 
development with the variables that make 
it efficient and operationally viable. EQTEC’s 
capabilities go beyond its competitors’, with 
design and specification of the end-to-end 
process including equipment against a  
highly-accurate modelling capability, and  
in-house programming of control systems  
that maximise end-to-end process efficiency 
and performance.

PROJECT ENGINEERING
Civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering  
are all critical to integrated project 
development, construction, and 
commissioning. EQTEC’s project  
engineering partner CT3 Ingeniería S.L.  
leads this work for EQTEC projects. 

MARIA BELEN ESPIÑEIRA 
Process Engineer 

OSCAR VELASCO HERNAN 
O&M Manager 

DR JAVIER RECARI 
Process Engineer 

ANDREA RODRIGUEZ ZAMBRANO
Calculation & Design Technician

18  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  19

Group management and 
business development

EQTEC corporate centre 
(Cork, London)

The Group is directed and supported from Cork and 
London, from where streamlined corporate functions 
drive standards for excellence in line with EQTEC’s 
business strategy. 

The Company’s corporate centre provides direction and 
support through three functions: Finance & Compliance, 
led by CFO Nauman Babar; Strategy & Operations, 
led by COO Jeffrey Vander Linden and Commercial & 
Investment, led by CEO David Palumbo. These functions 
define and apply Group-wide standards aligned to the 
business strategy in order to ensure consistency, quality 
and clear communication across all Group entities. 

The Company endeavours to maintain a small and nimble 
corporate team sufficient to steer and support the Group 
globally, with execution supported by outsourced service 
providers for specific functions. The Company employs 
a small permanent staff across all three corporate 
functions, with outsourced service providers for finance 
and accounting, compliance, legal counsel and corporate 
communications. 

EQTEC go-to-markets 
(San Francisco, Dublin, 
London, Paris, Zagreb, 
Thessaloniki, others tbc) 

The Company takes its technology to market through 
wholly owned subsidiaries, joint ventures or partners 
that will evolve into licensing channels as EQTEC grows. 

Go-to-market entities (GTMs) are revenue and profit 
centres for the Company, focused on incubation 
of demand with Tier 1 and Tier 2 clients, including 
Industrial, Utility, Municipalities and Infrastructure 
Investors. GTMs are the internal clients for EQTEC 
technology and position our technology solutions  
within overall commercial propositions that address  
local client requirements. 

Our go-to-market teams and partners bring project 
development capabilities, relationships with funding 
sources and local relationships with public- and private-
sector entities essential to positioning EQTEC’s solutions 
in relevant projects. In the long run, EQTEC sees these 
routes to market as licensing channels that will give 
EQTEC broad access to as many project opportunities in 
as many locations and with as many clients as possible.

SEAN RUANE 
Business Development Manager

DAVID LE SAINT
Market Lead, France 

DAVID PALUMBO 
Chief Executive Officer (Commercial and Investment)

ROBERT GANIM
Strategic Advisor, USA

ELENI BAIRAMI 
Managing Director, Synergy Project Ltd 

28

professionals 
across the 
Company

AARTI MANGLA
Head of Operational Performance

HAMZA QAYUM
Head of FP&A

LISA SYLVESTER 
Executive Assistant 

QASIM ALI
Project Accountant

LAURA LUCAS 
Head of Strategic Growth 

7

GTMs

 (go-to-markets)

NAUMAN BABAR
Chief Financial Officer (Finance and Compliance) 

20  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

JIMMY MCGLINCHEY 
Group Financial Accountant 

MARKO SLUNJSKI
Managing Director,  
Synergy Projects d.o.o.

RICHARD FERRIDAY 
Director, Investment & Ventures

JEFFREY VANDER LINDEN 
Chief Operating Officer (Strategy and Operations) 

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  21

Corporate governance 
statement

Front entry to Italia MDC with day 
hopper, elevator and feedstock 
conveyors system, Tuscany, Italy

The Board of Directors is committed 
to the highest standards of corporate 
governance and considers the Quoted 
Companies Alliance’s Corporate 
Governance Code (the QCA Code) to 
be the most appropriate framework to 
enable it. As such, the Board has adopted 
and integrated the QCA Code and its 
tenets, as outlined below. Where the 
Board feels that the Company’s smaller 
size and limited resources require 
pragmatic application of QCA principles, 
such explanation is provided.  

Company Chairman Ian Pearson, in his 
capacity as an independent director, 
has ultimate responsibility for ensuring 
that the Board and the Group apply 
appropriate corporate governance 
standards aligned to the principles 
stipulated in the QCA Code. 

STRATEGY AND BUSINESS MODEL
The Company’s strategic intent is 
to become the leading technology 
innovator and licensing partner to 
owner-operators for syngas technology 
and production of renewable, clean 
baseload energy and biofuels. The 
Company’s business strategy aims to 
develop that market, position EQTEC as 
a leader within it and scale the business 
through targeted development of 
capability and capacity, enabled by 
digital tools and techniques. Critical  
to the Company’s success with this 
strategy is growth of a qualified and  
well-integrated set of partners, who 
would deliver an increasing number  
of activities essential to integration  
of EQTEC technologies into the  
world’s energy and biofuels plants  
of the future. 

The Company currently generates 
income through three revenue streams: 
development services, technology 
sales & services and other revenues. 
Development services include activities 
essential to achievement of Financial 
Close (FID:  Final Investment Decision), 
from land acquisition, planning & 
permitting and engineering & design 
to Engineering, Procurement & 
Construction (EPC) selection, funding 
and legal execution of contracts. 
Technology sales & services include 
specification, manufacture and delivery 
on site of EQTEC-designed equipment 
and essential ancillary equipment, on-
site construction advisory and further 
engineering as required, technology 
integration support with non-EQTEC 
technology and commissioning of  
the EQTEC-enabled plant.  

EQTEC focuses on its strengths in the value chain, adding world-class partners with complementary capabilities.

Because EQTEC’s solutions support autonomous 
plants of small, medium or large scale, we also 
support localised power or biofuel production 
in remote locations, thus supporting energy 
security and independence.

Other revenues include plant operations 
from part-owned or wholly-owned 
Market Development Centres (MDCs), 
from consultancy or from provision of 
other non-core services. 

The Company intends for its 
revenue streams to evolve in future.  
Development fees will decline as more 
competent development partners take 
over all but the core technology and 
engineering work toward FID/Financial 
Close. Technology sales and related 
services will be unbundled and shared 
with partners who become increasingly 
qualified to support integration of 
EQTEC technology. Most importantly, 
the Company intends to dramatically 
increase its revenues from live plants 
running its technology, earning revenues 
from licensing, maintenance and other 
value-added services.  

The Company currently develops 
business in the USA, UK and the EU 
(including France, Italy, Croatia, Greece 
and Ireland) and will target new 
geographies as substantial pipelines  
of qualified opportunities in those 
markets present themselves. 

The Company is focused on maximising 
shareholder value in the near term 
through greater recognition and 
increased valuation by the market, 
as measured by the share price. To 
achieve this, the Company is driving an 
increase in the number of operational 
plants running EQTEC technology, after 
which it will also increase the variety 
(in terms of feedstock inputs and 
offtake applications) of EQTEC solutions 
deployed in those plants. In addition to 
biomass conversion to combined heat 
and power (CHP), EQTEC is currently 

pursuing projects with feedstock from 
municipal waste (in the form of refuse 
derived fuel, or RDF), from industry  
waste (such as contaminated plastics) 
and from a range of agricultural and 
forestry waste. EQTEC is also currently 
pursuing projects that would apply 
EQTEC’s waste-to-syngas capabilities 
to production of hydrogen, sustainable 
aviation fuel (SAF), renewable natural  
gas (RNG) and other biofuels. 

EQTEC plc is quoted on the AIM market 
of the London Stock Exchange (LSE), 
bears the Green Economy Mark awarded 
by the LSE, and trades as AIM:EQT.

STAKEHOLDER RESPONSIBILITIES 
EQTEC’s technology and services have a 
positive impact on societies, economies 
and the environment. We strive to 
deliver sustainable, local outcomes for  

22  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  23

Corporate governance statement

Corporate governance statement

businesses and communities through 
our technology, and to always deliver to 
the highest environmental, regulatory 
and business standards and practices. 
Through transforming non-recyclable 
wastes into clean syngas for application 
to baseload energy and biofuels, we 
reduce the need for less environmentally 
friendly methods such as incineration 
and landfill. As a result, EQTEC solutions 
will contribute substantially to lower 
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 
thus to meeting local and global net 
zero targets. Because EQTEC’s solutions 
support autonomous plants of small, 
medium or large scale, we are able to 
support energy production in remote 
locations, thus supporting the UK’s 

levelling-up agenda and similar agendas 
for energy security and independence. 

The Board recognises that the 
ongoing and long-term success of 
the Group is significantly influenced 
by the efforts and commitment of the 
Group’s employees, strategic partners 
(including but not limited to those 
with expertise in funding, technology, 
operational delivery and go-to-market), 
contractors and suppliers and the 
Group’s relationships with these and 
other stakeholders including customers, 
investors, industry associations, political 
and media organisations, analysts, 
communities, the wider public and the 
regulators. The Board has put in place 

a range of processes and systems to 
ensure that there is close Board oversight 
and contact with its key resources and 
relationships.  

The Group follows an established 
performance management framework. 
This ensures that every employee’s 
performance objectives are aligned  
with those of the Group. There is an open 
and confidential dialogue with each 
person in the Group with successful two-
way communication of goals, targets and 
aspirations. The feedback process helps 
ensure that the Group can respond to 
new issues and opportunities that arise 
to further the success of employees and 
the Group. The Board ensures that all key 

L-R: Jeff Vander Linden, COO and David Le Saint, 
EQTEC France Market Lead on site at future 
France MDC, Villers-sous-Montrond, France

relationships with partners, contractors 
and suppliers are the responsibility of,  
or are closely supervised by, one of  
the directors.

CODE OF CONDUCT 
The Group maintains and applies its 
own Code of Conduct. In alignment 
with the various legal and regulatory 
frameworks governing companies in 
the jurisdictions where the Company 
operates, EQTEC recognises its ethical 
and social responsibilities regarding 
how it conducts business in any and all 
markets. The EQTEC Code of Conduct is a 
summary of EQTEC’s expectations for all 
Group-related business conduct, which it 
requires of its Group directors (executive 
and non-executive), its permanent 
employees, its contractors and 
consultants, its joint venture directors & 
employees and its partner organisations.  

The Code of Conduct represents EQTEC’s 
summary of its minimum expectations 
for how its people and partners conduct 
any EQTEC-related business in any 
situation, in any part of the world. These 
expectations are non-negotiable and 
must be addressed by all EQTEC people 
and partners. The code covers six areas 
of business conduct: (1) health, safety 
and environment; (2) discrimination 
and harassment; (3) safeguarding and 
company assets; (4) conflicts of interest; 
(5) anti-bribery and corruption; and (6) 
competition and trade control.

ENGAGING AND COMMUNICATING 
WITH SHAREHOLDERS 
The Board is committed to constructive, 
two-way communication with its 
shareholders. Given the Company’s 
relatively small size and limited capacity 
to deploy staff for communication 
activities, EQTEC has centralised 
its investor relations (IR), public 
relations (PR) and other corporate 
communications activities under a 
single agency. In addition, the Company 
occasionally employs designers or other 
specialists to support communications 
campaigns, social media posting or 
other events, with those specialists 
also managed under the Company’s 
corporate communications agency. 

In line with the AIM Rules for Companies, 
EQTEC publishes the most relevant 
news for shareholders through the 
Regulatory News Services (RNS) of the 
London Stock Exchange. It does this 
in consultation with its Nominated 
Advisor, its corporate communications 
agency and other advisors. Additionally, 
the Company posts regularly on social 
media and especially LinkedIn and 
Twitter. The Company occasionally 
receives other forms of communication 
from shareholders and does its best to 
respond to relevant communications of 
this sort in a timely manner. 

In addition to communications directly 
from the Company, EQTEC employs a 
house broker that publishes its own 
analyses about the Company; EQTEC  
also employs a market analytics 
company that specialises in EQTEC’s 
market sector and adjacent sectors;  
that company also produces regular 
briefs about EQTEC’s performance a 
nd news.  Finally, there are a number 
of other analytics companies,  
brokerage houses and trade  
newspapers that publish news and 
updates about EQTEC. Many of these  
are arranged by EQTEC’s corporate 
communications agency. 

From time to time, the leadership of the 
Company joins video interview sessions 
hosted by the Proactive news service. 
The interviews are posted on the internet 
for access by shareholders and other 
interested stakeholders. These typically 
focus on recent Company news but offer 
deeper insights from EQTEC leadership 
into the decisions of the business and 
how these align to execution of the 
Company’s strategy. 

The Company exercises its market 
‘listening’ capabilities through the 
corporate communications agency’s 
reports, which weekly review dozens 
of publications, social media posts and 
other online sources for the Company 
to review and address through its 
communications. The Company also has 
its own interactions with shareholders 
and stakeholders directly and through 
social media. 

EQTEC solutions 
will contribute 
substantially to 
lower greenhouse 
gas (GHG) emissions 
and thus to meeting 
local and global net 
zero targets.

All shareholders are invited to attend 
the Company’s Annual General Meeting 
(AGM) where they have the opportunity 
to pose questions directly to the 
directors of the Company. Investors  
also have access to current information 
on the Company though its website,  
www.eqtec.com.  

MANAGING AND MITIGATING RISK 
Identification, management and 
mitigation of risk is critical to the 
Company’s achievement of its strategic 
objectives. Corporate risk management 
controls have been integrated by the 
Board to support its assessment of 
EQTEC’s exposure to risk and to drive 
active mitigation, focused first on high 
probability/high impact risks. In addition, 
the Group has defined and implemented 
a variety of  policies across the Group to 
proactively mitigate any risks associated 
with bribery, share dealing and insider 
trading legislation.  

Given the current size of the organisation 
and close, day-to-day control exercised 
by the executive directors, the Board 
takes the view that a dedicated Internal 

24  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  25

Corporate governance statement

Corporate governance statement

Audit function is not essential at this 
stage. However, the Board will continue 
to monitor the need for a dedicated 
function and take steps should it be 
necessary to do so.  

of Association. At each Annual General 
Meeting one-third of the Directors who 
are subject to retirement by rotation shall 
retire from office. They can then offer 
themselves for re-election.  

The principal risks to the achievement 
of our strategic business objectives are 
outlined below, together with their 
potential impacts and with mitigation 
measures in place. The Board believes 
these risks to be currently the most 
significant for our strategy, our financial 
and operational performance and 
ultimately, our reputation. The Board 
reviews and updates its risk register on a 
regular basis as part of its commitment 
to effective risk management. 

Executive and non-executive directors 
are subject to re-election intervals as 
prescribed in the Company’s Articles 

Executive Directors are employed 
under service contracts requiring three 
to six months’ notice by either party. 
The Non-Executive Directors including 
the Chairman receive payments under 
appointment letters that may be 
terminated with three months’ notice by 
either party. The Board encourages the 
ownership of shares in the Company by 
Executive and Non-Executive Directors 
and in normal circumstances does 
not expect Directors to undertake 
dealings of a short-term nature. The 
Board considers ownership of Company 
shares by Non-Executive Directors as a 
positive alignment of their interest with 

shareholders. The Board will periodically 
review the shareholdings of the 
independent Non-Executive Directors 
and will seek guidance from its advisors 
if, at any time, it is concerned that the 
shareholding of any independent 
Non-Executive Director may, or could 
appear to, conflict with their duties as 
an independent Non-Executive Director 
of the Company. Directors’ emoluments, 
including Directors’ interest in share 
options over the Group’s share capital, 
are set out in Note 34 below. The Board 
meets at least eight times a year. It has 
established an Audit Committee and a 
Remuneration Committee.  

The Board has agreed that appointments 
to the Board are made by the Board as 
a whole and so has decided a separate 
Nominations Committee is unnecessary 
at this time. 

Key areas for on-going risk management

KEY AREAS

MITIGATION

Winning and delivering contracts

Central to achieving our strategy is winning and successfully 
delivering our contract portfolio. Our continuing financial health 
relies on our ability to successfully tender, mobilise, operate,  
and manage such contracts. Winning new and retaining  
existing contracts continues to be critical for the future success  
of our business. 

Reputational risk

Maintaining a strong reputation is vital to our success as a business. 
Significant impact to our reputation could be caused by an incident 
involving major harm to one of our people or clients/partners, 
inadequate financial control processes, or failure to comply with 
regulatory requirements. Impacts of this type would potentially  
result in financial penalties, losses of key contracts, an inability to  
win new business and challenges in retaining key staff and  
recruiting new staff. 

Attracting and retaining skilled people

Attracting and retaining the best skilled people at all levels of the 
business is critical. This is particularly the case in ensuring we have 
access to a diverse range of views and experience, and in attracting 
specific expertise at both managerial and operational levels where 
the market may be highly competitive. Failure to attract new talent, 
or to develop and retain our existing employees, could impact our 
ability to achieve our strategic growth objectives. As we continue to 
grow and diversify into new areas, this risk will continue to be a focus 
for the Board. 

Our tender, mobilisation and contract management processes 
operate under strict delegated authorities and are subject to  
rigorous executive management oversight and approval. These 
contracts are supported by teams of experienced tender, 
mobilisation and operational delivery specialists to mitigate  
the risk of failure at any stage. Ongoing contract assurance  
occurs together with regular dialogue to ensure service delivery  
is consistent with customer expectations.

Strong corporate governance and dedicated senior leadership team 
remain the key elements of effective reputational management. 
The senior leadership team provides a model of best practice and 
guidance to ensure our values and expected behaviours are clear 
and understood by everyone. As our business continues to grow and 
develop we will remain strongly focused on protecting the strength 
of our reputation through effective governance and leadership, and 
through cultivating open and transparent relationships with  
all stakeholders.

Our business model has created a pipeline of opportunities for staff 
at every level of the business. This will continue to be the case as 
the Group develops. Our focus on competency at all levels of the 
business continues to ensure that we develop our people and enable 
them to successfully manage the changing profile of our business. 
A robust performance management framework coupled with a 
balanced incentive programme allows the business to mitigate this 
risk ensures that key individuals are retained.

KEY AREAS

MITIGATION

System process or control failure

We deliver highly sophisticated and specialised engineering and 
design services leading to products that incorporate or use leading-
edge technology, including hardware and software. Many of our 
products and services involve complex energy infrastructure projects 
and accordingly the impact of a catastrophic product failure or  
similar event could be significant. Any inability to deliver on time, 
to budget and to the right quality could result in financial loss or 
reputational damage. 

We have built extensive operational processes to ensure that our 
product design, engineering, and other services meet the most 
rigorous quality standards. We have instituted project governance 
committees to ensure regular reporting, early risk identification and 
mitigation as well as monitoring of progress against project delivery 
plans. Our internal control procedures continue to be reviewed 
periodically and adapted whenever necessary to address any new 
challenges that the ever growing landscape has to offer.

Ability to grow the business and cash generation

Our financial strength makes us an attractive partner to our 
customers and suppliers. Our ability to grow our business organically 
and by acquisition will be impacted if our financial performance 
deteriorates, limiting our ability to access diverse sources of funding 
on competitive terms. This may cause an increase in the cost of 
borrowing or cash flow issues which could, in turn, further affect our 
financial performance. As a people business, our staff costs remain 
our most significant area of expenditure. Our ability to pay our 
people and suppliers regularly and at specific times relies not only on 
funding being available but also upon effective cash conversion.

We have developed and continue to enhance financial control 
procedures to oversee and monitor financial performance and cash 
conversion. These include daily monitoring of bank balances, weekly 
cash flow reporting, and regular financial performance and balance 
sheet reviews, which include detailed working capital reviews 
and forecasts. We believe we have strong banking, debt finance 
and equity relationships, and appropriate levels of gearing for our 
business. Furthermore, business growth and financial performance 
are monitored through monthly performance analysis around 
revenue and costs and mitigating actions are taken accordingly.

Reliance on material counterparties

We depend on several significant counterparties such as EPC 
contractors, insurers, banks, clients, and suppliers to maintain our 
business activities. The failure of a key business partner, supplier, 
subcontractor, financer or other provider could materially affect  
the operational and financial effectiveness of our business and  
our ability to trade. Ensuring ongoing relationships with our  
material counterparties will underpin the Group’s ability to  
meet its strategic objectives.

Political and regulatory risk

Our technology can be deployed in a wide number of international 
markets and as such we are exposed to different political and 
regulatory regimes with different risk profiles.

Project funding risk

Our ability to win new contracts is inextricably linked with projects, 
deploying EQTEC’s technology, having access to the necessary 
funding for achieving financial close. 

We have developed, through strategic partnerships, relationships 
with a number of EPC contractors and also a pool of suppliers and 
providers to ensure limited dependency on any one provider, in turn 
limiting the impact of any potential failure. The Board reviews and 
monitors material counterparty risk and ensures that concentration 
levels are kept to a minimum.

We monitor and evaluate political and regulatory risk at board level. 
Decisions on the balance of our project pipeline are taken to ensure 
we are not over-reliant on one particular market over time. We also 
hire local expertise, either as full-time employees or as contractors,  
in the jurisdictions that we operate in to better understand and 
manage these risks. 

The potential credit risk on plants, that EQTEC provides the 
technology for, is mitigated through a well-documented technical 
due diligence process which amongst other things includes the 
availability of credit rated insurance guarantees and feedstock 
simulation achieved through EQTEC’s propriety software and test 
trials at its R&D facilities.

The Company’s strategic intent is to 
become the leading technology innovator 
and licensing partner to owner-operators 
for syngas technology.

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EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  27

Corporate governance statement

Corporate governance statement

The EQTEC Code of 
Conduct is a summary of 
EQTEC’s expectations for 
all Group-related business 
conduct, which it requires 
of its Group directors 
(executive and non-
executive), its permanent 
employees, its contractors 
and consultants, its 
joint venture directors & 
employees and its partner 
organisations.

GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES AND 
PROCESSES 
Authority for all aspects of the Group’s 
activities rests with the Board. The 
respective responsibilities of the 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 
arise as a consequence of delegation by 
the Board. The Board has adopted two 
statements; the first sets out matters 
reserved for the Board and the second 
establishes the policy on delegation of 
authority. The Chairman is responsible 
for the effectiveness of the Board, while 
management of the Group’s business 
and primary contact with shareholders 
has been delegated by the Board to the 
Chief Executive Officer.  

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS  
The Board has adopted guidelines for the 
appointment of non-executive directors 
which have been in place and which 
have been observed throughout the 
year. These provide for the orderly and 
constructive succession and rotation 
of the Chairman and non-executive 
directors insofar as both the Chairman 
and non-executive directors will be 
appointed for an initial term of three 
years and may, at the Board’s discretion 
believing it to be in the best interests 
of the Company, be appointed for 
subsequent terms. The Chairman may 
serve as a non-executive director before 
commencing a first term as Chairman. 

Partner spotlight

Partner: Developer / Owner-operator  |  Market: France

Idex is a full-service owner-operator and 
energy provider that develops, designs, 
finances, builds and operates local 
energy and carbon-free infrastructures, 
which provide renewable heat and local 
electricity supply to buildings, cities  
& industry. 

Founded in France in 1963, now with  
5,700 employees and a turnover of  
€2 billion in 2022, Idex is the only vertically 
integrated market operator delivering 
the complete value chain for local 
energy provision. The Group is involved 
in the production of thermal or electrical 
energy from local and low-carbon energy 
resources (geothermal, solar, biomass, 
waste), the distribution of this energy 
through district heating and cooling 
networks, to its final use in industrial, 

residential and tertiary buildings and  
other applications.

EQTEC and Idex were acquainted in 
2020, when they together explored 
some of the largest and most complex of 
the projects in EQTEC’s portfolio. In the 
same year that the French government 
made explicit its intent to move baseload 
power completely away from coal-based 
generation, EQTEC and Idex explored 
opportunities for joint work on biomass 
and non-recyclable waste conversion 
into a range of solutions for sustainable, 
combined heat and power (CHP), 
renewable natural gas (RNG) and other 
offtake applications.

In 2022, the two partners collaborated 
on a competitive tender and panel 

interview process that resulted in their 
being awarded a project by the Limoges 
Métropole in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. 
The project, to be developed by Idex with 
engineering and technology from EQTEC, 
is expected to result in a plant able to 
convert up to 45,000 tonnes per year of 
mixed waste, including contaminated 
wood waste, into up to nine million Nm3 
per year of RNG.

Idex’s long history of developing 
and operating energy infrastructure, 
combined with its dedication to energy 
transition make it a strong partner for 
EQTEC, especially in France. EQTEC looks 
forward to a productive relationship that 
helps grow EQTEC’s exposure to new 
opportunities in a progressive market for 
new technologies.

28  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  29

EQTEC engineers on site in Greece

Corporate governance statement

Corporate governance statement

In accordance with the Companies Act 
2014 of Ireland, the Board complies with 
the following duties: 

   to act in good faith in what the 

director considers to be the interests 
of the Company;  

   to act honestly and responsibly in 

relation to the conduct of the affairs 
of the Company;  

   to act in accordance with the 

Company’s constitution and exercise 
powers only for the purposes allowed 
by law;  

   not to use the Company’s property, 
information or opportunities for  
the Director’s own or anyone  
else’s benefit;  

   not to agree to a restriction of the 

exercise of independent judgement.

Post-demolition waste wood and contaminated waste 
wood at site neighbouring future France MDC; the plant 
will transform this feedstock and RDF into heat and power

Partner spotlight

Partner: Technology, EPC, O&M  |  Market: UK and global

Alessandro 
Massone
Managing Director,  
Europe, Anaergia Inc.

Anaergia is an expert in waste separation, 
anaerobic digestion, and biogas 
upgrading technology.

The company uses waste to make 
renewable fuel, clean water, and organic 
fertiliser. Its proprietary technologies can 
handle every step in the waste-to-value 
process. The company operates in 17 
markets across four continents and growing, 
with a remarkable 230 reference facilities.

The company’s mission is to accelerate 
the world’s clean energy transition by 
transforming waste into renewable fuel, 
clean water, and fertiliser. Its vision is to 
become the world’s leading renewable  
fuel producer, while reducing global  
carbon emissions, protecting the 
environment, and sustaining life for 
generations to come.

Anaergia’s proprietary technologies 
are complementary with EQTEC’s 
own, proprietary and patented syngas 

technology. For example, with the proper 
sorting technology, raw municipal solid 
waste may be separated into pure, biogenic 
materials that can go into Anaergia’s 
anaerobic digesters, leaving the plastics 
and other, non-recyclable waste for 
production of refused-derived fuel (RDF) 
and introduction into the EQTEC advanced 
gasification process. The outputs of this  
sort of integrated solution could support 
a wide range of applications, including 
biogas, renewable natural gas (RNG), 
hydrogen, other biofuels or combined  
heat and power (CHP).

EQTEC and Anaergia are collaborating 
on the Deeside and Southport projects 
in the UK and looking for other areas 
for collaboration in future. The focus of 
these UK projects has been on combined 
technologies, with Anaergia also 
announcing its intention in 2022 to be the 
EPC and the O&M provider for the anaerobic 
digestion deployment at Southport.

COMPANY SECRETARY

REMUNERATION COMMITTEE

At present the CFO also acts as the 
Company Secretary. 

AUDIT COMMITTEE

The Audit Committee comprises Tom 
Quigley (Chairman) and Ian Pearson. 
Meetings are also attended by the  
CFO as appropriate. It meets as required 
and specifically to review the Interim 
Report and Annual Report, and to 
consider the suitability and monitor 
the effectiveness of internal control 
processes. The Audit Committee also 
reviews the findings of the external 
auditor and reviews accounting policies 
and material accounting judgements. 
The Audit Committee normally meets  
at least two times in each financial  
year and has unrestricted access to  
the Group’s external auditor.

The Remuneration Committee  
comprises Ian Pearson (Chairman) 
and Tom Quigley. The Remuneration 
Committee reviews the performance 
of the Executive Directors and 
makes recommendations to the 
Board on matters relating to their 
remuneration and terms of service. 
The Remuneration Committee also 
makes recommendations to the Board 
on proposals for the granting of share 
options and other equity incentives 
pursuant to any employee share  
option scheme or equity incentive  
plans in operation from time to time.  
The Remuneration Committee meets  
at least annually. In exercising this  
role, the Directors have regard to  
the recommendations put forward  
by the QCA Guidelines.

ATTENDANCE AT BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS

2022

Number of Meetings

Ian Pearson

David Palumbo

Nauman Babar 

Yoel Alemán Méndez

Jeffrey Vander Linden

Thomas Quigley

BOARD

AUDIT  
COMMITTEE

REMUNERATION 
COMMITTEE

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

2

2

–

2

–

–

2

2

2

2

–

–

2

2

The Company’s external auditor attends the Audit Committee to present its findings 
on the audit and to provide a direct line of communication with the Directors.

 IAN PEARSON 
Chairman

05 May 2023

30  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  31

Board of 
Directors

The Board comprises four, full-time executive directors: CEO David 
Palumbo, CFO Nauman Babar, COO Jeffrey Vander Linden and CTO  
Dr. Yoel Alemán Méndez, and two independent, non-executive 
directors: Chairman Ian Pearson and Director Tom Quigley.

The biographies of all six, EQTEC directors are outlined below. 

L-R: CTO Yoel Alemán Méndez and CEO 
David Palumbo on site in California

 IAN PEARSON
Non-Executive Chairman 

 DAVID PALUMBO
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

 NAUMAN BABAR
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

 JEFFREY VANDER LINDEN
Chief Operating Officer (COO)

DR YOEL ALEMÁN MÉNDEZ
Chief Technical Officer (CTO) 

 TOM QUIGLEY
Non-Executive Director

Ian is an experienced Board director, 
with leading roles in several companies 
including EQTEC, where he has been 
Non-Executive Chairman since 2017. 
He is a non-executive director at Thames 
Water Utilities Limited, the UK’s largest 
water company. He is also Chairman 
of Quantum Exponential Group plc, 
a company focused on investing in 
quantum technology. Previously, Ian was a 
Senior Advisor to BAI Communications plc 
and Chairman of AIM-listed OVCT2, where 
he oversaw the company’s investment in 
a variety of renewable energy companies. 
Ian was a member of the UK Advisory 
Board of Big Four accountancy PwC. 
Between 2001 to 2010, he was a Minister 
in the UK Government, holding roles as 
Government Whip, Minister in Northern 
Ireland, Minister for Trade, Minister for 
Climate Change and the Environment, 
Science and Innovation Minister and 
Economic Secretary to the Treasury. He 
was elected as a Member of Parliament in 
1994. He graduated from Balliol College, 
Oxford and has both a master’s degree 
and a doctorate in Industrial and Business 
Studies from the University of Warwick.

David is an experienced investor, 
business leader and entrepreneur 
with over 20 years’ experience in 
private equity, venture capital and 
asset management. Since 2006, he 
has founded and co-founded several 
companies in a variety of industries 
including cleantech, digital technology 
and real estate. David joined EQTEC 
in 2018 as an investment and growth 
advisor and after restructuring the 
Company’s financial platform, he was 
asked by lead investors in 2019 to take 
on the role of CEO. Since then, he has 
focused EQTEC’s leadership team on 
establishing a growth platform through 
its R&D and engineering, its operations 
and scale capabilities and its financial 
management discipline. In addition  
to re-focusing EQTEC, David founded 
and remains the Managing Partner of 
Origen Capital LLP, a private investment 
firm representing family offices and 
private consortia in Europe, CIS and  
Latin America. He holds a BSc and  
a MSc in Electrical Engineering.

Nauman is a senior finance professional 
with nearly 20 years of international 
experience in corporate finance, audit 
and Finance transformation, with a 
track record in private equity-backed 
businesses and high-growth ventures. 
He has worked predominantly within 
the Energy & Utilities sector, with a focus 
on renewables and cleantech. Nauman 
started his career at international 
accountancy firm, PwC, and gained 
further experience at Accenture, EY 
and Mott Macdonald. Prior to EQTEC, 
Nauman was Finance Director at 
Woodlands Energy Services in Bahrain. 
Nauman is a Fellow of the Institute of 
Chartered Accountants in England & 
Wales and holds a bachelor’s degree  
in finance from the University of Essex. 
He joined EQTEC in July 2021.

Jeff is a strategy and operations 
professional with 30 years’ experience 
implementing complex change and 
growth strategies across private- and 
public-sector organisations, from 
small start-ups to the world’s largest 
corporations. Prior to joining EQTEC 
in 2020, he led development and 
implementation of global operations 
and scale strategy at one of the world’s 
largest consumer products companies. 
Before that, he spent 16 years designing 
and delivering business strategy, process 
and technology transformation as a 
business consultant and programme 
director at PwC, IBM and Capgemini. His 
dozens of clients include NTT, NEC, AT&T, 
Motorola, BAE Systems and National Grid. 
Jeff spent 10 years living and working 
in Japan, with projects across Korea, 
Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. He 
has worked in the UK, Europe and India 
since 2001. He received a Bachelor of 
Arts in Social Studies (Economics, Politics, 
History, Philosophy) from Wesleyan 
University in Connecticut, USA.

Yoel’s mechanical and chemical 
engineering career includes more than 
20 years’ experience with gasification as 
his chosen specialism. He has designed, 
built and operated thermochemical 
conversion facilities of various sizes 
and capacities for a wide range of 
feedstocks, including commercial-scale 
plants to handle biomass and non-
biomass feedstocks (including RDF). He 
is the author of all of EQTEC’s patents 
and the lead inventor of its proprietary 
technologies. He joined the Company 
in 2010, to rescue a project that was 
struggling at the Mostos, Vinos y 
Alcoholes, S.A. (Movialsa) agro-industrial 
facility in southern Spain. That initial, 
highly successful project, completed 
in 2011, established the platform for 
EQTEC’s proven technology capability.  
Dr Alemán Méndez has been an 
associated professor or researcher at 
three universities and earned a PhD 
in Chemical Engineering. Prior to his 
appointment to the EQTEC plc Board  
of Directors in 2019, he was Chief 
Technical Officer of EQTEC Iberia slu.

Tom is a business executive and investor, 
with a long career working at Board-
level, as Managing Director, CFO or CIO. 
In addition to EQTEC, where he joined 
as a non-executive director in 2018, he 
is a non-executive director at Velocys 
plc, Hive Ethical UK Solar Limited and 
several other organisations. Prior to 
joining EQTEC, he was a director or 
managing director at Close Brothers 
Corporate Finance, ING Barings and 
Terra Firma Capital Partners. Tom has 
worked in real estate, financial services, 
healthcare and banking, and across a 
number of jurisdictions. He is a Chartered 
Accountant and started his career at 
Price Waterhouse in London, where he 
developed considerable financial and 
management experience.

32  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  33

Directors’ 
report

The Directors present their 
annual report and the audited 
financial statements of the 
Company and its subsidiaries, 
collectively known as ‘the 
Group’ for the financial year 
ended 31 December 2022.

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES, 
BUSINESS REVIEW AND FUTURE 
DEVELOPMENTS
EQTEC is a leading technology provider 
with proven, patented technology 
for clean production of synthesis gas 
(syngas), a fossil fuel alternative that will 
increasingly contribute to production 
of the world’s baseload energies and 
biofuels. What’s more, it transforms the 
world’s waste (from Industrial, Municipal, 
Agricultural sources) into a sustainable 
fuel source for production of a diverse 
set of ‘final fuels’ including hydrogen, 
renewable natural gas (RNG), liquid 
biofuels, thermal energy, electrical  
power and chemicals such as ethanol  
or biomethane.

EQTEC designs, develops and supplies 
core technology to syngas production 
plants in the USA, UK and EU, with highly 
efficient equipment that is modular and 
scalable from 1MW to 30MW. EQTEC’s 
versatile solutions convert nearly 60 
varieties of feedstock, including forestry 
wood waste, vegetation and other 
agricultural waste from farms, industrial 
waste and sludge from factories and 
municipal waste, all with no hazardous 
or toxic emissions. 

EQTEC’s revenues come from: (1) project 
development services; (2) engineering 
services for design and specification 
of technology and for advisory work 
during plant assembly; and (3) sales of 
equipment manufactured in line with 
EQTEC’s own patents and specifications. 
In general, EQTEC does not intend to 
own or operate its own technologies,  
the exceptions being its reference  
plants, known as Market Development 
Centres (MDCs), where it might retain 
some equity and retain an ongoing 
interest in operations and maintenance 
of the plants.

In future, EQTEC intends to re-focus its 
revenues on licensing of its technology 
to plant operators, providing value-
added services including maintenance, 
upgrades and data-based services over 
the lifetime of each plant operating 
EQTEC’s technology. In support, EQTEC 
would continue to provide design, 
engineering and specification services 

Directors’ report

as well as training and advisory 
services to support operations teams. 
The Company does not anticipate 
continuing to provide project 
development or construction services 
that are better provided by expert 
partners in those fields.

The Company is quoted on AIM 
(ticker: EQT) and the London Stock 
Exchange has awarded EQTEC the 
Green Economy Mark, which recognises 
listed companies with 50% or more of 
revenues from environmental/green 
solutions. 

RESULTS AND DIVIDENDS 
The results for the financial year are  
set out on page 53. No dividends  
have been proposed by the Directors 
in the current financial year (2021: €Nil). 
It is the Directors’ view that revenue 
growth and profitability are immediate 
priorities and that profits should be 
reinvested in further growth, creating 
shareholder value through appreciation 
of the share price.

PRINCIPAL RISKS AND 
UNCERTAINTIES
Risk assessment and evaluation are 
essential parts of the Group’s internal 
controls. Information about financial risk 
management objectives and policies of 
the Group, along with exposure of the 
Group to credit risk, liquidity risk and 
market risk, is disclosed in Note 5 to the 
financial statements. 

The Group is exposed to a number of 
strategic and operational risks, outlined 
below. These risks and their mitigations 
are reviewed and updated regularly, to 
accommodate changes in the Group’s 
market context as well as the Board’s 
view on priorities and responses to the 
changing context.

Strategic risks
Strategic risks are identified alongside 
our future plans, within the global 
market environment in which we 
operate. Strategic risks consider our 
partnerships, intellectual property, 
demand for solutions and services, 
competitive threats and investments  
in technology and public policy.

Yoel Alemán Méndez (CTO)  on 
site at North Fork, California USA

34  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  35

Directors’ report

Global market environment 
Our operations and execution of our 
business plans and strategy are subject 
to the effects of global competition and 
geopolitical risk. They are also impacted 
by local economic conditions such 
as interest rates, inflation, recession, 
currency volatility, currency controls 
and actual or anticipated default on 
sovereign debt. Political changes and 
trends such as populism, economic 
nationalism and sentiment toward 
multinational companies and resulting 
changes to trade, tax or other laws and 
policies may be disruptive, and can 
interfere with our global operating 
model, our supply chain, our customers 
and all of our activities in a particular 
location. While some global economic 
and political risks can be hedged using 
derivatives or other financial instruments 
and some are insurable, such attempts 
to mitigate these risks are costly and not 
always successful.

Strategic partnerships
The strategic and operational success of 
the Group depends on our achieving a 
set of clearly defined objectives. Toward 
this, we select, enter into agreements 
with and work alongside a variety of 
partners, including but not limited 
to those with expertise in funding, 
technology, operational delivery and 
market access. In working with partners, 
we may sacrifice direct control over 
business outcomes, thus taking on 
additional operational, financial, legal or 
compliance risks.

Intellectual property risks
EQTEC owns a number of patents and 
reserves its rights with regard to these 
and other proprietary technology 
including its Kinetic process modelling 
capabilities and its process control 
systems. We continually review both the 
scope and geographic applicability of 
our intellectual property (IP).

Although the Group makes reasonable 
endeavours to protect its IP, our patents 
and rights over our own proprietary 
capabilities do not necessarily prevent 
competitors from independently 
developing or selling products and 

services similar to or duplicative of ours, 
and there can be no assurance that the 
resources invested by us to protect our 
IP will be sufficient to address these 
matters. The Directors believe that the 
strongest protection of the Company’s 
IP is in building its brand as a reliable 
and consistent provider of uniquely 
innovative technology, deploying that 
technology into as many plants in as 
many places as possible.

If we are unable to protect our IP, the 
value of our brand and other intangible 
assets may be diminished, and our 
business may be adversely affected. In 
addition to the IP and patents relating 
to our technology process, we possess 
a wide-ranging level and breadth of 
proprietary know-how that drives our 
proven operational capabilities and 
excellence.

Operational risks
Operational risks arise from people, 
processes, systems or external 
factors that could adversely impact 
the otherwise smooth, efficient and 
agile operation of our businesses. 
Such risks include innovation, R&D, 
project development, project delivery, 
plant operations and maintenance, 
quality management, information 
management & data security, marketing 
& communications and/or people 
management.

We innovate, deploy and integrate highly 
sophisticated solutions and provide 
specialised services based on leading-
edge technologies, including know-how, 
hardware and software. Many of our 
solutions involve complex industrial 
machinery and plant infrastructure such 
that the impact of a product failure or 
similar event could be catastrophic. While 
we apply quality assurance, inspection 
and operations & maintenance processes 
to ensure that our solutions operate 
as designed, there can be no perfect 
assurance that the Group, our customers 
or other third parties will not experience 
operational process failures or other 
problems that could result in product, 
safety, regulatory or environmental 
risks. Even where crisis management 

Nauman Babar, EQTEC Chief Financial 
Officer and Company Secretary

or business continuity plans exist, 
operational failures or quality issues 
resulting from organisational changes, 
attrition or labour relations could 
have a material, adverse effect on our 
business, reputation and/or financial 
position. 

In specific instances, the Group invests 
capital in developing go-to-market 
entities (such as wholly-owned 
subsidiaries, majority-owned joint 
ventures or associate undertakings) 
toward growing and pursuing 
pipelines of projects. The Group’s 
business model relies on funding of 
projects by third parties, the timing 
of which is subject to a range of 
uncertainties often not in the Group’s 
control. The timing of funds generated 
from projects can be difficult to predict 
and could adversely affect the Group’s 
results. 

Supply chain
Significant raw material shortages, 
supplier capacity constraints, supplier 
production disruptions, supplier 
quality and sourcing issues or 
price increases could increase our 
operating costs and adversely impact 
the competitive positions of our 
products. Our reliance on third-party 
suppliers, contract manufacturers and 
service providers, and commodity 
markets to secure raw materials, parts, 
components and sub-systems used in 
our products exposes us to volatility 
in the prices and availability of these 
materials, parts, components, systems 
and services.

Any disruption in deliveries from 
third-party suppliers, contract 
manufacturers or service providers, 
capacity constraints, production 
disruptions, price increases, or 
decreased availability of raw materials 

Revenue 2022

€8.0M

FY 2021: €9.2 million
FY 2020: €2.2 million

Directors’ report

or commodities, including as a result 
of catastrophic events, could have 
an adverse effect on our ability to 
meet our commitments to customers 
and/or increase our operating costs. 
Quality, capability and sourcing issues 
experienced by third-party providers 
can also adversely affect our costs, 
margin rates and the quality and 
effectiveness of our products and 
services and result in liability and 
reputational harm.

Liquidity
The cash requirements of the Group  
are forecast by the Board annually  
in advance and reviewed monthly  
by management. The cash forecast  
includes assumptions with respect to  
working capital, development spend  
and the timing of planning consents  
and financial close of projects.  
Significant delays in these expected 
timings may lead to a requirement  
for additional cash and impinge  
on the Company’s status as a  
going concern. 

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
The Group is fully committed to 
ongoing technological innovation in  
all sectors of its business. Expenditure 
on research and development 
amounted to €12,170 in 2022 (2021: 
€17,991) as disclosed in Note 14 to  
the Financial Statements.

GOING CONCERN
The financial statements have been 
prepared on a going concern basis. 
The Group and Company’s business 
activities, together with the factors 
likely to affect its future development, 
performance and position, are set out 
in the Chairman’s Statement and Chief 
Executive’s Report. The principal risks 
and uncertainties are set out above.

Management have produced forecasts 
for the period up to April 2024 taking 
account of reasonably plausible 
changes in trading performance 
and market conditions, which have 
been reviewed by the Directors. The 
forecasts demonstrate that the Group 

36  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  37

Directors’ report

and Company are forecast to generate 
cash in 2023/2024 and that the Group 
and Company have sufficient reserves 
to enable the Group and Company 
to meet their obligations as they fall 
due for a period of at least 12 months 
from the date at which the financial 
statements have been signed.

After undertaking the assessments  
and considering the uncertainties 
set out above, the Directors share 
a reasonable expectation that the 
Group and Company have adequate 
resources to continue to operate for 
the foreseeable future and for these 
reasons they continue to adopt the 
going concern basis in preparing  
the financial statements.

DIRECTORS
The following Directors held office  
during the financial year and to the  
date of this report:
  David Palumbo
  Jeffrey Vander Linden
   Nauman Babar 
  Yoel Alemán Méndez
  Ian Pearson
  Thomas Quigley

DIRECTORS’ AND SECRETARY’S 
INTERESTS IN SHARES
The Directors and Secretary of EQTEC plc 
who held office at 31 December 2022 had 
the following interests in the Ordinary 
Shares (€0.001 each) of the Company:

DIRECTORS

Ian Pearson

David Palumbo

Nauman Babar
(also the Company Secretary)

Jeffrey Vander Linden

Yoel Alemán Méndez

Thomas Quigley

AT 31 DECEMBER 
2022

AT 31 DECEMBER  
2021

7,204,300

7,204,300

60,809,627

43,659,090

1,000,000

–

21,560,914

15,477,732

185,791,970

170,791,970

54,751,035

27,854,154

The Directors who held office at 31 December 2021 had the following interests in 
warrant and option instruments issued by the Company:

DIRECTORS

LTIP OPTIONS

EMPLOYEE WARRANTS

AT 31 DEC  
2022

AT 31 DEC 
2021

AT 31 DEC  
2022

AT 31 DEC  
2021

David Palumbo

33,750,000

-

196,968,812

196,968,812

Nauman Babar
(also the Company Secretary)

29,582,716

3,332,716

-

Jeffrey Vander Linden

41,931,818

8,181,818

71,297,138

-

-

Yoel Alemán Méndez

22,115,888

Thomas Quigley

-

-

-

98,484,406

98,484,406

-

19,696,881

EQTEC intends 
to re-focus its 
revenues on 
licensing of its 
technology
to plant operators, 
with value-added 
services including 
maintenance, 
upgrades and 
data-based 
services provided 
over the lifetime 
of each plant 
operating EQTEC’s 
technology.

L-R:  Ernesto Bravo Campos, Mechanical 
Engineer and Facundo Sebastian Molina, 
Technical Project Manager

The exercise price of the employee 
warrants is 0.45p (GBP 0.0045) with a 
contractual life of five years (expiry  
date 31 March 2025).

LTIP options were awarded in 2021 
and 2022, each with vesting conditions 
linked to company performance and 
each with a three-year vesting period. 
The 2021 LTIP maximum award options 
were 30,524,234 at an award price of 
2.20p (GBP 0.022) with an exercise 
expiry date of 30 April 2032 and an 
exercise price of EUR 0.001. The 2022 
LTIP maximum award options were 
188,648,745 at an award price of 1.00p 
(GBP 0.010) with an expiry date of 30 
April 2033 and an exercise price of EUR 
0.001. At 31 December 2022, a total of 
6,432,777 LTIP options had vested, all of 
which were for the 2021 award. Further 
details of the LTIP scheme are set out in 
Note 28 of the financial statements.

The Directors and Secretary who held 
office at 31 December 2022 did not have 
any interests in the share capital of any  
of the subsidiaries of the Company. 

REMUNERATION COMMITTEE 
REPORT
The Group’s remuneration model is 
designed to attract and retain people 
of the highest calibre and who bring 
their experience and impact to the work 
of the Group and achievement of its 
near-term business plan and long-term 
strategy. Executive remuneration in 
particular targets a higher proportion of 
pay based on Company performance 
and attracts leadership with strong 
accountability, comfort with ambiguity, 
entrepreneurialism and long experience 
and expertise on matters of policy, 
strategic decision-making and 
governance.

In setting remuneration levels, the 
Remuneration Committee benchmarks 
other companies of similar size and 
scope. To date, remuneration has 
favoured a lower average executive 
non-contingent base pay, augmented 
by a higher rate of contingent, 
performance-based pay. The Company 
has implemented a formal performance 
management framework for both the 

Directors’ report

business and individuals, including 
executives and both cash-based and 
share-based incentive pay are linked to 
individual and Company performance. 
All incentive pay is approved by the 
Remuneration Committee and ratified  
by the Board. 

Details of Directors’ remuneration are 
included in Note 34 of the notes to the 
financial statements. 

ACCOUNTING RECORDS
The Directors believe that they have 
complied with the requirements of 
Sections 281 to 285 of the Companies 
Act 2014 with regard to the keeping 
of accounting records by employing 
persons with appropriate expertise and 
by providing adequate resources to the 
Finance function. The accounting records 
are held at the Company’s business 
address at Building 1000, City Gate, 
Mahon, Cork T12 W7CV, Ireland.

The Directors are responsible for ensuring 
that the Group and the Company 
keeps or causes to be kept adequate 
accounting records which correctly 
explain and record the transactions of 
the Group and the Company, enable at 
all times the assets, liabilities, financial 
position and profit or loss of the Group 
and the Company to be determined 
with reasonable accuracy, enable them 
to ensure that the financial statements 
and Directors’ Report comply with the 
Companies Act 2014 and enable the 
financial statements to be audited. They 
are also responsible for safeguarding the 
assets of the Group and the Company 
and hence for taking reasonable steps 
for the prevention and detection of fraud 
and other irregularities. Legislation in 
Ireland governing the preparation and 
dissemination of financial statements 
may differ from legislation in other 
jurisdictions. 

AUDITORS
The auditors, Grant Thornton,  
Chartered Accountants and Statutory 
Audit Firm, continue in office in 
accordance with Section 383(2) of  
the Companies Act 2014.

38  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  39

Directors’ report

Directors’ report

IMPORTANT EVENTS SINCE THE 
YEAR-END 

Details of occurrence of events since 31 
December 2022 with an impact on the 
Group are included in Note 35 to the 
Financial Statements. Aside from those 
disclosed in Note 35, no other adjusting 
or significant events have occurred 
between the 31 December reporting 
date and the date of authorisation.

DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION  
TO AUDITORS 

Each of the persons who are Directors 
at the time when this Directors’ report 
is approved has confirmed that: so far 
as that Director is aware, there is no 
relevant audit information of which the 
Company’s auditors are unaware, and 
that Director has taken all the steps that 
ought to have been taken as a Director 
in order to be aware of any relevant audit 
information and to establish that the 
Company’s auditors are aware of that 
information. 

DIRECTORS’ COMPLIANCE 
STATEMENT 

To ensure that the Company achieved 
material compliance with its relevant 
obligations, the Directors confirm that 
they have: 

  drawn up a compliance policy 

statement setting out the Company’s 
policies respecting compliance by the 
Company with its relevant obligations. 

  put in place appropriate arrangements 
and structures that are designed to 
secure material compliance with the 
Company’s relevant obligations. 

  conducted a review, during the 

financial year, of the arrangements  
and structures, referred to above.

STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS’ 
RESPONSIBILITIES 

The Directors are responsible for 
preparing the Directors’ Report and the 
financial statements in accordance with 
applicable laws and regulations and the 
AIM Rules for Companies.

Irish company law requires the Directors 
to prepare financial statements for each 
financial year giving a true and fair view 
of the assets, liabilities and financial 
position and the profit or loss for the 
Group and the Company. Under that law 
the Directors have elected to prepare 
the financial statements in accordance 
with International Financial Reporting 
Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the 
European Union. Under the Company 
Law, the Directors must not approve 
the financial statements unless they are 
satisfied that they give a true and fair 
view of the assets, liabilities and financial 
position of the Group and the Company 
as at the financial year end date and 
of the profit or loss of the Group and 
Company for the financial year and 
otherwise comply with the Companies 
Act 2014. 

EQTEC’s versatile solutions 
convert nearly 60 varieties of 
feedstock, including forestry 
wood waste, vegetation and 
other agricultural waste from 
farms, industrial waste and 
sludge from factories and
municipal waste, all with no 
hazardous or toxic emissions.

In preparing these financial statements, 
the Directors are required to: 

  select suitable accounting policies 
and then apply them consistently; 
  make judgements and accounting 
estimates that are reasonable and 
prudent; 

  state whether the financial statements 
have been prepared in accordance 

On behalf of the Board:

with applicable accounting standards, 
identify those standards, and note the 
effect and the reasons for any material 
departure from those standards; and 

  prepare the financial statements  

on the going concern basis unless  
it is inappropriate to presume that  
the Group and the Company will 
continue in business.

IAN PEARSON 
Non-Executive Chairman 

DAVID PALUMBO 
Chief Executive Officer 

40  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  41

L-R: Ernesto Bravos Campos, Mechanical 
Engineer and Marcos García, I&C 
Engineer, on site at Italia MDC

05 May 2023

05 May 2023

Environmental, Social & 
Governance (ESG) report

EQTEC’s ESG framework and its ESG goals 

EQTEC’s ESG Statement sets out how the Group has incorporated a range of ESG goals into its three-year 
business strategy and annual business plans. The Company views realisation of these goals as fundamental to 
its long-term commercial success and market role.

The Statement organises its ESG goals into four strategic priorities to focus the Group, its projects, its people 
and its partners on accelerating progress toward realisation of global net zero targets.

ESG GOALS IN THE THREE-YEAR BUSINESS STRATEGY:

   EQTEC focuses talent and innovation on 
CARBON ENGINEERING; we will innovate  
and deploy clean solutions for advanced biofuels  
and energy

   EQTEC is dedicated to re-establishing a  
CLEAN WORLD; we convert the world’s 
waste into valuable energy and biofuels 
without creating dangerous pollutants or 
emissions. We will manage carbon for the net  
zero transition and transform waste to value

   EQTEC supports the development of 

SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES; we engage 
locally, employ locally, implement locally and 
maintain our technology locally. We will invest in 
responsible partners and suppliers and engage and 
support local communities

   EQTEC commits to COMMERCIAL 

RESPONSIBILITY; we practice high standards 
of governance and management across our 
operations and value chain and communicate 
and engage openly with our stakeholders. We 
will build the best teams and keep them safe and 
grow and scale the business responsibly

This scorecard 
drives the priorities 
of the business and 
also measures its 
performance, tied 
also to individual 
remuneration  
through the short-
term incentive  
(STI) scheme.

 IAN PEARSON
Non-Executive Chairman

Launched in January 2022, the EQTEC ESG framework is not considered 
separately from other objectives in the three-year business strategy or 
annual business plans. Instead, its objectives are part of every business 
plan and are integrated into the Company’s annual balanced scorecard. 
This scorecard drives the priorities of the business and also measures its 
performance, tied also to individual remuneration through the short-
term incentive (STI) scheme.

2022 PROGRESS AND 
PERFORMANCE

EQTEC has aligned its progress with the 
Streamlined Energy & Carbon Reporting 
(SECR) disclosure requirements, which 
are mandatory for application and 
reporting by companies with annual 
turnover of £36 million or more; balance 
sheet of £18 million or more; and/or 
employees of 250 or more. As an early-
stage business whose core business is 
focused on positive Environmental and 
Social outcomes, EQTEC intends to grow 
its revenues and impacts responsibly 
and be prepared for compliance as it 
becomes mandatory.

To deliver its ESG goals as part of its 
business strategy, the Company sets an 
annual business plan that addresses ESG 
goals and a number of other success 
measures that support them. The 2022 
business plan included the following 
focus areas for ESG goals, with 
associated progress made in 2022.

CARBON ENGINEERING
We will develop and take to market a 
new syngas-to-chemicals solution.

   Successful upgrade of R&D capability 

for steam-oxygen gasification for 
advanced biofuels production.

   Wood plc appointed as  

technology partner for integrated 
waste-to-hydrogen solution at 
Southport project. 

   Baselined EQTEC Group greenhouse 

gas footprint (Scopes 1, 2, 3), 
highlighting a low impact on the 
environment.

   GHG emissions profile for common 
syngas solutions (feedstock, offtake) 
with comparative assessment against 
alternative technologies, revealing 
EQTEC’s lower GHG impacts, and 
higher production ratios.

SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
We will integrate ESG considerations into 
our comprehensive partner qualification 
process to ensure our partners build 
sustainable communities and businesses 
wherever we operate, supporting them 
where needed.

   Aligned EQTEC Code of Conduct  
and relevant policies with partner 
policies for common governance  
and business approach.

   Extended Code of Conduct and 
consistent Anti-bribery and  
Corruption policies to all Group 
companies, including JVs.

   Aligned work at Deeside project 

with Toyota Motor Company’s global 
roadmap for carbon-neutrality.

COMMERCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
We will allow our people to participate 
in ownership of our business through 
granting long-term incentives (LTIs) 
to permanent staff and share-based 
payments to contractors.

CLEAN WORLD
We will set out how and when we will 
achieve a net zero target for EQTEC, 
enabling a low-carbon future that meets 
or exceeds national net zero targets in  
all the jurisdictions in which we operate.

   2021 grant vested (at one-third of 

total) in May 2022 for all participants 
to the Long-term Incentive Plan (LTIP).

   100% of EQTEC employees granted 

participation in 2022 LTIP, with award 
letters sent in April 2022.

42  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  43

ESG Report

ESG Report

Additionally, the 2022 business plan included the following, priority ESG success measures, with associated progress in 2022:

ESG GOAL & SUCCESS MEASURES

2022 PROGRESS

CARBON ENGINEERING

•  EQTEC process engineering talent is the 

•  Engineering salary benchmark review completed and applied across all technical roles, 

best in the market

with upper quartile talent targeted for process engineering roles

•  Technology and innovation partners are  

the best in their sectors

CLEAN WORLD

•  Technology partner Wood (RNG, hydrogen) formally appointed at Southport project;  
joint pipeline, project opportunities highlighted and managed through regular calls

•  Technology partner CompactGTL (Fischer-Tropsch gas-to-liquids) formal collaboration 

agreement with pilot plant targeted

•  R&D capability at Université de Lorraine LERMAB upgraded for steam-oxygen capability,  

in support of advanced biofuels trials

•  Innovation roadmap aligns to national and 

•  Quantified the emissions profiles of our core processes, and benchmarked to alternative 

global net zero targets

energy production technologies

•  Energy and GHG emissions are measured, 

•  Calculated 2021 and 2022 corporate GHG footprints

tracked and reported

•  Black & Veatch appointed FEED partner at Deeside project; full FEED produced; Petrofac 

appointed FEED partner at Billingham project

SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

•  Local relationships are comprehensive  

•  Regular calls and communications with Department for Business, Energy and Industrial 

and strong

•  Ecosystem partners are supported to 
become commercially successful and 
sustainable

Strategy (BEIS) in UK, Department of Energy (DoE) in USA and national, regional and local 
authorities in France

•  Direct and regular engagement with local authority at Castiglione d’Orcia in Italy, in 

support of Italia MDC

•  Visit by and engagement with local MP at Southport project, resulting in mention of 

EQTEC on floor of Commons as exemplary solution in support of UK net zero achievement 

•  Worked closely with COS.M.I on Italia MDC to improve the business model and IRR, and 

also developed a business operational playbook for Italia MDC

FOCUS: BASELINE FOR EQTEC GHG FOOTPRINT
As an ESG company with an ESG agenda, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions play 
heavily into EQTEC’s market proposition. In 2022, the Group set out to establish a 
baseline GHG emissions profile for both its own footprint and for plants that operate 
its technology. The baseline study, undertaken with a large, independent engineering 
consultancy, assessed EQTEC’s own, corporate GHG footprint as well as how EQTEC 
technology compares to alternatives in terms of GHG emissions.

EQTEC’S CORPORATE GHG FOOTPRINT
The calculations of EQTEC’s own GHG footprint applied the GHG Protocol 
methodology, which is increasingly the most common as it reflects a number of 
accounting principles, including: relevance, completeness, consistency, transparency, 
and accuracy. The approach applies actual data (such as kWh used) where possible, 
applying financial data (such as travel miles and costs) as a proxy where more precise 
data are not available.

EQTEC GHG EMISSIONS 2022
(c.2,365 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per year)

BY SCOPE

BY TYPE

Scope 1 (Heating) kWh

Scope 1 (Heating) tCO₂e

Scope 1 (Other) tCO₂e

10,495

1.92

–

Scope 2 (Electricity) kWh

36,329

Scope 2 (Electricity) tCO₂e

Scope 2 (Other) tCO₂e

Employee intensity ratio*

Scope 3 Emissions (tCO₂e/yr)

Scope 1 emissions 1.92 t/CO₂e/yr

Scope 2 emissions 7.28 t/CO₂e/yr

TOTAL Scope 1, 2 & 3 
Emissions (tCO₂e/yr)

7.28

–

0.34

2,355

2,365

COMMERCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Scope 3 emissions 2,355.43 t/CO₂e/yr

*Scope 1 & 2 emissions (tCO₂e) ÷ average FTE in 2022 of 27.0

•  EQTEC People are well cared for and 

•  Engineering staff remuneration and benefits aligned to top quartile benchmarks; other 

productive

staff remuneration and benefits aligned to above-average benchmarks.

•  Business ethics & compliance practices  

•  Employee objectives show alignment to company objectives, creating clear participation 

are explicit and enforced

in the success of the company

•  Best practice corporate governance is 

•  Code of conduct created, communicated and embedded into the Company

By contrast the annual emissions of 19.3 million UK households in 2021 was  
505 million tonnes of CO₂e, or about 26 tonnes of CO₂e per household. EQTEC  
spends less than one-third of this amount on Scope 1 and 2 emissions and  
EQTEC’s entire value chain spends the same as about 64 UK households.

embedded and enables strategic growth

•  ESG management is integrated into the 
business and clearly communicated

alongside the corporate objectives

•  ESG progress, and ongoing work, included in Board and All Company meetings

•  ESG objectives are embedded in corporate objectives, and reported frequently, and 

(Source: UK Office of National Statistics)

EQTEC TECHNOLOGY 
EFFICIENCY AND EMISSIONS
It is difficult to calculate a single, 
reliable GHG emissions profile for 
EQTEC technology, as every plant 
is different and EQTEC designs to 
maximise the efficiency of each.

To establish a like-for-like 
comparison between EQTEC’s 
patented and proprietary 
syngas process technology and 
various other thermochemical 
conversion processes, EQTEC and 
its advisors modelled Scope 1 and 
2 emissions across three of the 
most common, on an equivalent 
feedstock basis:

   Biomass to combined heat  

and power (CHP)

   Biomass to CHP with biochar 

production

   Refused-derived fuel (RDF, from 
mixed municipal waste) to CHP

This exercise produced a 
measurement of total GHG 
emissions (measured in  
kgCO2e per kWh energy) and 
energy production per ratio  
(kW of energy produced per  
kg of waste in).

Comparison of this with 
alternative processes and in 
particular with incineration,  
which is the most prevalent  
form of thermochemical 
conversion in commercial use, 
reveals that the EQTEC process 
produces considerably lower 
emissions and more energy  
from less waste.

The EQTEC Board of Directors reviews progress with ESG and all 
business plan objectives at every Board meeting; additionally, 
EQTEC’s Chairman, Ian Pearson, serves as the head of the ESG 
Steering Group. Other members include Yoel Alemán Méndez, 

CTO (for Environmental objectives), Jeff Vander Linden, COO 
(for Social objectives) and Nauman Babar, CFO and Company 
Secretary (for Governance objectives).

Scope 1 emissions
are from sources that 
an organisation owns or 
controls directly.

Scope 2 emissions
are emissions that an 
organisation causes 
indirectly when the 
energy it purchases and 
uses is produced.

Scope 3 emissions
are not produced by the 
organisation itself, and not the 
result of activities from assets 
owned or controlled by them, 
but by those that it is indirectly 
responsible for, up and down 
its value chain.

44  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  45

ESG Report

GHG EMISSIONS AND ENERGY PRODUCTION RATIOS
EQTEC vs. incineration1

BASELINE PLANT SIZE3

TOTAL EMISSIONS4
kgCO2e per kWh CHP energy

ENERGY PRODUCTION RATIO5
kWCHP/kgwaste

FEEDSTOCK AND OFFTAKE TYPES2

Biomass to combined heat & power (CHP)6

Biomass to CHP with biochar production6

Refuse-derived fuel (RDF) to CHP

MWE

0.5

3.0

13.9

MWTH

EQTEC

INCINERATION

EQTEC

INCINERATION

–

5.4

5.8

1.59

1.27

0.85

2.57

1.47

1.33

1.02 

2.47

2.14

0.61

1.16

1.39

1   EQTEC data calculated based on process calculations across three reference plants 

operating EQTEC technology; incineration data based on median of 314 European plants; 
all emissions data calculated based on equivalent feedstock; incineration data includes 
assumptions about parasitic load, start-up fuel type and quantity and split of electrical 
power and thermal energy outputs.

2   Quantum of usable energy offtake produced by reference plants based on specified  

waste feedstock.

3  Quantum of electrical power and/or thermal energy produced by reference plants.

4   Quantum of CO2 equivalents for all GHGs emitted per kWh combined heat and power 
generated.

5  kW combined heat and power generated per kg of waste feedstock.
6  Thermochemical conversion of biomass based feedstocks are treated by climate scientists, 

and the GHG Protocol, as carbon neutral, and are not included in emissions profiles. 
Nevertheless, for the purposes of process reality and clarity, the emissions shown above 
are the total emissions generated from the process– regardless of biogenic and non 
biogenic sources

Partner spotlight

Partner: Commercial and operational excellence  |  Market: Global

Luis Ibarra
Founder & CEO

eCERTO is an innovative technology  
and advisory business with its origins  
in the oil and gas sector, committed  
to bringing decades of commercial 
insights with process technologies to 
renewables sectors.

Its vision is to transform the sustainability 
and financial performance of capital 
projects by minimising carbon emissions 
and costly overruns with INTEGRATI®.

INTEGRATI® is eCERTO’s proprietary, 
smart eSaaS platform for capital project 
modelling designed to streamline the 
project development process, minimise 
carbon emissions and reduce project 
costs. Supporting its deployment is an 
advisory and deployment team with 

Jose (Manolo) Boccardo
Founder & eADVISORY Director

decades of experience in large-scale and 
complex infrastructure projects, executive 
leadership, business development, 
technology commercialisation and  
project management.

EQTEC and eCERTO’s founders have 
been acquainted for many years, even 
prior to eCERTO’s inception in 2016. With 
EQTEC’s small but challenging set of larger, 
more complex projects, especially in the 
UK, EQTEC approached eCERTO in 2021  
for its view on how to approach these with 
greater discipline, pace and risk mitigation. 
eCERTO was appointed in 2022 for the 
Deeside project, to rapidly assess and 
integrate the work that had been done 
and to identify gaps and strategies for 
addressing them.

With eCERTO’s guidance, EQTEC was able 
to organise project complexity around a 
standard framework built on best-in-class 
techniques well utilised in the energy 
sector. More than that, the capital project 
model built with INTEGRATI® enabled 
EQTEC and its partners to gain insights 
on the ‘hot spots’ in the financial model, 
cost structure and forward schedule that 
resulted in a refined strategy for project 
development.

EQTEC’s strategic partnership with 
eCERTO has led to increased interest from 
project funders approaching eCERTO to 
conduct independent due diligence in 
relation to investment opportunities in 
the renewable energy sector.

Although EQTEC aspires to discontinue 
any work as a project developer, it is 
committed to applying best practices 
with best partners to all of its projects, 
including those it must oversee until it 
can bring on professional developers. 
eCERTO and INTEGRATI® will continue 
to be highly recommended by EQTEC 
to accelerate, improve and drive carbon 
efficiency from infrastructure projects 
applying EQTEC’s syngas technology,  
and beyond.

Independent auditor’s report

Independent 
auditor’s report

OPINION
We have audited the financial statements 
of EQTEC plc (“the Company”) and its 
subsidiaries (‘’the Group’’), which  
comprise the Consolidated statement  
of profit or loss, Consolidated statement 
of comprehensive income, Consolidated 
statement of financial position, 
Consolidated statement of changes in 
equity, Consolidated statement of cash 
flows, Company statement of financial 
position, Company statement of changes 
in equity, Company statement of cash 
flows for the financial year ended 31 
December 2022 and the related notes to 
the financial statements, including the 
summary of significant accounting policies.

The financial reporting framework that 
has been applied in the preparation 
of the financial statements is Irish law 
and International Financial Reporting 
Standards (IFRS) as adopted by the 
European Union. 

In our opinion: 

   the Group’s consolidated financial 

statements give a true and fair view in 
accordance with IFRS as adopted by the 
European Union of the assets, liabilities 
and financial position of the Group as at 
31 December 2022 and of the Group’s 
financial performance and cash flows for 
the financial year then ended; 

   the Company’s financial statements 

give a true and fair view in accordance 
with IFRS as adopted by the European 
Union of the assets, liabilities and 
financial position of the Company 
as at 31 December 2022 and of its 
cash flows for the financial year then 
ended; and

   have been properly prepared in 

accordance with the requirements of 
the Companies Act 2014.

BASIS FOR OPINION
We conducted our audit in accordance 
with International Standards on Auditing 
(Ireland) (‘ISAs (Ireland)’) and applicable 
law. Our responsibilities under those 
standards are further described in the 
‘Responsibilities of the auditor for the 
audit of the financial statements’ section 
of our report. We are independent of the 
Group and Company in accordance with 
the ethical requirements that are relevant 
to our audit of the financial statements 
in Ireland, including the Ethical 
Standard for Auditors (Ireland) issued 
by the Irish Auditing and Accountancy 
Supervisory Authority (IAASA), and the 
ethical pronouncements established by 
Chartered Accountants Ireland, applied 
as determined to be appropriate in 
the circumstances for the Group and 
Company. We have fulfilled our other 
ethical responsibilities in accordance 
with these requirements. We believe  
that the audit evidence we have 
obtained is sufficient and appropriate  
to provide a basis for our opinion.

CONCLUSIONS RELATING TO  
GOING CONCERN
In auditing the financial statements,  
we have concluded that the directors’ 
use of going concern basis of accounting 
in the preparation of the financial 
statements is appropriate. 
Our evaluation of the directors’ 
assessment of the Group and Company’s 
ability to continue as a going concern 
basis of accounting included:

   Evaluating management’s future cash 

flow forecasts, understanding the 
process by which they were prepared, 
and assessed the calculations are 
mathematically accurate.

   Challenging the underlying key 
assumptions such as expected 

cash inflow from technology 
and development sales and cash 
outflow from project costs and other 
operating expenses.

   Making inquiries on the status of the 
projects and understanding on how 
the Group and Company’s future 
plans for each of the projects will be 
funded and assessing whether this 
can support the future developments 
and cost projections.

   Making inquiries with management 
and reviewing the board minutes 
and available written communication 
with commercial partners in order 
to understand the future plans and 
to identify potential contradictory 
information.

   Assessing the adequacy of the 

disclosures with respect to the going 
concern assertion.

Based on the work we have performed, 
we have not identified any material 
uncertainties relating to events 
or conditions that, individually or 
collectively, may cast significant doubt 
on the Group and Company’s ability to 
continue as a going concern for a period 
of at least twelve months from the 
date when the financial statements are 
authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the 
responsibilities of the directors with 
respect to going concern are described 
in the relevant sections of this report.

KEY AUDIT MATTERS
Key audit matters are those matters 
that, in our professional judgement, 
were of most significance in our audit of 
the financial statements of the current 
financial period and include the most 
significant assessed risks of material 
misstatement (whether or not due to 

46  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  47

Independent auditor’s report

fraud) we identified, including those 
which had the greatest effect on: the 
overall audit strategy, the allocation of 
resources in the audit, and the directing 
of efforts of the engagement team.  
These matters were addressed in the 
context of our audit of the financial 
statements as a whole, and in forming 
our opinion thereon, and therefore we 
do not provide a separate opinion on 
these matters.

Overall audit strategy
We designed our audit by determining 
materiality and assessing the risks of 
material misstatement in the financial 
statements. In particular, we looked at 
where the directors made subjective 
judgements as discussed in the key  
audit matters section. We also addressed 
the risk of management override of 
internal controls, including evaluating 
whether there was any evidence of 
potential bias that could result in a  
risk of material misstatement due  
to fraud.

Based on our considerations as set out 
below, our areas of focus included:

   Impairment of goodwill;
   Revenue recognition; and
   Investments accounted for using  

the equity method..

How we tailored the audit scope
The Group has two operating segments: 
the power generation segment and 
the technology sales segment. We 
tailored the scope of our audit taking 
into account the areas where the risk of 
misstatement was considered material 
to the Group and Company, taking into 
account the nature of the Group and 
Company’s business and the industry in 
which it operates. We performed an audit 
of the complete financial information 
of all the components of the Group. 
Components represent business units 
across the Group considered for audit 
scoping purposes.

In establishing the overall approach to 
our audit, we assessed the risk of material 
misstatement at a Group and Company 
level, taking into account the nature, 
likelihood and potential magnitude of 

any misstatement. As part of our risk 
assessment, we considered the control 
environment in place at EQTEC plc.

Materiality and audit approach
The scope of our audit is influenced 
by our application of materiality. We 
set certain quantitative thresholds 
for materiality. These, together with 
qualitative considerations, such as 
our understanding of the Group and 
Company and their environment, the 
history of misstatements, the complexity 
of the Group and Company and the 
reliability of their control environment, 
helped us to determine the scope of 
our audit and the nature, timing and 
extent of our audit procedures and to 
evaluate the effect of misstatements, 
both individually and on the financial 
statements as a whole.

Based on our professional judgement, 
we determined materiality for the 
Group and Company as follows: 1% of 
total assets (excluding goodwill for the 
Group) for the financial year ended 31 
December 2022. We chose total assets 
as the benchmark as we considered this 
to be the main focus of the users of the 
financial statements based on nature  
of the Group and Company’s activities  
with continuing funding rounds and 
business expansion. 

We have set performance materiality 
for the Group and Company at 60% 
of materiality, having considered our 
prior year experience of the risk of 
misstatements, business risks and fraud 
risks associated with the Group and 
Company and their control environment. 
This is to reduce to an appropriately low 
level the probability that the aggregate 
of uncorrected and undetected 
misstatements in the financial 
statements exceeds materiality for  
the financial statements as a whole. 

We agreed with the board of directors 
that we would report to them 
misstatements identified during our 
audit above 5% of materiality as well  
as misstatements below that amount 
that, in our view, warranted reporting  
for qualitative reasons.

Significant matters identified
The risks of material misstatement that 
had the greatest effect on our audit, 
including the allocation of our resources 
and effort, are below as significant 
matters together with an explanation 
of how we tailored our audit to address 
these specific areas in order to provide 
an opinion on the financial statements as 
a whole. This is not a complete list of all 
risks identified by our audit.

Impairment of goodwill – valuation
The Group reports a significant goodwill 
balance arising from the acquisition 
of EQTEC Iberia SLU in 2017 (see Note 
19). As at 31 December 2022, goodwill 
amounted to €15,283,459 which was 
30.32% of the Group’s total assets. EQTEC 
Iberia SLU incurred losses ofamounting 
to €1,337,565 in 2022 which we have 
identified as an indicator of impairment. 
We obtained management’s discounted 
cash flow projections in support of the 
recoverability of this goodwill. 

Under the relevant IFRS as adopted by the 
European Union, the Group is required 
to annually test the amount of goodwill 
for impairment. This annual impairment 
test was significant to our audit because 
the balance, as above, is material to 
the financial statements. In addition, 
management’s assessment process is 
complex and highly judgemental and 
is based on assumptions, specifically on 
future cash flows, which are affected by 
expected future market or economic 
conditions. Actual results may differ from 
the estimates under different assumptions 
or conditions.

Due to the subjective estimates 
inherent in this calculation, this was a 
key judgemental area that our audit 
concentrated on.

Our response
For this risk, our audit procedures 
included the following testing:
   Evaluated and challenged 

management’s future cash flow 
forecasts and the process by which 
they were drawn up and tested the 
integrity and mathematical accuracy 
of the impairment model;

   Tested the significant assumptions 
and estimates used in preparing 
the cash flows which includes 
revenue forecasts, gross profit rates 
and discount rates and reviewed 
reasonableness of growth rates used 
for the projection and compared 
them against proven track record  
of performance;

   Tested the adequacy of discount  

rate used and evaluated the model  
in determining the value in use of  
the cash generating unit;

   Performed sensitivity analysis 

to determine reasonableness of 
the input variables used in the 
impairment model; and

   Considered the adequacy of the 
Group’s disclosures relating to 
goodwill and the annual impairment 
review with the requirements 
included in the consolidated financial 
statements in accordance with IFRS  
as adopted by European Union.

The value of the goodwill is based on 
the best estimates of the Directors. 
As part of our audit, we have gained 
sufficient audit evidence supporting the 
assumptions of the model. However, 
in view of uncertainty in relation to the 
future events that affects the timing of 
revenue cash flows and significance of 
this balance to the consolidated financial 
statements, we consider that it should 
be drawn to your attention. There is a risk 
that assumptions used by the directors 
specifically on certain projects will be 
delayed which may affect the future cash 
flows of the Group. The consolidated 
financial statements do not reflect the 
adjustments that might arise should the 
assumptions used in the impairment 
model change.

Revenue recognition – occurrence, 
completeness and accuracy
Revenue from the rendering of services 
which includes after-sales service 
and maintenance, consulting and 
construction contracts for renewable 
energy systems is recognised when 
the Group and Company satisfies 
performance obligations which is based 
on the stage of completion of the 
contract activity at the reporting date. 

For this purpose, the stage of completion 
set as at the reporting date and the 
expected future costs to completion 
are assessed. The Group CFO discusses 
and monitors status of scoped projects 
per relevant contracts. The projects are 
discussed at meetings of the Board of 
Directors at the request of the CFO.

The stage of completion method 
involves significant scope for judgement 
by Management in terms of determining 
the correct amount and timing of 
revenue recognition, including estimated 
cost required to complete the contract, 
which could have a material impact on 
the consolidated financial statements. In 
addition, revenue recognition is deemed 
a significant risk during the performance 
of our audit. As a result, we considered 
these as key audit matters.

Please refer to Notes 3, 4, 7 and 8 in 
the notes to the consolidated financial 
statements for further information.

Our response
The following audit work has been 
performed to address the risks:

   We understand the Group’s estimation 

process (including the approval 
of project budget, monitoring of 
project costs and activities, and 
management’s review and customer’s 
approval of project’s stage of 
completion used in determining 
the amounts of revenue from the 
rendering of services and related costs 
recognised in the financial statements.
   For significant customer contracts, 
we challenged the management’s 
assessment with regard to estimating 
the stage of completion by reviewing 
the underlying customer agreements 
and verifying the extent and timing 
of delivery acceptance from customer 
for consistency.   

   Obtained management’s projections 
of expected future costs and tested 
the estimate for consistency with 
the status of delivery and customer 
acceptances and sign off from 
customers to identify possible delays 
in achieving milestones, which 
require changes in estimated costs 
or efforts to complete the remaining 

Independent auditor’s report

performance obligations including 
how this costs will be funded for the 
project to close. 

   Examined invoice copies including 

proof of acceptances including tracing 
of customer payments to ensure 
revenue has occurred.

   Reviewed adequacy of disclosures 
made in the financial statements 
as required by the related IFRS as 
adopted by the European Union.

Our planned audit procedures were 
completed without material exception.

Existence and valuation of investments 
accounted for using the equity method
There is a risk that investments 
accounted for using the equity method 
held by the Group and Company do not 
exist or that the balance included in the 
Statement of Financial Position of the 
Group and Company as at 31 December 
2022 is not valued in line with the 
recognition and measurement provisions 
of IAS 28, Investments in Associates 
and Joint Ventures (as adopted in the 
European Union).

Significant auditor’s attention was 
deemed appropriate because of the 
materiality of the investments accounted 
for using the equity method. In addition, 
the impairment of the Company’s 
financial assets and investments 
accounted for using the equity method 
is a key judgemental area due to the 
level of subjectivity in estimating its 
recoverability such as the financial 
condition of the counterparties and  
their expected future cash flows. As a 
result, we considered these as key  
audit matters.

Our response
The following audit work has been 
performed to address the risks:

   Reviewed client prepared memos 
where management assessed the 
appropriate accounting, recoverability 
and presentation of each of the 
investments.

   Obtained external filings of the 

investments from relevant regulatory 
sites and understand the level of 
considerations paid or payable which 

48  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  49

 
Independent auditor’s report

was agreed to the amounts held to 
the accounting records ensuring that 
the investments exists.

explicitly stated in our report, we do 
not express any form of assurance 
conclusion thereon. 

   Evaluated and challenged 

management’s future cash flow 
forecasts and the process by which 
they were drawn up and tested the 
integrity and mathematical accuracy 
of the impairment model.

   Tested the significant assumptions 
and estimates used in preparing 
the cash flows which includes 
revenue forecasts, gross profit rates 
and discount rates and reviewed 
reasonableness of growth rates used 
for the projection and compared 
them against proven track record of 
performance. In addition, we assessed 
recoverability of the investments by 
inspecting the investee’s financial 
statements and other relevant 
documentation and ensured that the 
investments were recoverable and 
that no provisions were necessary.
   Reviewed elimination of gains and 
losses resulting from downstream 
transactions between the Company 
and its associates to confirm gains 
or losses are recognised only to the 
extent of unrelated investors’ interests 
in the associates.

   Reviewed minutes of board meetings 
for increase or decreases in rights  
on investments held including 
agreeing whether considerations  
have been paid.

  Reviewed adequacy of disclosures 
made in the financial statements 
as required by the related IFRS as 
adopted by the European Union.

Our planned audit procedures were 
completed without material exception.

OTHER INFORMATION
Other information comprises information 
included in the annual report, other than 
the financial statements and the auditor’s 
report thereon, including the Chairman’s 
Statement, Chief Executive’s Report, 
Corporate Governance Statement and 
Directors’ Report. The directors are 
responsible for the other information. 

Our opinion on the financial statements 
does not cover the other information 
and, except to the extent otherwise 

50  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

In connection with our audit of the 
financial statements, our responsibility 
is to read the other information and, in 
doing so, consider whether the other 
information is materially inconsistent 
with the financial statements or our 
knowledge obtained in the audit, or 
otherwise appears to be materially 
misstated. If we identify such material 
inconsistencies in the financial 
statements, we are required to 
determine whether there is a material 
misstatement in the financial statements 
or a material misstatement of the other 
information. If, based on the work we 
have performed, we conclude that  
there is a material misstatement of  
this other information, we are required  
to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

MATTERS ON WHICH WE ARE 
REQUIRED TO REPORT BY THE 
COMPANIES ACT 2014 

   We have obtained all the information 
and explanations which we consider 
necessary for the purposes of our audit.
   In our opinion the accounting records 

of the Company were sufficient to 
permit the financial statements to  
be readily and properly audited.
   The financial statements are in 

agreement with the accounting 
records.

   In our opinion the information given 
in the Directors’ report is consistent 
with the financial statements. Based 
solely on the work undertaken in  
the course of our audit, in our  
opinion, the Directors’ report has  
been prepared in accordance with  
the requirements of the Companies 
Act 2014.

MATTERS ON WHICH WE ARE 
REQUIRED TO REPORT BY 
EXCEPTION
Based on our knowledge and 
understanding of the Company and its 
environment obtained in the course of 
the audit, we have not identified material 
misstatements in the Directors’ report. 

Under the Companies Act 2014 we 
are required to report to you if, in our 
opinion, the disclosures of directors’ 
remuneration and transactions specified 
by sections 305 to 312 of the Act have 
not been made. We have no exceptions 
to report arising from this responsibility.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF 
MANAGEMENT AND THOSE 
CHARGED WITH GOVERNANCE FOR 
THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
As explained more fully in the Directors’ 
responsibilities statement, management 
is responsible for the preparation of the 
financial statements which give a true 
and fair view in accordance with IFRS as 
adopted by the European Union, and for 
such internal control as they determine 
necessary to enable the preparation of 
financial statements that are free from 
material misstatement, whether due to 
fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, 
management is responsible for assessing 
the Group and Company’s ability to 
continue as a going concern, disclosing, 
as applicable, matters related to going 
concern and using the going concern 
basis of accounting unless management 
either intends to liquidate the Group or 
Company or to cease operations, or has 
no realistic alternative but to do so.

Those charged with governance  
are responsible for overseeing the  
Group and Company’s financial  
reporting process.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE AUDITOR 
FOR THE AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL 
STATEMENTS
The objectives of an auditor are to obtain 
reasonable assurance about whether 
the financial statements as a whole 
are free from material misstatement, 
whether due to fraud or error, and to 
issue an auditor’s report that includes our 
opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high 
level of assurance, but is not a guarantee 
that an audit conducted in accordance 
with ISAs (Ireland) will always detect a 
material misstatement when it exists. 
Misstatements can arise from fraud 
or error and are considered material 
if, individually or in the aggregate, 
they could reasonably be expected 

to influence the economic decisions 
of users taken on the basis of these 
financial statements.

A further description of our responsibil-
ities for the audit of the financial state-
ments is located on the Irish Auditing 
and Accounting Supervisory Authority’s 
website at:  http://www.iaasa.ie/getme-
dia/b2389013-1cf6-458b-9b8f-a98202dc-
9c3a/Description_of_auditors_respon-
sibilities_for_audit.pdf. This description 
forms part of our auditor’s report.

Explanation as to what extent  
the audit was considered capable  
of detecting irregularities,  
including fraud
Irregularities, including fraud, are 
instances of non-compliance with laws 
and regulations. We design procedures 
in line with our responsibilities, outlined 
above, to detect material misstatements 
in respect of irregularities, including 
fraud. Owing to the inherent limitations 
of an audit, there is an unavoidable 
risk that material misstatement in 
the financial statements may not be 
detected, even though the audit is 
properly planned and performed in 
accordance with the ISAs (Ireland). 
The extent to which our procedures 
are capable of detecting irregularities, 
including fraud is detailed below.

Based on our understanding of the 
Group and industry, we identified that 
the principal risks of non-compliance 
with laws and regulations related to 
compliance with Stock Exchange 
Listing Rules, and we considered the 
extent to which non-compliance 
might have a material effect on the 
financial statements. We also considered 
those laws and regulations that have 
a direct impact on the preparation 
of the financial statements such as 
the local laws and tax: Companies 
Act 2014 and Irish tax legislation. The 
Audit engagement partner considered 
the experience and expertise of the 
engagement team to ensure that the 
team had appropriate competence and 
capabilities. We evaluated management’s 
incentives and opportunities for 
fraudulent manipulation of the financial 
statements (including the risk of 
override of controls), and determined 

that the principal risks were related to 
posting inappropriate journal entries to 
manipulate financial performance and 
management bias through judgements 
and assumptions in significant 
accounting estimates, in particular in 
relation to significant one-off or unusual 
transactions. We apply professional 
scepticism through the audit to consider 
potential deliberate omission or 
concealment of significant transactions, 
or incomplete/inaccurate disclosures in 
the financial statement.

In response to these principal risks, our 
audit procedures included but were not 
limited to:

  enquiries of management, board 

and audit committee on the policies 
and procedures in place regarding 
compliance with laws and regulations, 
including consideration of known 
or suspected instances of non-
compliance and whether they have 
knowledge of any actual, suspected or 
alleged fraud;

  inspection of the Company and 
Group’s regulatory and legal 
correspondence and review of 
minutes of director’s meetings  
during the year to corroborate 
inquiries made;

  gaining an understanding of the 
Company and Group’s current 
activities, the scope of authorisation 
and the effectiveness of its control 
environment;

  discussion amongst the engagement 
team in relation to the identified laws 
and regulations and regarding the 
risk of fraud, and remaining alert to 
any indications of non-compliance 
or opportunities for fraudulent 
manipulation of financial statements 
throughout the audit;

  identifying and testing journal entries 
to address the risk of inappropriate 
journals and management override  
of controls;

  designing audit procedures to 
incorporate unpredictability  
around the nature, timing or  
extent of our testing;

Independent auditor’s report

in their significant accounting 
estimates, including impairment 
assessment of goodwill, investments, 
trade debtors and revenue 
recognition; 

  review of the financial statement 

disclosures to underlying supporting 
documentation and inquiries of 
management; and

  as the Company and Group operates 

in the technology development 
and services industry, the Audit 
Engagement Partner considered 
the experience and expertise of 
the engagement team to ensure 
that the team had the appropriate 
competence and capabilities.

The primary responsibility for the 
prevention and detection of irregularities 
including fraud rests with those charged 
with governance and management. 
As with any audit, there remains a risk 
of non-detection or irregularities, as 
these may involve collusion, forgery, 
intentional omissions, misrepresentations 
or override of internal controls.

THE PURPOSE OF OUR AUDIT WORK 
AND TO WHOM WE OWE  
OUR RESPONSIBILITIES
This report is made solely to the 
Company’s members, as a body, in 
accordance with section 391 of the 
Companies Act 2014. Our audit work 
has been undertaken so that we might 
state to the Company’s members those 
matters we are required to state to them 
in an auditor’s report and for no other 
purpose. To the fullest extent permitted 
by law, we do not accept or assume 
responsibility to anyone other than  
the Company and the Company’s 
members as a body, for our audit work, 
for this report, or for the opinions we 
have formed.

Cathal Kelly 
For and on behalf of  
Grant Thornton 
Chartered Accountants &  
Statutory Audit Firm 

  challenging assumptions and 

judgements made by management  

Dublin 2, Ireland 
05 May 2023

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  51

Financial 
statements

Interior pipeworks at Italia MDC

52  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

Consolidated statement of profit or loss
for the financial year ended 31 December 2022

Revenue 

Cost of sales

Gross profit

Operating income/(expenses)

Administrative expenses

Other income

Impairment costs

Other (gains)/losses

Employee share-based compensation

Foreign currency gains

Operating loss

Share of results from equity accounted investments

Gains from sales to equity accounted investments deferred

Loss/(gain) arising from loss of control of subsidiaries

Change in fair value of financial investments

Finance income

Finance costs

Significant and non-recurring transactions:

Impairment of equity-accounted investment

Loss on disposal of tangible asset

Loss before taxation

Income tax 

LOSS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR

Loss attributable to:

Owners of the Company

Non-controlling interest

Basic loss per share:

From continuing operations

From continuing and discontinued operations

Diluted loss per share:

From continuing operations

From continuing and discontinued operations

NOTES

2022
€

2021
€

8

7,970,072

9,171,764

(7,002,314)

(7,541,354)

967,758

1,630,410

(5,742,563)

(4,190,592)

33,645

(2,752)

10,088

(340,257)

156,835

–

(5,498)

(1,418,860)

(205,648)

348,885

(4,917,246)

(3,841,303)

(52,059)

(28,378)

(489)

(326,501)

316,805

(589,618)

(4,712,490)

(154,205)

(24,188)

(211,478)

9,957

(250,378)

134,069

(517,108)

–

 –

(10,464,181)

(4,700,429)

(60,934)

 –

(10,525,115)

(4,700,429)

(10,525,104)

(4,700,497)

 (11)

 68

(10,525,115)

(4,700,429)

2022
€ PER SHARE

2021
€ PER SHARE

(0.001)

(0.001)

(0.001)

(0.001)

(0.001)

(0.001)

(0.001)

(0.001)

9

14

12

10

21

21

23

11

11

15

15

14

16

17

17

17

17

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  53

The notes on pages 64 to 109 form part of these financial statements. NOTES

2022
€

2021
€

18

19

21

22

23

25

25

26

27

133,053

446,861

17,578,231

17,702,833

7,619,514

3,728,434

171,186

8,074,184

4,050,030

506,976

29,230,418

30,780,884

6,033,543

5,446,087

7,221,046

1,693,116

3,455,496

3,000,469

6,876,747

6,446,217

20,393,792

19,778,929

49,624,210

50,559,813

Consolidated statement of comprehensive income
for the financial year ended 31 December 2022

Consolidated statement of financial position
at 31 December 2022

Loss for the financial year

Other comprehensive (loss)/income

Items that may be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss

2022
€

2021
€

(10,525,115)

(4,700,429)

ASSETS

Non-current assets

Property, plant and equipment

Exchange differences arising on retranslation of foreign operations

(478,066)

238,715

Intangible assets

Other comprehensive (loss)/income for the year

(478,066)

238,715

Financial assets

Investments accounted for using the equity method

Total comprehensive loss for the financial year

(11,003,181)

(4,461,714)

Attributable to:

Owners of the company

Non-controlling interests

(11,128,847)

(4,301,511)

125,666

(160,203)

(11,003,181)

(4,461,714)

Partner spotlight

Partner: Development  |  Market: Ireland

Jonathan Chinn
Director of Projects

Domi Ost is an Ireland-based project 
development company with the mission 
of sustainably decarbonising Ireland while 
ensuring business resilience.

As Ireland seeks to decarbonise its energy 
grid and transport sectors by encouraging 
new, renewable technologies that support 
the country’s economic growth, Domi Ost is 
quickly finding routes to market for EQTEC’s 
syngas technology, as well as for other, 
complementary technologies.

Domi Ost’s founding directors’ 
objectives are identifying and forming 
high-quality and high-impact clean 
energy opportunities and driving project 
success, as a response to Ireland’s ‘green’ 
challenge. The company is also dedicated to 
decarbonising Ireland while creating value 
for stakeholders and business resilience 
though fuel sustainability and deployment 
of EQTEC’s clean, syngas technology in 
Ireland, be it for combined heat and  
power (CHP), renewable natural gas  

(RNG) or other applications including 
bioethanol or biomethanol production.

EQTEC and Domi Ost are currently 
discussing sustainability opportunities for 
heavy energy user sectors and transport 
services in Ireland. Both sectors have grown 
significantly over the past two decades, 
and Ireland intends to grow them further, 
with a clean energy footprint. Beyond 
the considerable power requirements 
inherent in delivery of services, investors 
in the industry sector are looking at 
options for strong investment cases for 
clean generation of baseload power. 
The transport sector is looking at a 
decarbonisation strategy that includes 
biofuels or other chemicals to support 
Ireland’s overall objective of a clean  
carbon footprint.

EQTEC looks forward to pursuing these  
and other opportunities with Domi Ost  
in the coming months and years.

Other financial investments

Total non-current assets

Current assets

Development assets

Loan receivable from project development undertakings

Trade and other receivables

Cash and cash equivalents

Total current assets

Total assets

Total assets

€49.6M

L-R: Marcos García Bartolomé (Automation Control Engineer), 
Oscar Velasco (O&M Manager), Dr. Esther Lorente Royo (Senior 
Process Engineer), Denisa Rodriguez Royo (Project Manager), 
Dr. César Berrueco Moreno (Senior Process Engineer),  
Ariel Entenza Medina (Automation Control Engineer)

54  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  55

The notes on pages 64 to 109 form part of these financial statements. The notes on pages 64 to 109 form part of these financial statements. Consolidated statement of financial position
at 31 December 2022 – continued

Consolidated statement of changes in equity
for the financial year ended 31 December 2022

EQUITY AND LIABILITIES

Equity

Share capital

Share premium

Other reserves

Accumulated deficit

Equity attributable to the owners of the company

Non-controlling interests

Total equity

Non-current liabilities

Borrowings

Lease liabilities

Total non-current liabilities

Current liabilities

Trade and other payables

Borrowings

Lease liabilities

Total current liabilities

NOTES

2022
€

2021
€

28

28

28

26,799,584

87,203,372

2,694,125

25,977,130

83,610,562

2,353,868

(77,305,919)

(66,177,072)

39,391,162

45,764,488

29

(2,258,523)

(2,384,189)

37,132,639

43,380,299

30

31

32

30

31

1,064,598

–

–

56,855

1,064,598

56,855

6,264,404

5,106,038

56,531

6,921,806

–

200,853

11,426,973

7,122,659

Transactions with owners

 1,621,585

20,714,041

 205,648

Balance at  
1 January 2021

Issue of ordinary shares in 
EQTEC plc (Note 28)

Conversion of debt into 
equity (Notes 28)

Issued in acquisition of 
financial asset (Note 28)

Share issue costs (Note 28)

Employee share-based 
compensation (Note 10)

Loss for the financial year

Unrealised foreign 
exchange losses

Total comprehensive loss  
for the financial year

Balance at  
31 December 2021

Issue of ordinary shares in 
EQTEC plc (Note 28)

Conversion of debt into 
equity (Note 28)

Share issue costs (Note 28)

Employee share-based 
compensation (Note 10)

SHARE
CAPITAL
€

SHARE 
PREMIUM 
€

OTHER 
RESERVES
€

ACCUMULATED 
DEFICIT 
€

EQUITY 
ATTRIBUTABLE 
TO OWNERS OF 
THE COMPANY 
€

NON-
CONTROLLING 
INTERESTS 
€

TOTAL 
€

24,355,545

62,896,521

2,148,220

(61,875,561)

27,524,725

(2,223,986) 25,300,739

1,402,324

18,206,268

167,728

3,285,013

51,533

693,628

(1,470,868)

–

 –

 –

 205,648

–

 –

 –

–

 –

 –

–

 –

 –

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

 –

 –

19,608,592

3,452,741

745,161

(1,470,868)

205,648

22,541,274

(4,700,497)

(4,700,497)

–

–

–

–

19,608,592

3,452,741

745,161

(1,470,868)

 –

 –

68

205,648

22,541,274

(4,700,429)

 398,986

 398,986

(160,271)

 238,715

(4,301,511)

(4,301,511)

(160,203)

(4,461,714)

25,977,130

83,610,562

2,353,868

(66,177,072)

45,764,488

(2,384,189) 43,380,299

769,697

3,717,379

52,757

–

 –

237,672

(362,241)

 –

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

340,257

340,257

–

–

–

–

–

–

 –

 –

4,487,076

290,429

(362,241)

340,257

4,755,521

–

–

–

 –

 –

4,487,076

290,429

(362,241)

340,257

4,755,521

(10,525,104)

(10,525,104)

(11)

(10,525,115)

(603,743)

(603,473)

 125,677

(478,066)

(11,128,847)

(11,128,847)

 125,666 (11,003,181)

26,799,584

87,203,372

2,694,125

(77,305,919)

39,391,162

(2,258,523) 37,132,639

Total equity and liabilities

49,624,210

50,559,813

Transactions with owners

 822,454

3,592,810

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors on 05 May 2023 and signed on its behalf by:

DAVID PALUMBO  
Chief Executive Officer  

IAN PEARSON
Non-Executive Chairman

Loss for the financial year

Unrealised foreign 
exchange losses

Total comprehensive loss  
for the financial year

Balance at  
31 December 2022

56  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  57

The notes on pages 64 to 109 form part of these financial statements. The notes on pages 64 to 109 form part of these financial statements.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Consolidated statement of cash flows
for the financial year ended 31 December 2022

Consolidated statement of cash flows
for the financial year ended 31 December 2022 – continued

Cash flows from operating activities

Loss for the financial year before income tax

Adjustments for:

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment

Amortisation of intangible assets

Loss on disposal of tangible assets

Impairment of equity-accounted investments 

Employee share-based compensation

Impairment of development assets

Share of loss of equity accounted investments

Gains from sales to equity accounted investments deferred

(Loss)/Gain on loss of control of subsidiary

Change in fair value of financial investments

Gain/(loss) on debt for equity swap

Unrealised foreign exchange movements

Operating cash flows before working capital changes

Increase in:

Development assets

Trade and other receivables 

(Decrease)/increase in Trade and other payables

Net cash used in operating activities – continuing operations 

Finance income

Finance costs

Taxes paid

Net cash used in operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities

Addition to tangible assets

Additions to intangible assets

Payments made towards land purchase

Cash inflow from disposal of subsidiary

Loans advanced to project development undertakings

Loans repaid by project development undertakings

Investment in equity accounted undertakings

Loans advanced to equity accounted undertakings

Loans repaid by equity accounted undertakings

Investment in related undertakings

Other advances to equity accounted undertakings

NOTES

2022
€

2021
€

(10,464,181)

(4,700,429)

Proceeds from borrowings and lease liabilities

Cash flows from financing activities

Repayment of borrowings and lease liabilities

Loan issue costs

Proceeds from issue of ordinary shares

Share issue costs

Interest paid

NOTES

2022
€

2021
€

30

30

30

28

28

7,236,850

1,391,174

(1,126,483)

(3,031,724)

(334,557)

–

4,430,069

19,420,222

(274,784)

(1,180,217)

(3,284)

 (20)

Net cash generated from financing activities 

9,927,811

16,599,435

Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents

(4,753,101)

175,636

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the financial year

6,446,217

6,270,581

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the financial year

27

1,693,116

6,446,217

Details of non-cash transactions are set out in Note 36 of the financial statements.

18

19

15

15

10

25

21

21

20

23

12

11

11

18

19

26

33

25

25

21

21

21

22

239,233

124,602

154,205

4,712,490

340,257

2,752

52,059

28,378

489

326,501

(10,088)

(319,440)

156,520

72,685

–

–

205,648

–

24,188

211,478

(9,957)

250,378

1,418,860

103,234

(4,812,743)

(2,267,395)

(2,578,047)

(2,837,708)

(274,938)

(3,144,600)

(5,946,010)

3,432,256

(10,503,436)

(7,925,749)

(316,805)

589,618

(108,311)

(134,069)

517,108

–

(10,338,934)

(7,542,710)

(79,199)

–

–

(1,000,000)

(586,421)

170,000

(773,034)

100,000

(6,790)

–

–

(2,430,137)

–

(978,825)

(2,852,699)

(3,746,984)

40,018

(351,853)

(2,000)

(697,635)

(27,508)

Net cash used in investing activities

(4,341,978)

(8,881,089)

58  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  59

The notes on pages 64 to 109 form part of these financial statements. The notes on pages 64 to 109 form part of these financial statements. Company statement of financial position
at 31 December 2022

Company statement of changes in equity
for the financial year ended 31 December 2022

NOTES

2022
€

2021
€

SHARE 
CAPITAL
€

SHARE 
PREMIUM
€

OTHER 
RESERVES
€

ACCUMULATED 
DEFICIT
€

TOTAL
€

Balance at 1 January 2021

24,355,545

81,830,601

 2,148,220

(79,661,097)

28,673,269

ASSETS

Non-current assets

Intangible assets

Investment in subsidiary undertakings

Investments accounted for using the equity method

Other financial investments

Total non-current assets

Current assets

Development assets

Loan receivable from project development undertakings

Trade and other receivables

Cash and bank balances

Total current assets

Total assets

EQUITY AND LIABILITIES

Equity

Share capital

Share premium

Other reserves

Accumulated deficit

Total equity

Non-current liabilities

Borrowings

Current liabilities

Borrowings

Trade and other payables

Total current liabilities

Total equity and liabilities

19

20

21

23

25

25

26

27

28

28

28

30

30

32

2,294,772

19,729,486

2,728,959

171,186

2,419,374

17,994,504

6,569,432

506,976

24,924,403

27,490,286

1,258,191

3,421,901

23,671,749

980,098

305,553

613,678

14,507,848

4,845,633

29,331,939

54,256,342

20,272,712

47,762,998

26,799,584

25,977,130

106,137,452

102,544,642

2,694,125

2,353,868

(88,820,042)

(83,603,698)

46,811,119

47,271,942

1,064,598

5,006,076

1,374,549

6,380,625

–

–

 491,056

 491,056

54,256,342

47,762,998

The Group is availing of the exemption in Section 304 of the Companies Act 2014 from filing its Company Statement of 
Comprehensive Income. The loss for the financial year incurred by the Company was €5,216,344 (2021: €3,942,601).

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors on 5 May 2023 and signed on its behalf by: 

DAVID PALUMBO  

Chief Executive Officer  

IAN PEARSON

Non-Executive Chairman

Issue of ordinary shares in EQTEC plc (Note 28)

1,402,324

18,206,268

Conversion of debt into equity (Notes 28 and 30)

Issued in acquisition of financial asset (Note 28)

Share issue costs (Note 28)

Employee share-based compensation (Note 10)

Transactions with owners

Loss for the financial year (Note 37)

Total comprehensive loss for the financial year

167,728

51,533

–

 –

3,285,013

693,628

(1,470,868)

 –

 1,621,585

20,714,041

–

–

–

–

 205,648

 205,648

–

–

–

–

 –

 –

19,608,592

3,452,741

745,161

(1,470,868)

 205,648

22,541,274

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

(3,942,601)

(3,942,601)

(3,942,601)

(3,942,601)

Balance at 31 December 2021

25,977,130

102,544,642

 2,353,868

(83,603,698)

47,271,942

Issue of ordinary shares in EQTEC plc (Note 28)

Conversion of debt into equity (Note 28)

Share issue costs (Note 28)

Employee share-based compensation (Note 10)

Transactions with owners

Loss for the financial year (Note 37)

Total comprehensive loss for the financial year

769,697

52,757

–

 –

3,717,379

237,672

(362,241)

 –

 822,454

3,592,810

 –

 –

 –

 –

–

–

–

340,257

340,257

–

–

–

 –

 –

4,487,076

290,429

(362,241)

340,257

4,755,521

 –

 –

(5,216,344)

(5,216,344)

(5,216,344)

(5,216,344)

Balance at 31 December 2022

26,799,584

106,137,452

2,694,125

(88,820,042)

46,811,119

We remain on the 
edge of accelerated
growth, needing to 
make clear EQTEC’s
potential for a range 
of customers
and investors in the 
post-transition
energy market.

EQTEC-enabled biomass-to-energy plant 
in Larissa, Greece, for Agrigas Energy S.A.

60  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  61

The notes on pages 64 to 109 form part of these financial statements. The notes on pages 64 to 109 form part of these financial statements.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Company statement of cash flows
for the financial year ended 31 December 2022

Company statement of cash flows
for the financial year ended 31 December 2021 – continued

Cash flows from financing activities

Proceeds from borrowings

Repayment of borrowings

Proceeds from issue of ordinary shares

Share issue costs

Loan issue costs

Net cash generated from financing activities 

Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the financial year

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the financial year

NOTES

2022
€

2021
€

30

30

28

28

30

27

7,138,782

1,391,174

(919,931)

(2,866,515)

4,430,069

19,420,222

(274,784)

(334,557)

(1,180,217)

 –

10,039,579

16,764,664

(3,865,535)

(1,266,231)

4,845,633

980,098

6,111,864

4,845,633

Cash flows from operating activities

Loss for the financial year before taxation

Adjustments for:

Amortisation of intangible assets

Employee share-based compensation 

Impairment of equity-accounted investments

Reversal of impairment of intercompany loans

Finance costs

Finance income

Impairment of intercompany balances

Change in fair value of other financial investments

(Gain)/loss on debt for equity swap

Foreign currency losses/(gains) arising from retranslation of borrowings

Operating cash flows before working capital changes

Funds advanced to intercompany accounts

Repayment of intercompany balances

(Increase) in development assets

(Increase) in trade and other receivables 

Increase in trade and other payables

Net cash used in operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities

Addition to intangible assets

Investment in equity accounted undertakings

Loans advanced to equity accounted undertakings

Investment in subsidiary

Subsidiaries transferred to other subsidiary undertakings

Loans to subsidiaries repaid

Loans advanced to project development undertakings

Loans repaid by project development undertakings

Net cash used in investing activities

NOTES

2022
€

2021
€

(5,216,344)

(3,942,601)

19

10

15

11

11

23

12

19

21

21

20

25

25

124,602

151,411

4,712,490

(170,000)

579,137

(260,720)

2,786

326,501

(10,088)

349,360

589,135

72,685

80,771

–

–

508,747

(104,568)

5,627

250,378

1,418,860

(280,767)

(1,990,868)

(11,029,109)

(13,490,118)

3,832,442

(952,638)

(5,310,477)

773,618

2,205,863

(296,278)

(283,968)

178,869

(12,097,029)

(13,676,500)

–

–

(1,000,000)

(968,324)

(528,085)

(2,036,074)

(1,550,000)

–

170,000

(10,000)

10,003

–

–

(350,000)

100,000

 –

(1,808,085)

(4,354,395)

62  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  63

The notes on pages 64 to 109 form part of these financial statements. The notes on pages 64 to 109 form part of these financial statements. 1.   GENERAL INFORMATION
EQTEC plc (“the Company”) is a company domiciled in Ireland. These 
financial statements for the financial year ended 31 December 2022 
consolidate the individual financial statements of the Company and 
its subsidiaries (together referred to as ‘the Group’).

The Group is a waste-to-value group, which uses its proven 
proprietary Advanced Gasification Technology to generate safe, 
green energy from over 62 different kinds of feedstock such 
as municipal, agricultural and industrial waste, biomass, and 
plastics. The Group collaborates with waste operators, developers, 
technologists, EPC contractors and capital providers to build 
sustainable waste elimination and green energy infrastructure.

Our income currently comes from the following streams: 1) project 
development services; (2) engineering services for design and 
specification of technology and for advisory work during plant 
assembly; and (3) sales of equipment manufactured in line with the 
Companys own patents and specifications.  In general, the Company 
does not intend to own or operate its own technologies, the 
exceptions being its reference plants, known as Market Development 
Centres (MDCs), where it might retain some equity and retain an 
ongoing interest in operations and maintenance of the plants.

2.  APPLICATION OF NEW AND REVISED INTERNATIONAL 
FINANCIAL REPORTING STANDARDS (IFRSS)
New/revised standards and interpretations adopted  
in 2022
In the current financial year, the Group has applied a number of 
amendments to IFRS Standards and Interpretations issued by the 
International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), as adopted by the 
European Union, that are effective for an annual period that begins 
on or after 1 January 2022. Their adoption has not had any impact 
on the disclosures or on the amounts reported in these financial 
statements.

  Amendments to IFRS 3 Reference to the Conceptual Framework;

  Amendments to IFRS 16 Covid-19-Related Rent Concessions  

  beyond 30 June 2021;

   Amendments to IAS 16 Property, Plant and Equipment – 

Proceeds before Intended Use; 

  Amendments to IAS 37 Onerous Contracts – Cost of Fulfilling  

a Contract; 

   Annual improvements to IFRS Standards 2018-2020 cycle: 

•  Amendments to IFRS 1 Subsidiary as a First-time Adopter; 
•  Amendments to IFRS 9 Fees in the ’10 per cent’ Test for 

Derecognition of Assets; 

•  Amendments to IFRS 16 Lease Incentives; and 
•  Amendments to IAS 41 Taxation in Fair Value Measurements.

New and revised IFRS Standards in issue but not  
yet effective
The following new and revised Standards and Interpretations 
have not been adopted by the Group, whether endorsed by the 
European Union or not. The Group is currently analysing the 
practical consequences of the new Standards and the effects of 
applying them to the financial statements. The related standards 
and interpretations are:

   IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts and Amendments to IFRS 17 
Insurance Contracts (Amendments to IFRS 17 and IFRS 4);

   IFRS 10 and IAS 28 (amendments) Sale of Contribution of Assets 

between an Investor and its Associate or Joint Venture;

   Amendments to IAS 1 Classification of Liabilities as Current or 

Non-current;

   Amendments to IAS 1 and IFRS Practice Statement 2 Disclosure 

of Accounting Policies;

   Amendments to IAS 8 Definition of Accounting Estimates; 

   Amendments to IAS 12 Deferred Tax related to Assets and 

Liabilities arising from a Single Transaction.

The directors do not expect that the adoption of the Standards 
listed above will have a material impact on the financial statements 
of the Group in future periods.

3.  STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES 
Statement of Compliance, Basis of Preparation and  
Going Concern
The Group’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared 
in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards 
(IFRS) as adopted by the European Union (‘EU’) and effective 
at 31 December 2022 for all years presented as issued by the 
International Accounting Standards Board.

The financial statements of the parent company, EQTEC plc 
have been prepared in accordance with International Financial 
Reporting Standards (IFRS) as adopted by the European Union (‘EU’) 
effective at 31 December 2022 for all years presented as issued by 
the International Accounting Standards Board and Irish Statute 
comprising the Companies Act 2014. 

The consolidated financial statements are prepared under the 
historical cost convention except for certain financial assets and 
financial liabilities which are measured at fair value. The principal 
accounting policies set out below have been applied consistently 
by the parent company and by all of the Company’s subsidiaries 
to all years presented in these consolidated financial statements. 
Comparative amounts have been re-presented where necessary, to 
present the financial statements on a consistent basis. 

The financial statements are presented in euros and all values are 
not rounded, except when otherwise indicated.

The Group incurred a loss of €10,525,115 (2021: €4,700,429) 
during the financial year ended 31 December 2022 and had net 
current assets of €8,966,819 (2021: €12,656,270) and net assets of 
€37,132,639 (2021: €43,380,299) at 31 December 2022.

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern 
basis. The Group’s business activities, together with the factors 
likely to affect its future development, performance and position, 
are set out in the Chairman’s Statement and Chief Executive’s 
Report. The principal risks and uncertainties are set out in the 
Directors’ Report. 

Management have produced forecasts for the period up to August 
2024 taking account of reasonably plausible changes in trading 
performance and market conditions, which have been reviewed 
by the Directors. This review takes into account the current debt 
facilities available to the Group (as set out in Note 30). The forecasts 
demonstrate that the Group and Company is forecast to generate 
cash in 2023/2024 and that the Group has sufficient cash reserves to 
enable the Group and Company to meet its obligations as they 

3.  STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES – CONTINUED
Statement of Compliance, Basis of Preparation and  
Going Concern - continued
fall due for a period of at least 12 months from the date when these 
financial statements have been signed. Amongst other things, the 
assessment involved assumptions around collection of receivables 
from associate and joint venture companies and availability of 
project funding.

After undertaking the assessments and considering the 
uncertainties set out above, the Directors have a reasonable 
expectation that the Group and Company has adequate resources 
to continue to operate for the foreseeable future and for these 
reasons they continue to adopt the going concern basis in 
preparing the financial statements.

Basis of consolidation
The Group financial statements consolidate those of the parent 
company and all of its subsidiaries as of 31 December 2022. All 
subsidiaries have a reporting date of 31 December.

All transactions and balances between Group companies are 
eliminated on consolidation, including unrealised gains and losses 
on transactions between Group companies. Where unrealised 
losses on intra-group asset sales are reversed on consolidation, 
the underlying asset is also tested for impairment from a Group 
perspective. Amounts reported in the financial statements of 
subsidiaries have been adjusted where necessary to ensure 
consistency with the accounting policies adopted by the Group.

Profit or loss and other comprehensive income of subsidiaries 
acquired or disposed of during the financial year are recognised 
from the effective date of acquisition, or up to the effective date of 
disposal, as applicable. The Group attributes total comprehensive 
income or loss of subsidiaries between the owners of the parent 
and the non-controlling interests based on their respective 
ownership interests.

A change in the ownership interest of a subsidiary, without a loss 
of control, is accounted for as an equity transaction. The carrying 
amount of the Group’s interests and the non-controlling interests 
are adjusted to reflect the changes in their relative interests in the 
subsidiaries. Any difference between the amount by which the 
non-controlling interests are adjusted and the fair value of the 
consideration paid or received is recognised directly in equity and 
attributed to the owners of the Company.

When the Group loses control of a subsidiary, the gain or loss on 
disposal recognised in profit or loss is calculated as the difference 
between (i) the aggregate of the fair value of the consideration 
received and the fair value of any retained interest and (ii) the 
previous carrying amount of the assets (including goodwill), less 
liabilities of the subsidiary and any non-controlling interests. All 
amounts previously recognised in other comprehensive income 
in relation to that subsidiary are accounted for as if the Group had 
directly disposed of the related assets or liabilities of the subsidiary 
(i.e. reclassified to profit or loss or transferred to another category 
of equity as required/permitted by applicable IFRS Standards). 
The fair value of any investment retained in the former subsidiary 
at the date when control is lost is regarded as the fair value on 
initial recognition for subsequent accounting under IFRS 9 when 
applicable, or the cost on initial recognition of an investment in an 
associate or a joint venture.

Business combinations
The Group applies the acquisition method in accounting for 
business combinations. The consideration transferred by the Group 
to obtain control of a subsidiary is calculated as the sum of the 
acquisition-date fair values of assets transferred, liabilities incurred, 
and the equity interests issued by the Group, which includes 
the fair value of any asset or liability arising from a contingent 
consideration arrangement. Acquisition costs are expensed as 
incurred. Assets acquired and liabilities assumed are generally 
measured at their acquisition-date fair values.

Step Acquisitions
Business combination achieved in stages is accounted for using 
acquisition method at acquisition date. The components of a 
business combination, including previously held investments are 
remeasured at fair value at acquisition date and a gain or loss is 
recognised in the consolidated statement of profit or loss.

Profit or loss from discontinued operations 
A discontinued operation is a component of the Group that either 
has been disposed of or is classified as held for sale. Profit or loss 
from discontinued operations comprises the post-tax profit or loss 
of discontinued operations and the post-tax gain or loss resulting 
from the measurement and disposal of assets classified as held for 
sale (see also policy on non-current assets and liabilities classified 
as held for sale and discontinued operations below and Note 33).

Investments in associates and joint ventures
Investments in associates and joint ventures are accounted for 
using the equity method. The carrying amount of the investment in 
associates and joint ventures is increased or decreased to recognise 
the Group’s share of the profit or loss and other comprehensive 
income of the associate and joint venture, adjusted where 
necessary to ensure consistency with the accounting policies of 
the Group. When the Group’s share of losses on an associate or a 
joint venture exceeds the Group’s interest in that associate or joint 
venture (which includes any long-term interests that, in substance, 
form part of the Group’s net investment in the associate or joint 
venture), the Group discontinues recognising its share of future 
losses. Additional losses are recognised only to the extent that 
the Group has incurred legal or constructive obligations or made 
payments on behalf of the associate or joint venture.

Unrealised gains and losses on transactions between the Group 
and its associates and joint ventures are eliminated to the extent of 
the Group’s interest in those entities. Where unrealised losses are 
eliminated, the underlying asset is also tested for impairment.

If there is objective evidence that the Group’s net investment in 
an associate or joint venture is impaired, the requirements of IAS 
36 are applied to determine whether it is necessary to recognise 
any impairment loss with respect to the Group’s investment. When 
necessary, the entire carrying amount of the investment (including 
goodwill) is tested for impairment in accordance with IAS 36 as a 
single asset by comparing its recoverable amount (higher of value 
in use and fair value less costs of disposal) with its carrying amount. 
Any impairment loss recognised is not allocated to any asset, 
including goodwill that forms part of the carrying amount of the 
investment. Any reversal of that impairment loss is recognised in 
accordance with IAS 36 to the extent that the recoverable amount 
of the investment subsequently increases.

64  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  65

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements  
3.  STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES – CONTINUED
Investments in related undertaking 
Advances paid to acquire investee shares are recognised at cost and 
will be reclassified to either to investments in associates and joint 
ventures or investments in subsidiaries, as applicable.

Segment reporting
The Group has two operating segments: the power generation 
segment and the technology sales segment. In identifying these 
operating segments, management generally follows the Group’s 
service lines representing its main products and services.

Investments in subsidiaries 
Investments in subsidiaries in the Company’s statement of financial 
position are measured at cost less accumulated impairment. When 
necessary, the entire carrying amount of the investment is tested 
for impairment by comparing its recoverable amount (higher 
of value in use and fair value less costs to sell) with its carrying 
amount, any impairment loss recognised forms part of the carrying 
amount of the investment. Any reversal of that impairment loss 
is recognised to the extent that the recoverable amount of the 
investment subsequently increases. 

Foreign currency translation
Functional and presentation currency
The consolidated financial statements are presented in Euro, which 
is also the functional and presentation currency of the parent 
company. The Group has subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, 
whose functional currency is the GBP £.

Foreign currency transactions and balances
Foreign currency transactions are translated into the functional 
currency of the respective Group entity, using the exchange rates 
prevailing at the dates of the transactions (spot exchange rate). 
Foreign exchange gains and losses resulting from the settlement of 
such transactions and from the remeasurement of monetary items 
denominated in foreign currency at year-end exchange rates are 
recognised in consolidated statement of profit or loss.

Non-monetary items are not retranslated at year-end and are 
measured at historical cost (translated using the exchange rates at 
the transaction date), except for non-monetary items measured at 
fair value which are translated using the exchange rates at the date 
when fair value was determined.

Foreign operations
In the Group’s financial statements, all assets, liabilities and 
transactions of Group entities with a functional currency other than 
Euro are translated into Euro upon consolidation. The functional 
currency of the entities in the Group has remained unchanged 
during the reporting financial year. 

On consolidation, assets and liabilities have been translated into 
Euro at the closing rate at the reporting date. Goodwill and fair 
value adjustments arising on the acquisition of a foreign entity 
have been treated as assets and liabilities of the foreign entity and 
translated into Euro at the closing rate. Income and expenses have 
been translated into Euro at the average rate over the reporting 
financial year. Exchange differences are charged or credited to 
consolidated statements of other comprehensive income and 
recognised in the accumulated deficit reserve in equity. On 
disposal of a foreign operation, the related cumulative translation 
differences recognised in equity are reclassified to profit or loss and 
are recognised as part of the gain or loss on disposal. To the extent 
that foreign subsidiaries are not under the full control of the parent 
company, the relevant share of currency differences is allocated to 
the non-controlling interests.

Each operating segment is managed separately as each requires 
different technologies, marketing approaches and other resources. 
All inter-segment transfers are carried out at arm’s length prices 
based on prices charged to unrelated customers in standalone sales 
of identical goods or services.

For management purposes, the Group uses the same measurement 
policies as those used in its financial statements. In addition, 
corporate assets which are not directly attributable to the business 
activities of any operating segment are not allocated to a segment. 
This primarily applies to the Group’s central administration costs 
and directors’ salaries.

Revenue
Revenue arises from the rendering of services. Revenue is measured 
based on the consideration to which the Group expects to be 
entitled in a contract with a customer and excludes amounts 
collected on behalf of third parties. The Group recognises revenue 
when it transfers control of a product or service to a customer. 
To determine whether to recognise revenue, the Group follows a 
5-step process:

1. Identifying the contract with a customer;

2. Identifying the performance obligations;

3. Determining the transaction price;

4.  Allocating the transaction price to the performance obligations; 

and

5.  Recognising revenue when/as performance obligation(s) are 

satisfied.

The Group applies the revenue recognition criteria set out below 
to each separately identifiable component of the sales transaction. 
The consideration received from these multiple-component 
transactions is allocated to each separately identifiable component 
in proportion to its relative fair value. Revenue is recognised 
either at a point in time or over time, when the Group satisfies 
performance obligations by transferring the promised goods or 
services to its customers.

Rendering of services
The Group generates revenues from after-sales service and 
maintenance, consulting, and construction contracts for renewable 
energy systems. Consideration received for these services is initially 
deferred, included in other payables, and is recognised as revenue 
in the financial year when the performance obligation is satisfied. 
In recognising after-sales service and maintenance revenues, the 
Group determines the stage of completion by considering both 
the nature and timing of the services provided and its customer’s 
pattern of consumption of those services, based on historical 
experience. Where the promised services are characterised by an 
indeterminate number of acts over a specified year of time, revenue 
is recognised over time. 

Revenue from consulting services is recognised when the services 
are provided by reference to the contract’s stage of completion at 
the reporting date in the same way as construction contracts for 
renewable energy systems described below.

3.  STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES – CONTINUED
Revenue - continued
Construction contracts for renewable energy systems
Construction contracts for renewable energy systems specify a 
fixed price for the design, development and installation of biomass 
systems. When the outcome can be assessed reliably, contract 
revenue and associated costs are recognised by reference to the 
stage of completion of the contract activity at the reporting date. 
Contract revenue is measured at the fair value of consideration 
received or receivable and recognised over time on a cost-to-
cost method. When the Group cannot measure the outcome 
of a contract reliably, revenue is recognised only to the extent 
of contract costs that have been incurred and are recoverable. 
Contract costs are recognised in the financial year in which they are 
incurred. In either situation, when it is probable that total contract 
costs will exceed total contract revenue, the expected loss is 
recognised immediately in consolidated statement of profit or loss.

A construction contract’s stage of completion is assessed by 
management by comparing costs incurred to date with the total 
costs estimated for the contract (a procedure sometimes referred 
to as the cost-to-cost method). Only those costs that reflect work 
performed are included in costs incurred to date. The gross amount 
due from customers for contract work is presented within trade 
and other receivables for all contracts in progress for which costs 
incurred plus recognised profits (less recognised losses) exceeds 
progress billings. The gross amount due to customers for contract 
work is presented within other liabilities for all contracts in progress 
for which progress billings exceed costs incurred plus recognised 
profits (less recognised losses).

Interest and dividends
Interest income and expenses are reported on an accrual basis 
using the effective interest method. Dividends, other than those 
from investments in associates and joint ventures, are recognised at 
the time the right to receive payment is established.

Operating expenses
Operating expenses are recognised in consolidated statement 
of profit or loss upon utilisation of the service or as incurred. 
Expenditure for warranties is recognised when the Group incurs an 
obligation, which is typically when the related goods are sold.

Borrowing costs
Borrowing costs directly attributable to the acquisition, 
construction or production of qualifying assets, which are assets 
that necessarily take a substantial period of time to get ready for 
their intended use or sale, are added to the cost of those assets, 
until such time as the assets are substantially ready for their 
intended use or sale. All other borrowing costs are recognised in 
profit or loss in the period in which they are incurred.

Goodwill
Goodwill represents the future economic benefits arising from 
a business combination that are not individually identified and 
separately recognised. Goodwill is carried at cost less accumulated 
impairment losses. Goodwill is not amortised but is reviewed 
for impairment at least annually. Refer below for a description of 
impairment testing procedures.

Non-controlling interests
Non-controlling interests that are present ownership interest and 

entitle their holders to a proportionate share of the entity’s net 
assets in the event of a liquidation may be initially measured either 
at fair value of at the non-controlling interests’ proportionate share 
of the recognised amounts of the acquiree’s identifiable net assets. 
Other types of non-controlling interests are measured at fair value, 
or, when applicable, on the basis specified in another IFRS.

Property, plant and equipment
Property, plant and equipment are initially recognised at 
acquisition cost or manufacturing cost, including any costs 
directly attributable to bringing the assets to the location and 
condition necessary for them to be capable of operating in the 
manner intended by the Group’s management. Property, plant and 
equipment, are subsequently measured at cost less accumulated 
depreciation and impairment losses. Depreciation is recognised on 
a straight-line basis to write down the cost less estimated residual 
value of leasehold buildings. The following useful lives are applied:

  Leasehold buildings: 5-50 years

  Office equipment: 2-5 years

Material residual value estimates and estimates of useful life are 
updated as required, but at least annually. Gains or losses arising on 
the disposal of leasehold buildings are determined as the difference 
between the disposal proceeds and the carrying amount of the 
assets and are recognised in profit or loss within other income or 
other expenses.

Construction in progress is stated at cost less any accumulated 
impairment loss. Cost comprises direct costs of construction as well 
as interest expense and exchange differences capitalised during the 
year of construction and installation. Capitalisation of these costs 
ceases and the asset in course of construction is transferred to fixed 
assets when substantially all the activities necessary to prepare 
the assets for their intended use are completed. No depreciation is 
provided in respect of payments on account and asset in course of 
construction until it is fully completed and ready for its intended 
use. Construction in progress is derecognised upon disposal or 
when the asset is permanently withdrawn from use and no future 
economic benefits are expected from the disposal. Any gain or loss 
arising on derecognition of the construction in progress (calculated 
as the difference between the net disposal proceeds and the 
carrying amount of the asset) is included in profit or loss in the 
period in which the asset is derecognised.

Leased assets
The Group as a lessee
The Group makes the use of leasing arrangements principally for 
the provision of the main office space. The rental contract for offices 
are typically negotiated for terms of between 3 and 10 years and 
some of these have extension terms. The Group does not enter into 
sale and leaseback arrangements. All the leases are negotiated on 
an individual basis and contain a wide variety of different terms and 
conditions such as purchase options and escalation clauses.

The Group assesses whether a contract is or contains a lease at 
inception of the contract. A lease conveys the right to direct the 
use and obtain substantially all of the economic benefits of an 
identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration. 
Some lease contracts contain both lease and non-lease 
components. The Group has elected to not separate its leases for 
offices into lease and non-lease components and instead accounts 
for these contracts as a single lease component. 

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EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  67

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements 3.  STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES – CONTINUED
Leased assets - continued
Measurement and recognition of leases 
At lease commencement date, the Group recognises a right-of-use 
asset and a lease liability on the consolidated statement of financial 
position. The right-of-use asset is measured at cost, which is made 
up of the initial measurement of the lease liability, any initial direct 
costs incurred by the Group, an estimate of any costs to dismantle 
and remove the asset at the end of the lease, and any lease 
payments made in advance of the lease commencement date (net 
of any incentives received).

The Group depreciates the right-of-use assets on a straight-line 
basis from the lease commencement date to the earlier of the end 
of the useful life of the right-of-use asset or the end of the lease 
term. The Group also assesses the right-of-use asset for impairment 
when such indicators exist.

At the commencement date, the Group measures the lease liability 
at the present value of the lease payments unpaid at that date, 
discounted using the Group’s incremental borrowing rate because 
as the lease contracts are negotiated with third parties it is not 
possible to determine the interest rate that is implicit in the lease. 
The incremental borrowing rate is the estimated rate that the 
Group would have to pay to borrow the same amount over a similar 
term, and with similar security to obtain an asset of equivalent 
value. This rate is adjusted should the lessee entity have a different 
risk profile to that of the Group. 

Lease payments included in the measurement of the lease liability 
are made up of fixed payments (including in substance fixed), 
variable payments based on an index or rate, amounts expected  
to be payable under a residual value guarantee and payments  
arising from options reasonably certain to be exercised. Subsequent 
to initial measurement, the liability will be reduced by lease 
payments that are allocated between repayments of principal 
and finance costs. The finance cost is the amount that produces a 
constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the 
lease liability.

The lease liability is reassessed when there is a change in the lease 
payments. Changes in lease payments arising from a change in the 
lease term or a change in the assessment of an option to purchase 
a leased asset. The revised lease payments are discounted using 
the Group’s incremental borrowing rate at the date of reassessment 
when the rate implicit in the lease cannot be readily determined. 
The amount of the remeasurement of the lease liability is reflected 
as an adjustment to the carrying amount of the right-of-use asset. 
The exception being when the carrying amount of the right-of-use 
asset has been reduced to zero then any excess is recognised in 
consolidated statement profit or loss.

Payments under leases can also change when there is either  
a change in the amounts expected to be paid under residual  
value guarantees or when future payments change through  
an index or a rate used to determine those payments, including 
changes in market rental rates following a market rent review.  
The lease liability is remeasured only when the adjustment to  
lease payments takes effect and the revised contractual payments 
for the remainder of the lease term are discounted using an 
unchanged discount rate. Except for where the change in lease 
payments results from a change in floating interest rates, in  
which case the discount rate is amended to reflect the change  
in interest rates.

The remeasurement of the lease liability is dealt with by a reduction 
in the carrying amount of the right-of-use asset to reflect the full or 
partial termination of the lease for lease modifications that reduce 
the scope of the lease. Any gain or loss relating to the partial or full 
termination of the lease is recognised in profit or loss. The right-of-
use asset is adjusted for all other lease modifications.

The Group has elected to account for short-term leases and leases 
of low-value assets using the practical expedients. Instead of 
recognising a right-of-use asset and lease liability, the payments 
in relation to these are recognised as an expense in consolidated 
statement of profit or loss on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

On the consolidated statement of financial position, right-of-use 
assets have been included in property, plant and equipment and 
lease liabilities have been presented in separate lines therein.

Intangible assets acquired separately
Intangible assets with finite useful lives that are acquired 
separately are carried at cost less accumulated amortisation and 
accumulated impairment losses. All finite-lived intangible assets, 
including patents, are accounted for using the cost model whereby 
capitalised costs are amortised on a straight-line basis over their 
estimated useful lives. Residual values and useful lives are reviewed 
at each reporting date The following useful lives are applied:

  Patents: 20 years

Impairment testing of goodwill, intangible assets and 
property, plant and equipment
For impairment assessment purposes, assets are grouped at 
the lowest levels for which there are largely independent cash 
inflows (cash-generating units). As a result, some assets are tested 
individually for impairment and some are tested at cash-generating 
unit level. Goodwill is allocated to those cash-generating units 
that are expected to benefit from synergies of a related business 
combination and represent the lowest level within the Group at 
which management monitors goodwill. Cash-generating units to 
which goodwill has been allocated (determined by the Group’s 
management as equivalent to its operating segments) are tested 
for impairment at least annually. All other individual assets or 
cash-generating units are tested for impairment whenever events 
or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may 
not be recoverable.

An impairment loss is recognised for the amount by which the 
asset’s (or cash-generating unit’s) carrying amount exceeds its 
recoverable amount, which is the higher of fair value less costs 
of disposal and value-in-use. To determine the value-in-use, 
management estimates expected future cash flows from each cash-
generating unit and determines a suitable discount rate in order to 
calculate the present value of those cash flows. The data used for 
impairment testing procedures are directly linked to the Group’s 
latest approved budget, adjusted as necessary to exclude the 
effects of future reorganisations and asset enhancements. Discount 
factors are determined individually for each cash-generating unit 
and reflect current market assessments of the time value of money 
and asset-specific risk factors.

Impairment losses for cash-generating units reduce first the 
carrying amount of any goodwill allocated to that cash-generating 
unit. Any remaining impairment loss is charged pro rata to the 
other assets in the cash-generating unit. With the exception of 
goodwill, all assets are subsequently reassessed for indications that 
an impairment loss previously recognised may no longer exist. 

3.  STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES – CONTINUED
Impairment testing of goodwill, intangible assets and 
property, plant and equipment - continued
An impairment loss is reversed if the asset’s or cash-generating 
unit’s recoverable amount exceeds its carrying amount.

Development assets
Development assets are stated at the lower of cost and net 
realisable value. Cost comprises direct materials and overheads 
that have been incurred in furthering the development of a project 
towards financial close, when project financing is in place so that 
the project undertaking can commence construction. Net realisable 
value represents the costs plus an estimated development 
premium to be earned on the costs at financial close of a project.

Financial instruments
Recognition, initial measurement and derecognition
Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognised when 
the Group becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the 
financial instrument and are measured initially at fair value adjusted 
for transaction costs, except for those carried at fair value through 
profit or loss which are measured initially at fair value, and trade 
receivables that do not contain a significant financing component, 
which are measured at the transaction price in accordance with 
IFRS 15. Subsequent measurement of financial assets and financial 
liabilities is described below.

Financial assets are derecognised when the contractual rights 
to the cash flows from the financial asset expire, or when the 
financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards are 
transferred. A financial liability is derecognised when it is 
extinguished, discharged, cancelled or expires. If the Group 
issues equity instruments to a creditor to extinguish all or part 
of a financial liability, the Group recognises in profit or loss the 
difference between the carrying amount of the financial liability 
(or part thereof) extinguished and the measurement of the equity 
instruments issued.

Classification and subsequent measurement of financial assets
For the purpose of subsequent measurement financial assets, other 
than those designated and effective as hedging instruments, are 
classified into the following categories upon initial recognition:

  amortised cost

  fair value through profit or loss (FVTPL)

  fair value through other comprehensive income (FVOCI)

In the periods presented, the Group does not have any financial 
assets categorised as FVOCI.

The classification is determined by both:

  the Group’s business model for managing the financial asset; and

  the contractual cash flow characteristics of the financial asset.

All income and expenses relating to financial assets that are 
recognised in consolidated statement of profit or loss are presented 
within finance costs or finance income, except for impairment of 
trade receivables which is presented within administrative expenses.

Financial assets at amortised cost and impairment
Financial assets are measured at amortised cost if the assets meet 
the following conditions (and are not designated at FVTPL):

   they are held within the business model whose objective is to 
hold the financial asset and collect its contractual cash flows;

   the contractual terms of the financial assets give rise to cash 

flows that are solely payments of principal and interest on the 
principal amount outstanding.

After initial recognition, they are measured at amortised cost using 
the effective interest method. Discounting is omitted where the 
effect of discounting is immaterial. The Group and Company’s cash 
and cash equivalents, trade and most other receivables fall into this 
category of financial instruments.

Financial assets as fair value through profit or loss (FVPTL)
Financial assets held within a different business model other 
than ‘hold to collect and sell’ are categorised at FVTPL. Further, 
irrespective of the business model used, financial assets whose 
contractual cash flows are not solely payments of principal and 
interest are accounted for at FVTPL. 

This category contains equity investments. The Group accounts 
for the investment at FVTPL and did not make the irrevocable 
election to account for the investments at FVOCI. The fair value 
was determined in line with the requirements of IFRS13 ‘Fair Value 
Measurement’.

Assets in this category are measured at fair value with gains or losses 
recognised in profit or loss. The fair values of financial assets in this 
category are determined by reference to active markets transactions 
or using a valuation technique where no active market exists.

Impairment of financial assets
The Group and Company makes use of a simplified approach 
in accounting for trade and other receivables and records the 
loss allowance as lifetime expected credit losses. These are the 
expected shortfalls in contractual cash flows, considering the 
potential for default at any point during the life of the financial 
instrument. In calculating, the Group uses its historical experience, 
external indicators and forward-looking information to calculate 
the expected credit losses.

Individually significant receivables are considered for impairment 
when they are past due or when other objective evidence is 
received that a specific counterparty will default. Receivables that 
are not considered to be individually impaired are reviewed for 
impairment in groups, which are determined by reference to the 
industry and region of the counterparty and other shared credit risk 
characteristics. The impairment loss estimate is then based on recent 
historical counterparty default rates for each identified group.

In measuring the expected credit losses, the trade receivables have 
been assessed on a collective basis as they possess shared credit risk 
characteristics. They have been grouped based on the days past due 
and also according to the geographical location of customers. 

The expected loss rates are based on the payment profile for sales 
over the past 48 months before 31 December 2022 and 1 January 
respectively as well as the corresponding historical credit losses 
during that period. The historical rates are adjusted to reflect 
current and forward-looking macroeconomic factors affecting the 
customer’s ability to settle the amount outstanding. The Group has 
identified gross domestic product (GDP) and unemployment rates 
in the countries in which the customers are domiciled to be the 
most relevant factors and accordingly adjusts historical loss rates for 
expected changes in these factors. However, given the short period 
exposed to credit risk, the impact of these macroeconomic factors 
has not been considered significant within the reporting period.

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EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  69

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements 3.  STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES – CONTINUED
Financial instruments - continued
Classification and subsequent measurement of financial liabilities
The Group and Company’s financial liabilities include borrowings, 
lease liabilities, trade and other payables and derivative financial 
instruments.

Financial liabilities are measured subsequently at amortised 
cost using the effective interest method except for derivatives 
and financial liabilities designated at FVTPL, which are carried 
subsequently at fair value with gains or losses recognised in 
profit or loss (other than derivative financial instruments that are 
designated and effective as hedging instruments). All interest-
related charges and, if applicable, changes in an instrument’s fair 
value that are reported in profit or loss are included within finance 
costs or finance income.

Fair values
For financial reporting purposes, fair value measurements are 
categorised into Level 1, 2 or 3 based on the degree to which inputs 
to the fair value measurements are observable and the significance 
of the inputs to the fair value measurement in its entirety, which are 
described as follows:

Level 1: quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical 
assets or liabilities

Level 2: valuation techniques for which the lowest level of inputs 
which have a significant effect on the recorded fair value are 
observable, either directly or indirectly 

Level 3: valuation techniques for which the lowest level of inputs 
that have a significant effect on the recorded fair value are not 
based on observable market data

Income taxes
Tax expense recognised in consolidated statement of profit or loss 
comprises the sum of deferred tax and current tax not recognised 
in consolidated statement of other comprehensive income or 
directly in equity.

Calculation of current tax is based on tax rates and tax laws that 
have been enacted or substantively enacted by the end of the 
reporting financial year. Deferred income taxes are calculated using 
the liability method.

Deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is probable 
that the underlying tax loss or deductible temporary difference will 
be utilised against future taxable income. This is assessed based 
on the Group’s forecast of future operating results, adjusted for 
significant non-taxable income and expenses and specific limits on 
the use of any unused tax loss or credit.

Deferred tax liabilities are generally recognised in full, although 
IAS 12 ‘Income Taxes’ specifies limited exemptions. As a result of 
these exemptions the Group does not recognise deferred tax on 
temporary differences relating to goodwill, or to its investments in 
subsidiaries.

Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash on hand and demand 
deposits, together with other short-term, highly liquid investments 
maturing within 90 days from the date of acquisition that are 
readily convertible into known amounts of cash and which are 
subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value.

Non-current assets and liabilities classified as held for 
sale and discontinued operations
Non-current assets classified as held for sale are presented 
separately and measured at the lower of their carrying amounts 
immediately prior to their classification as held for sale and their fair 
value less costs to sell. However, some held for sale assets such as 
financial assets or deferred tax assets, continue to be measured in 
accordance with the Group’s relevant accounting policy for those 
assets. Once classified as held for sale, the assets are not subject to 
depreciation or amortisation.

Any profit or loss arising from the sale or remeasurement of 
discontinued operations is presented as part of a single line item, 
profit or loss from discontinued operations (See also policy on 
profit or loss from discontinued operations above).

Equity, reserves and dividend payments
Share capital represents the nominal (par) value of shares that have 
been issued. Share premium includes any premiums received on 
issue of share capital. Any transaction costs associated with the 
issuing of shares are deducted from share premium, net of any 
related income tax benefits.

Accumulated deficit includes all current and prior financial year 
retained losses. All transactions with owners of the parent are 
recorded separately within equity. Dividend distributions payable 
to equity shareholders are included in other liabilities when the 
dividends have been approved in a general meeting prior to the 
reporting date.

Share-based payments
All goods and services received in exchange for the grant of any 
share-based payment are measured at their fair values. The Company 
issues equity- settled share-based payments in the form of share 
options and warrants to certain Directors, employees and advisors.

Equity-settled share-based payments are made in settlement of 
professional and other costs. These payments are measured at the 
fair value of the services provided which will normally equate to the 
invoiced fees and charged to the consolidated statement of profit 
or loss, share premium account or are capitalised according to the 
nature of the fees incurred.

Where employees are rewarded using share-based payments, 
the fair value of employees’ services is determined indirectly by 
reference to the fair value of the equity instruments granted. This 
fair value is appraised at the grant date and excludes the impact of 
non-market vesting conditions (for example profitability and sales 
growth targets and performance conditions). Fair value is estimated 
using the Black-Scholes valuation model. The expected life used in 
the model has been adjusted on the basis of management’s best 
estimate for the effects of non- transferability, exercise restrictions 
and behavioural considerations. All share-based remuneration 
is ultimately recognised as an expense in profit or loss with a 
corresponding credit to retained earnings. If vesting years or other 
vesting conditions apply, the expense is allocated over the vesting 
year, based on the best available estimate of the number of share 
options expected to vest.

Non-market vesting conditions are included in assumptions about 
the number of options that are expected to become exercisable. 
Estimates are subsequently revised if there is any indication that 
the number of share options expected to vest differs from previous 
estimates. 

3.  STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES – CONTINUED
Share-based payments - continued
Any adjustment to cumulative share-based compensation resulting 
from a revision is recognised in the current financial year. The 
number of vested options ultimately exercised by holders does not 
impact the expense recorded in any financial year.

Upon exercise of share options, the proceeds received, net of any 
directly attributable transaction costs, are allocated to share capital 
up to the nominal (or par) value of the shares issued with any excess 
being recorded as share premium.

Warrants
Share warrants issued to shareholders in connection with share 
capital issues are measured at fair value at the date of issue and 
treated as a separate component of equity, in Other Reserves. Fair 
value is determined at the grant date and is estimated using the 
Black-Scholes valuation model. Share warrants issued separately to 
Directors, employees and advisors are accounted for in accordance 
with the policy on share-based payments.

Post-employment benefit plans
The Group provides post-employment benefit plans through 
various defined contribution plans. 

Defined contribution plans
The Group pays fixed contributions into independent entities in 
relation to several retirement plans and insurances for individual 
employees. The Group has no legal or constructive obligations 
to pay contributions in addition to its fixed contributions, which 
are recognised as an expense in the period that related employee 
services are received.

Short-term employee benefits
A liability is recognised for benefits accruing to employees in 
respect of wages and salaries, annual leave and sick leave in the 
period the related service is rendered at the undiscounted amount 
of the benefits expected to be paid in exchange for that service. 
Liabilities recognised in respect of short-term employee benefits 
are measured at the undiscounted amount of the benefits expected 
to be paid in exchange for the related service.

Provisions, contingent assets and contingent liabilities
Provisions for legal disputes, onerous contracts or other claims are 
recognised when the Group has a present legal or constructive 
obligation as a result of a past event, it is probable that an 
outflow of economic resources will be required from the Group 
and amounts can be estimated reliably. Timing or amount of the 
outflow may still be uncertain.

Restructuring provisions are recognised only if a detailed formal 
plan for the restructuring exists and management has either 
communicated the plan’s main features to those affected or  
started implementation. Provisions are not recognised for  
future operating losses.

Any reimbursement that the Group is virtually certain to collect 
from a third party with respect to the obligation is recognised as a 
separate asset. However, this asset may not exceed the amount of 
the related provision.

No liability is recognised if an outflow of economic resources as a 
result of present obligations is not probable. Such situations are 
disclosed as contingent liabilities unless the outflow of resources  
is remote.

4.  SIGNIFICANT MANAGEMENT JUDGEMENT IN 
APPLYING ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATION 
UNCERTAINTY
When preparing the financial statements, management makes 
a number of judgements, estimates and assumptions about the 
recognition and measurement of assets, liabilities, income and 
expenses.

Significant management judgements
The following are significant management judgements in applying 
the accounting policies of the Group that have the most significant 
effect on the financial statements.

Going concern
As described in the basis of preparation and going concern in 
Note 3 above, the validity of the going concern basis is dependent 
upon the achievement of management forecasts taking account 
of reasonably plausible changes in trading performance and 
market conditions. After undertaking the assessments and 
considering the uncertainties set out above, the Directors have 
a reasonable expectation that the Group and the Company has 
adequate resources to continue to operate for the foreseeable 
future. Furthermore, the Directors are not aware of any material 
uncertainties that may cast significant doubt upon the Group and 
Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

Control assessment in a business combination
As disclosed in Note 20, the Group owns 50.02% of the voting rights 
in Newry Biomass Limited. One other company owns the remaining 
voting rights. Management has reassessed its involvement in 
Newry Biomass Limited in accordance with IFRS 10’s revised control 
definition and guidance and has concluded that, based on its 
sufficiently dominant voting interests to direct its activities, it has 
control of Newry Biomass Limited. 

Interests in joint ventures
The Group holds 50.1% of the share capital of EQTEC Synergy 
Projects Limited but this entity is considered to be a joint venture 
as decisions about the relevant activities requires the unanimous 
consent of both the Group and the joint venture partner.

The Group holds 49% of the share capital of Synergy Karlovac d.o.o. 
and Synergy Belisce d.o.o. However, these entities are considered 
to be a joint venture of the Group as decisions about the relevant 
activities requires the unanimous consent of both the Group and 
the joint venture partner.

Revenue
As revenue from construction contracts is recognised over time, the 
amount of revenue recognised in a reporting period depends on 
the extent to which the performance obligation has been satisfied. 
It also requires significant judgement in determining the estimated 
costs required to complete the promised work when applying the 
cost-to-cost method.

Deferred tax assets
Deferred tax is recognised based on differences between the 
carrying value of assets and liabilities and the tax value of assets 
and liabilities. Deferred tax assets are only recognised to the extent 
that the Group estimates that future taxable profits will be available 
to offset them. The Group and Company has not recognised any 
deferred tax assets in the current or prior financial years.

70  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  71

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements 4.  SIGNIFICANT MANAGEMENT JUDGEMENT IN 
APPLYING ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATION 
UNCERTAINTY – CONTINUED
Estimation uncertainty
Information about estimates and assumptions that have the most 
significant effect on recognition and measurement of assets, 
liabilities, income and expenses is provided below. Actual results 
may be substantially different.

Impairment of goodwill and non-financial assets
Determining whether goodwill and non-financial assets are 
impaired requires an estimation of the value in use of the cash 
generating units to which the assets have been allocated. The value 
in use calculation requires the directors to estimate the future cash 
flows to arise from the cash-generating unit and a suitable discount 
rate in order to calculate present value. Where the actual cash flows 
are less than expected, a material impairment may arise. The total 
property, plant and equipment reversal of impairment charges 
during the financial year as included in Note 18 amounted to €Nil 
(2021: €Nil), while the impairment for goodwill during the financial 
year as included in Note 19 amounted to €Nil (2021: €Nil).

Provision for impairment of  equity-accounted investments - Group
Determining whether the carrying value of financial assetsGroup’s 
equity-accounted investments has been impaired requires an 
estimation of the value in use of the investment in associated 
undertakings and joint venture vehicles. The value in use 
calculation requires the directors to estimate the future cash flows 
expected to arrive from these vehicles and a suitable discount 
rate in order to calculate present value. After reviewing these 
calculations, the directors are satisfied that a net impairment cost 
of €4,712,490 (2021: €Nil) be recognised in the Group accounts of 
EQTEC plc. Details on equity-accounted investments can be found 
in note 21. 

Provision for impairment of investment in subsidiaries – Company
Determining whether the carrying value of the Company’s 
investment in subsidiaries has been impaired requires an 
estimation of the value in use of the investment in subsidiaries.  
The value in use calculation requires the directors to estimate 
the future cash flows expected to arrive from these vehicles and 
a suitable discount rate in order to calculate present value. After 
reviewing these calculations, the directors are satisfied that a net 
impairment cost of €Nil (2021: €Nil) be recognised in the Company 
accounts of EQTEC plc. Details on investment in subsidiaries can  
be found in note 20. 

Useful lives and residual values of intangible assets
Intangible assets are amortised over their useful lives taking 
into account, where appropriate, residual values. Assessment of 
useful lives and residual values are performed annually, taking 
into account factors such as technological innovation, market 
information and management considerations. In assessing the 
residual value of an asset, its remaining life, projected disposal 
value and future market conditions are taken into account. Detail 
on intangible assets can be found in note 19.

Provision for impairment of financial assets
Determining whether the carrying value of Group’s financial assets 
has been impaired requires an estimation of the value in use of the 
financial assets. The value in use calculation requires the directors 

to estimate the future cash flows expected to arrive from these 
vehicles and a suitable discount rate in order to calculate present 
value. After reviewing these calculations, the directors are satisfied 
that a net impairment cost of €Nil (2021: €Nil) be recognised in the 
Group accounts of EQTEC plc. Details on financial assets can be 
found in Note 22. 

Allowances for impairment of loans receivable from project 
development undertakings
The Group estimates the allowance for doubtful loan receivables 
based on assessment of specific accounts where the Group has 
objective evidence comprising default in payment terms or 
significant financial difficulty that certain borrowers are unable 
to meet their financial obligations.  In these cases, judgement 
used was based on the best available facts and circumstances 
including but not limited to, the length of relationship. The Group 
and Company measure expected credit losses of a financial 
instrument in a way that reflects an unbiased and probability-
weighted amount that is determined by evaluating a range of 
possible outcomes, the time value of money and information about 
past events, current conditions and forecasts of future economic 
conditions. When measuring ECL the Group and Company use 
reasonable and supportable forward-looking information, which 
is based on assumptions for the future movement of different 
economic drivers and how these drivers will affect each other. At 31 
December 2022, provisions for doubtful loans receivable amounted 
to €Nil (2021: €Nil) (see note 25).

Allowances for impairment of trade receivables 
The Group estimates the allowance for doubtful trade receivables 
based on assessment of specific accounts where the Group has 
objective evidence comprising default in payment terms or 
significant financial difficulty that certain customers are unable 
to meet their financial obligations. In these cases, judgement 
used was based on the best available facts and circumstances 
including but not limited to, the length of relationship. The Group 
and Company measure expected credit losses of a financial 
instrument in a way that reflects an unbiased and probability-
weighted amount that is determined by evaluating a range of 
possible outcomes, the time value of money and information about 
past events, current conditions and forecasts of future economic 
conditions. 

When measuring ECL the Group and Company use reasonable 
and supportable forward-looking information, which is based on 
assumptions for the future movement of different economic drivers 
and how these drivers will affect each other. At 31 December 
2022, provisions for doubtful debts amounted to €475,687 which 
represents 7% of trade receivables at that date (31 December 2021: 
€475,687– 9%) (see note 26).

Share based payments and warrants
The calculation of the fair value of equity-settled share-based 
awards and warrants issued in connection with share issues and 
the resulting charge to the consolidated statement of profit or loss 
or share-based payment reserve requires assumptions to be made 
regarding future events and market conditions. These assumptions 
include the future volatility of the Company’s share price. These 
assumptions are then applied to a recognised valuation model in 
order to calculate the fair value of the awards at the date of grant 
(See Notes 10 and 28).

72  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

4.  SIGNIFICANT MANAGEMENT JUDGEMENT IN APPLYING ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATION UNCERTAINTY 
– CONTINUED
Estimation uncertainty- continued
Estimating impairment of development assets
Management estimates the net realisable values of development assets, taking into account the most reliable evidence available at each 
reporting date. The future realisation of these development assets may be affected by market-driven changes that may reduce future 
prices/premiums (See Note 25).

5.   FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT
Financial risk management objectives and policies
The Group and Company’s activities expose it to a variety of financial risks: credit risk, liquidity risk, interest rate risk and foreign currency 
exchange risk.

The Group and Company’s financial risk management programme aims to manage the Group’s exposure to the aforementioned risks in 
order to minimise the potential adverse effects on the financial performance of the Group and Company. The Group and Company seeks 
to minimise the effects of these risks by monitoring the working capital position, cash flows and interest rate exposure of the Group and 
Company. There is close involvement by members of the Board of Directors in the day-to-day running of the business. 

Many of the Group and Company’s transactions are carried out in Pounds Sterling. 

Credit risk
Credit risk is the risk that a counterparty fails to discharge an obligation to the Group and Company. The Group and Company is exposed 
to credit risk from financial assets including cash and cash equivalents held at banks, trade and other receivables and loans receivable from 
project development undertakings.

The Group’s maximum exposure to credit risk is represented by the balance sheet amount of each financial asset:

Loans receivable from project development undertakings (Note 25)

Trade and other receivables (Note 26)

Cash and cash equivalents (Note 27)

2022
€

5,446,087

6,094,669

1,693,116

The Company’s maximum exposure to credit risk is represented by the balance sheet amount of each financial asset:

Loans receivable from project development undertakings (Note 25)

Trade and other receivables (Note 26) 

Cash and cash equivalents (Note 27) 

2022
€

3,421,901

23,552,137

980,098

2021
€

3,000,469

6,078,047

6,446,217

2021
€

613,678

14,420,185

4,845,633

The Group and Company’s credit risk is primarily attributable to its loans receivable from project development undertakings and trade and 
other receivables.

The Group has adopted procedures in extending credit terms to customers and in monitoring its credit risk. The Group’s exposure to 
credit risk arises from defaulting customers, with a maximum exposure equal to the carrying amount of the related receivables. Provisions 
are made for impairment of trade receivables when there is default of payment terms and significant financial difficulty. On-going credit 
evaluation is performed on the financial condition of accounts receivable at operating unit level at least on a monthly basis. 

The Group had risk exposure to the following counterparties at year-end:

Loans receivable from project development undertakings

Loan receivable from Logik Wte Limited (Note 25)

Loan receivable from Shankley Biogas Limited (Note 25)

Trade and other receivables

Receivable from Synergy Karlovac d.o.o. (Note 34)

Receivable from Synergy Belisce d.o.o. (Note 34)

2022
€

2021
€

2.024,186

2,824,572

2,245,191

2,217,523

1,538,420

848,371

2,202,884

1,962,925

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  73

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements 5.   FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT - CONTINUED
Credit risk - continued
Apart from the above, the Group does not have significant risk exposure to any single counterparty or any group of counterparties having 
similar characteristics. The Group defines counterparties as having similar characteristics if they are related parties. Concentration of credit 
risk related to the above companies did not exceed 20% of gross monetary assets at any time during the year. Concentration of credit risk 
to any other counterparty did not exceed 5% of gross monetary assets at any time during the financial year. 

Exposure to credit risk on cash deposits and liquid funds is monitored by directors. Cash held on deposit is with financial institutions in 
the Ba rating category of Moody’s (2021: Ba). The directors are of the opinion that the likelihood of default by a counter party leading to 
material loss is minimal. The reconciliation of loss allowance is included in Note 26.

Liquidity risk
The Group and Company’s liquidity is managed by ensuring that sufficient facilities are available for the Group and Company’s operations 
from diverse funding sources. The Group uses cash flow forecasts to regularly monitor the funding requirements of the Group. The Group’s 
operations are funded by cash generated from financing activities, borrowings from banks and investors and proceeds from the issuance 
of ordinary share capital. 

The table below details the maturity of the Group’s contracted liabilities as at 31 December 2022:

Trade and other payables

Investor loans

NOTES

32

30

UP TO 1 YEAR
€

6,264,404

5,180,902

11,445,306

1 – 5 YEARS
€

AFTER 5 YEARS
€

–

1,131,513

1,131,513

–

–

–

TOTAL
€

6,264,404

6,312,415

12,576,819

5.   FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT - CONTINUED
Foreign Exchange risk
The Group and Company is mainly exposed to future changes in the Sterling, the US Dollar and the Croatian Kuna relative to the Euro. 
These risks are managed by monthly review of Sterling, US Dollar and Croatian Kuna denominated monetary assets and monetary 
liabilities and assessment of the potential exchange rate fluctuation exposure. The Group and Company’s exposure to foreign exchange 
risk is not actively managed. Management will reassess their strategy to foreign exchange risk in the future.

The carrying amount of the Group’s foreign currency denominated monetary assets and monetary liabilities at the end of the reporting 
financial year are as follows:

Sterling

US Dollar

Croatian Kuna

 LIABILITIES

2022
€

2021
€

 ASSETS

2022
€

10,475,339

3,813,537

6,559,389

29,463

426,154

–

2,076

240,247

5,143,044

2021
€

8,208,131

25,695

1,212,271

The carrying amount of the Company’s foreign currency denominated monetary assets and monetary liabilities at the end of the reporting 
financial year are as follows:

 LIABILITIES

2022
€

7,274,170

27,802

2021
€

 ASSETS

2022
€

2021
€

169,433

13,894,925

12,822,699

–

19,463

45,549

The table below details the maturity of the Group’s liabilities as at 31 December 2021:

Sterling

US Dollar

Trade and other payables

Refer to Notes 30 and 32 for the outstanding balance.

NOTES

32

UP TO 1 YEAR
€

6,921,806

6,921,806

1 – 5 YEARS
€

AFTER 5 YEARS
€

–

–

–

–

TOTAL
€

6,921,806

6,921,806

Interest rate risk
The primary source of the Group’s interest rate risk relates to bank loans and other debt instruments while the Company’s interest rate risk 
relates to debt instruments. The interest rates on these liabilities are disclosed in Note 30. 

The Group’s bank borrowings and other debt instruments (excluding amounts in the disposal group) amounted to €6,170,636 and €Nil in 
31 December 2022 and 31 December 2021, respectively. The Company’s bank borrowings and debt instruments amounted to €6,070,674 
and €Nil in 31 December 2022 and 31 December 2021, respectively

The interest rate risk is managed by the Group and Company by maintaining an appropriate mix of fixed and floating rate borrowings. 
The Group does not engage in hedging activities. Bank borrowings and certain debt instruments are arranged at floating rates which are 
mainly based upon EURIBOR and the prime lending rate of financial institutions thus exposing the Group to cash flow interest rate risk. The 
other remaining debt instruments were arranged at fixed interest rates and expose the Group to a fixed cash outflow. 

These bank borrowings and debt instruments are mostly medium-term to long-term in nature. Interest rates on loans received from 
investors and shareholders are fixed in some cases while others are a fixed percentage greater than current prime lending rates. ‘Medium-
term’ refers to bank borrowings and debt instruments repayable between 2 and 5 years and ‘long-term’ to bank borrowings repayable 
after more than 5 years. 

The sensitivity analysis below has been determined based on the exposure to interest rates for non-derivative instruments at the end of 
the reporting financial year. For floating rate liabilities, the analysis is prepared assuming that the amount of the liability outstanding at the 
end of the financial year was outstanding for the whole year. A 50-basis point increase or decrease is used when reporting interest rate risk 
internally to key management personnel and represents management’s assessment of the reasonably possible changes in interest rates.

If interest rates have been 50 basis points higher/lower and all other variables were held constant, the Group’s loss for the financial  
year ended 31 December 2022 would increase/decrease by €Nil (2021: €Nil) with a corresponding decrease/increase in equity.

The Group’s sensitivity to interest rates has remained constant as a result of obtaining fixed rate borrowings from investors in the year.

The following table details the Group and Company’s sensitivity to a 10% increase and decrease in the Euro against the relevant foreign 
currencies. 10% is the sensitivity rate used when reporting foreign currency risk internally to key management personnel and represents 
management’s assessment of the reasonably possible change in foreign exchange rates. The sensitivity analysis includes only outstanding 
foreign currency denominated monetary items and adjusts their translation at the year-end for a 10% change in foreign currency rates. 
The sensitivity analysis includes external loans as well as loans to foreign operations within the Group where the denomination of the loan 
is in the currency other than the currency of the lender or the borrower. A positive number below indicates an increase in profit where 
the Euro strengthens 10% against the relevant currency. For a 10% weakening of the Euro against the relative currency, there would be a 
comparable impact on the loss, and the balances below will be negative.

Sterling Impact: Profit and loss/equity

US Dollar Impact: Profit & Loss/Equity

Croatian Kuna: Profit and loss/equity

GROUP

COMPANY

2022
€

395,550

2,766

476,454

2021
€

443,898

2,288

 98,184

31 DEC 2022
€

31 DEC 2022
€

668,763

1,278,108

893

–

4,056

–

The Group and Company’s sensitivity to foreign currency has increased during the current financial year mainly due to the placing of 
equity for sterling in the financial year.

Market risk
The Group’s activities expose it primarily to the financial risks of changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates, which are 
detailed above. There has been no change to the Group’s exposure to market risks or the manner in which it manages and measures the risk.

Price risk
The Group is exposed to equity price risk in respect of its investment in Metal NRG plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange (see 
Note 23).

The investment in Metal NRG plc is considered a long-term, strategic investment. In accordance with the Group’s policies, no specific 
hedging activities are undertaken in relation to these investments. The investments are continuously monitored and voting rights arising 
from these equity instruments are utilised in the Group’s favour.

The sensitivity analyses below have been determined based on the exposure to equity price risks at the reporting date. If the quoted 
stock price for these securities increased or decreased by 5%, the net loss for the year ended 31 December 2022 and 2021 would increase/
decrease by €2,910 (2021: €25,349) as a result of the changes in fair value of the investments in listed shares. 

74  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  75

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements 6.  CAPITAL MANAGEMENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Group manages its capital to ensure that the Group is able to continue as a going concern while maximising the return to shareholders 
through the optimisation of the debt and equity balance. 

The capital structure of the company consists of financial liabilities, cash and cash equivalents and equity attributable to the equity holders 
of the parent company. 

The Group’s management reviews the capital structure on a yearly basis. As part of the review, management considers the cost of capital 
and risks associated with it. The Group’s overall strategy on capital risk management is to continue to improve the ratio of debt to equity. 

The Group manages the capital structure and makes adjustments to it in the light of changes in economic conditions and the risk 
characteristics of the underlying assets. In order to maintain or adjust the capital structure, the Group may adjust the amount of dividends 
paid to shareholders, return capital to shareholders, issue new shares, or sell assets to reduce debt.

7.   SEGMENT INFORMATION – CONTINUED
Revenue reported above represents revenue generated from associated companies, jointly controlled entities and external customers. 
Inter-segment sales for the financial year amounted to €Nil (2021: €Nil). Included in revenues in the Technology Sales Segment are 
revenues of €4,860,015 (2021: €7,084,872) which arose from sales to associate undertakings and joint ventures of EQTEC plc. This represents 
61% (2021: 77%) of total revenues in the financial year. A breakdown of the turnover by associated undertaking and joint venture is set out 
in Note 34 Related Party Transactions.

The accounting policies of the reportable segments are the same as the Group’s accounting policies described in Note 3. Segment profit 
or loss represents the profit or loss earned by each segment without allocation of central administration costs and directors’ salaries, other 
operating income, share of profit or loss of jointly controlled entities, profit on disposal of jointly controlled entities, interest costs, interest 
income and income tax expense. This is the measure reported to the chief operating decision maker for the purpose of resource allocation 
and assessment of segment performance.

No changes were made in the objectives, policies or processes for managing capital during the years ended 31 December 2022 and 2021.

Other segment information:

The gearing ratio of the Group for the financial year presented is as follows:

Borrowings

Lease liabilities

Cash and cash equivalents

Net debt

Equity attributable to the owners of the company

Net debt to equity ratio

31 DEC 2022
 €

6,170,636

56,531

(1,693,116)

4,534,051

31 DEC 2021
€

–

257,708

(6,446,217)

(6,188,509)

39,391,162

45,764,488

12%

(14%)

7.   SEGMENT INFORMATION
Information reported to the chief operating decision maker for the purposes of resource allocation and assessment of segment 
performance focuses on the products and services sold to customers. The Group’s reportable segments under IFRS 8 Operating Segments 
are as follows:

  Technology Sales: Being the sale of Gasification Technology and associated Engineering and Design Services;

  Power Generation: Being the development and operation of renewable energy electricity and heat generating plants.

The chief operating decision maker is the Chief Executive Officer. Information regarding the Group’s current reportable segment is 
presented below. The following is an analysis of the Group’s revenue and results from continuing operations by reportable segment:

SEGMENT REVENUE

SEGMENT PROFIT/(LOSS)

Technology Sales
Power Generation 
Total from continuing operations
Central administration costs and directors’ salaries
Impairment costs
Other income
Other gains/(losses) 
Change in fair value of financial investments
Foreign currency gains
Employee share-based compensation
Share of results from equity accounted investments
Gains from sales to equity accounted investments deferred
Gain arising from loss of control of subsidiaries
Impairment of equity-accounted investment
Loss on disposal of tangible asset
Finance income
Finance costs
Loss before taxation (continuing operations)

2022 
€

7,970,072
–
7,970,072

2021 
€

9,171,764
–
9,171,764

2022 
€

(988,744)
(162)
(988,906)
(3,785,899)
(2,752)
33,645
10,088
(326,501)
156,835
(340,257)
(52,059)
(28,378)
(489)
(4,712,490)
(154,205)
316,805
(589,618)
(10,464,181)

2021 
€

995,000
 (328)
994,672
(3,554,854)
(5,498)
–
(1,418,860)
(250,378)
348,885
(205,648)
(24,188)
(211,478)
9,957
–
–
134,069
(517,108)
(4,700,429)

Technology sales

Power Generation 

Head Office

DEPRECIATION AND AMORTISATION

ADDITIONS TO NON-CURRENT ASSETS

2022 
€

130,084

–

233,751

363,835

2021 
€

84,381

–

144,824

229,205

2022 
€

2021 
€

83,241

195,643

–

–

83,241

–

2,708,474

2,904,117

The Group operates in four principal geographical areas: Republic of Ireland (country of domicile), the European Union, the United States 
of America and the United Kingdom. The Group’s revenue from continuing operations from external customers and information about its 
non-current assets* by geographical location are detailed below:

REVENUE FROM ASSOCIATES AND 
EXTERNAL CUSTOMERS

NON-CURRENT ASSETS*

Republic of Ireland

EU

United States of America

United Kingdom

2022 
€

–

5,128,979

–

2,841,093

7,970,072

2021 
€

–

6,734,156

2,437,608

2022 
€

–

2021 
€

–

2,392,776

2,720,427

–

 35,049

9,171,764

2,427,825

–

–

147,808

2,868,235

*   Non-current assets excluding goodwill, financial instruments, deferred tax and investment in jointly controlled entities and associates. The management information provided to 
the chief operating decision maker does not include an analysis by reportable segment of assets and liabilities and accordingly no analysis by reportable segment of total assets 
or total liabilities is disclosed.

8.  REVENUE
An analysis of the Group’s revenue for the financial year (excluding interest revenue), from continuing operations, is as follows:

Revenue from technology sales

Revenue from development fees

9.  OTHER INCOME

Other income

2022
€

4,768,964

3,201,108 

7,970,072

2021
€

8,022,509

1,149,255

9,171,764

2022
€

33,645

33,645

2021
€

–

–

76  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  77

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements 10. EMPLOYEE SHARE-BASED PAYMENTS

14. LOSS BEFORE TAXATION

2022
€

2021
€

Expensed in the year

340,257

205,648

Loss before taxation on continuing operations is stated after charging/(crediting):

The share-based payment expense includes the cost of employee warrants and options granted and vested in the year (Note 28).

11. FINANCE COSTS AND INCOME

Finance Costs

Interest on loans, bank facilities and overdrafts

Fees on early redemption of loans

Interest expense for leasing arrangements

Other interest

Finance Income

Interest receivable on loans advanced

Interest receivable on deferred consideration

2022
€

2021
€

582,620

–

5,000

 1,998 

41,818

466,929

8,341

 20

 589,618

517,108

279,839

36,966

316,805

121,459

12,610

134,069

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment (Note 18)

Amortisation of intangible assets (Note 19)

Movement in fair value of investments (Note 23)

Research and development

Gains on foreign exchange 

Directors’ remuneration: (Note 34)

for services as directors

for salaries as management 

share-based payments

compensation for loss of office

Impairment of development assets (Note 25)

Auditor’s remuneration:

Audit of Group accounts

Tax advisory services

12. OTHER GAINS/(LOSSES)

15.  SIGNIFICANT AND NON-RECURRNING TRANSACTIONS

Gain/(loss) on debt for equity swap

10,088

(1,418,860)

Impairment of investment (Note (a))

During the financial year the Group extinguished some of its financial liabilities by issuing equity instruments. In accordance with IFRIC 19 
Extinguishing Financial Liabilities with Equity Instruments, the gain recognised on these transactions was €10,088 (2021: loss of €1,418,860).

Loss on disposal of tangible asset (Note (b))

2022
€

2021
€

2022
€

2021
€

239,233

124,602

326,501

12,170

156,520

72,685

250,378

17,991

(156,835)

(348,885)

112,860

919,776

185,495

–

2,752

93,000

15,000

108,000

2022
€

4,712,490

154,205

111,234

730,496

86,261

241,061

 5,498

90,000

15,000

105,000

2021
€

–

–

a)   These are costs incurred as a result of the Group’s associate, North Fork Community Power, LLC (“NFCP”) filing for relief under Chapter 

11 of the US Bankruptcy Code, following alignment between NFCP managing members, including the Company, with the Lenders. As a 
result of this filing, the original investment in NFCP has been written off, totalling €4,677,590 (see note 21), while trade receivables to the 
value of €34,900 have also been written off as a result.

b)  This is a loss arising on the disposal of gasification equipment installed in the University of Lorraine for R&D purposes. 

13. EMPLOYEE DATA
The aggregate payroll costs of employees (including executive directors) in the Group were as follows:

Salaries

Social insurance costs 

Pension costs – defined contribution plans

Termination payments

Other compensation costs:

Cost of share-based payments

Short term incentives

Private health insurance and other insurance costs

Average number of employees (including executive directors)

Company
Average number of employees (including executive directors)

Capitalised employee costs in the financial year amounted to €Nil (2021 €Nil).

2022
€

2021
€

2,375,349

1,575,325

543,682

64,317

–

340,257

444,690

58,897

284,643

 34,134

241,061

205,648

506,999

 15,071

3,827,192

2,862,881

No.

27

3

No.

19

4

78  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  79

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements 16. INCOME TAX
Income tax expense comprises:

Current tax expense 

Deferred tax credit 

Adjustment for prior financial years

Tax expense

Loss before taxation

Applicable tax 12.50% (2021: 12.50%)

Effects of:

Amortisation & depreciation in excess of capital allowances

Expenses not deductible for tax purposes

Losses carried forward

Current tax expense

Adjustment for prior financial years

Actual tax expense

2022
€

–

–

60,934

 60,934

2022
€

2021
€

–

–

 –

 –

2021
€

(10,464,181)

(4,700,429)

(1,308,023)

(587,554)

45,479

690,421

572,123

–

60,934

60,934

28,475

234,361

324,718

–

–

–

The tax rate used for the reconciliation above is the corporate rate of 12.5% payable by corporate entities in Ireland on taxable profits 
under tax law in that jurisdiction.

17. LOSS PER SHARE

Basic loss per share

From continuing operations 

From discontinued operations

Total basic loss per share

Diluted loss per share

From continuing operations

From discontinued operations

Total diluted loss per share

2022
€ PER SHARE

2021
€ PER SHARE

(0.001)

 –

(0.001)

(0.001)

 –

(0.001)

(0.001)

 –

(0.001)

(0.001)

 –

(0.001)

The loss and weighted average number of ordinary shares used in the calculation of the basic and diluted loss per share are as follows:

Loss for financial year attributable to equity holders of the parent

(10,525,104)

(4,700,497)

Profit for the financial year from discontinued operations used in the calculation of basic earnings 
per share from discontinued operations

–

–

Losses used in the calculation of basic loss per share from continuing operations

(10,525,104)

(4,700,497)

Weighted average number of ordinary shares for the purposes of basic loss per share

8,966,084,275

7,956,449,726

Weighted average number of ordinary shares for the purposes of diluted loss per share

8,966,084,275

7,956,449,726

No.

No.

2022
€

2021
€

17. LOSS PER SHARE – CONTINUED
Dilutive and anti-dilutive potential ordinary shares
The following potential ordinary shares were excluded in the diluted earnings per share calculation as they were anti-dilutive.

Share warrants in issue

Share options in issue

LTIP options in issue

Convertible loans

Total anti-dilutive shares

2022

2021

459,880,963

464,005,793

67,304,542

148,810,863

391,885,288

 67,304,542

21,124,586

–

1,067,881,656

552,434,921

Details of share warrants and share options in issue outstanding at year-end are set out in Note 28.

Events after the year-end
As disclosed in Note 35, 2,105,669,080 ordinary shares were issued on 21 March 2023 and a further 1,105,828 ordinary shares were issued 
on 21 April 2023. If these shares were in issue prior to 31 December 2022, they would have affected the calculation of the weighted average 
number of shares in issue for the purposes of calculating both the basic and diluted loss per share by 175,564,576 (assuming the shares 
were issued in December 2022). 

18. PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

GROUP

Cost

At 1 January 2021

Additions

Exchange differences

At 31 December 2021

Additions

Disposals

Exchange differences

At 31 December 2022

Accumulated depreciation

At 1 January 2021

Charge for the financial year

Exchange differences

At 31 December 2021

Charge for the financial year

Charge on disposal

Exchange differences

At 31 December 2022

Carrying amount

At 31 December 2021 

At 31 December 2022

RIGHT OF USE 
ASSETS
€

OFFICE 
EQUIPMENT
€

CONSTRUCTION 
IN PROGRESS
€

354,718

219,301

 5,297

579,316

4,042

–

(11,420)

571,938

166,926

156,520

 1,766

325,212

197,016

–

(7,810)

514,418

254,104

57,520

63,342

–

 –

63,342

29,199

–

 –

92,541

63,342

–

 –

63,342

3,666

–

 –

67,008

 –

25,533

–

192,757

 –

192,757

50,000

(192,757)

 –

 50,000

–

–

 –

 –

38,551

(38,551)

 –

 –

192,757

50,000

TOTAL
€

418,060

412,058

 5,297

835,415

83,241

(192,757)

(11,420)

714,479

230,268

156,520

 1,766

388,554

239,233

(38,551)

(7,810)

581,426

446,861

133,053

80  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  81

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements  
 
  
18. PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT – CONTINUED
Included in the net carrying amount of property, plant and equipment are right-of-use assets as follows:

19. INTANGIBLE ASSETS – CONTINUED

Leasehold buildings

COMPANY

Cost

At 1 January 2021, at 31 December 2021 and at 31 December 2022

1,233

1,233

Accumulated depreciation

At 1 January 2021, at 31 December 2021 and at 31 December 2022

1,233

1,233

Carrying amount

At 1 January 2022 

At 31 December 2022

19. INTANGIBLE ASSETS

GROUP

Cost

At 1 January 2021

Additions, separately acquired

At 31 December 2021 and at 31 December 2022

Amortisation and Impairment

At 1 January 2021 

Amortisation

At 31 December 2021

Amortisation

At 31 December 2022

Carrying value

At 31 December 2021 

At 31 December 2022

 –

 –

 –

 –

GOODWILL
€

PATENTS
€

TOTAL
€

16,710,497

–

 –

2,492,059

16,710,497

2,492,059

16,710,497

2,492,059

19,202,556

1,427,038

–

1,427,038

–

1,427,038

–

72,685

72,685

124,602

197,287

1,427,038

72,685

1,499,723

125,602

1,624,325

15,283,459

2,419,374

17,702,833

15,283,459

2,294,772

17,578,231

2022
€

2021
€

57,520

254,104

OFFICE 
EQUIPMENT
€

TOTAL
€

COMPANY

Cost

At 1 January 2021 

Additions

At 31 December 2021 and as at 31 December 2022

Amortisation and Impairment

At 1 January 2021

Amortisation

At 31 December 2021

Amortisation

At 31 December 2022

Carrying value

At 31 December 2021 

At 31 December 2022

PATENTS
€

TOTAL
€

–

2,492,059

2,492,059

–

2,492,059

2,492,059

–

72,685

72,685

124,602

197,287

–

72,685

72,685

124,602

197,287

2,419,374

2,294,772

2,419,374

2,294,772

Patents
During the year ended 31 December 2021, the Group acquired patents from a company controlled by one of the directors. Patents are 
amortised over their estimated useful lives, which is on average 20 years. The average remaining amortisation period for these patents is 
18.4 years (2021: 19.4 years).

Goodwill
Cash-generating units
Goodwill acquired in business combinations is allocated, at acquisition, to the cash-generating units (CGUs) that are expected to benefit 
from that business combination. A CGU is the smallest identifiable group of assets that generate cash inflows that are largely independent 
of the cash inflows from other assets or group of assets. The CGUs represent the lowest level within the Group at which the associated 
goodwill is assessed for internal management purposes and are not larger than the operating segments determined in accordance 
with IFRS 8 Operating Segments. A total of 1 CGUs (2021: 1) have been identified and these are all associated with the Technology Sales 
Segment. The carrying value of the goodwill within the Technology Sales Segment is €15,283,459 (2021: €15,283,459).

In accordance with IAS 36 Impairment of Assets, the CGUs to which significant amounts of goodwill have been allocated are as follows: 

EQTEC Iberia SLU

2022
€

2021
€

15,283,459

15,283,459

For the purpose of impairment testing, the discount rates applied to this CGU to which significant amounts of goodwill have been 
allocated was 11.78% (2021: 14%) for the EQTEC Iberia CGU.

82  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  83

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements 19. INTANGIBLE ASSETS – CONTINUED
Annual test for impairment
Goodwill acquired through business combinations has been allocated to the above CGU for the purpose of impairment testing. 
Impairment of goodwill occurs when the carrying value of the CGU is greater than the present value of the cash that it is expected to 
generate (i.e the recoverable amount). The Group reviews the carrying value of each CGU at least annually or more frequently if there is an 
indication that a CGU may be impaired.

The recoverable amount of each CGU is determined from value-in-use calculations. The forecasts used in these calculations are based on a 
financial plan approved by the Board of Directors, plus 5-year projections forecasted by management, and specifically excludes any future 
acquisition activity.

The value in use calculation represents the present value of the future cash flows, including the terminal value, discounted at a rate 
appropriate to each CGU. The real pre-tax discount rates used is 11.78% (2021: 14%). These rates are based on the Group’s estimated 
weighted average cost of capital, adjusted for risk, and are consistent with external sources of information. 

The cash flows and the key assumptions used in the value in use calculations are determined based on management’s knowledge and 
expectation of future trends in the industry. Expected future cash flows are, however, inherently uncertain and are therefore liable to 
material change over time. The key assumptions used in the value in use calculations are subjective and include projected EBITDA margins, 
net cash flows, discount rates used and the duration of the discounted cash flow model. 

The directors performed sensitivity analysis to account for changes in value in use calculation due to potential delays in commencement of 
the projects. The following are the sensitivities performed: 

  Revenues being risk adjusted between 30% to 80% based on the project specific probabilities.

  Reduction in gross margin to 11%

  5% increase in discount rate

  Zero percentage long term growth rate (year 6 onwards)

All of these sensitivity analysis resulted in no impairment. An impairment loss of €Nil (2021: €Nil) has been calculated for the financial year 
ended 31 December 2022.

20. INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARY UNDERTAKINGS

COMPANY

At beginning of financial year

Contribution to capital in EQTEC Iberia

Investment in other subsidiaries

Transfer of investment in subsidiaries to other subsidiary undertakings

Foreign currency movement

Share options and awards

At end of financial year

2022
€

2021
€

17,994,504

17,869,630

1,550,000

–

–

(3,864)

188,846

–

10,000

(10,003)

–

124,877

19,729,486

17,994,504

20. INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARY UNDERTAKINGS – CONTINUED
Details of EQTEC plc subsidiaries at 31 December 2022 are as follows:

NAME

COUNTRY OF INCORPORATION

SHAREHOLDING

REGISTERED 
OFFICE

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITY

EQTEC Iberia SLU

Spain

EQTEC Holdings Limited

Republic of Ireland

EQTEC UK Services Limited 

Haverton WTV Limited

Deeside WTV Limited

Southport WTV Limited 

EQTEC Southport H2 MDC 
Limited

United Kingdom

United Kingdom

United Kingdom

United Kingdom

United Kingdom

Newry Biomass No. 1 Limited 

Republic of Ireland

React Biomass Limited 

Reforce Energy Limited

Grass Door Limited

Newry Biomass Limited

Enfield Biomass Limited

Moneygorm Wind Turbine 
Limited 

EQTEC No. 1 Limited 

EQTEC Strategic Project Finance 
Limited

Clay Cross Biomass Limited

Republic of Ireland

Republic of Ireland

United Kingdom

Northern Ireland

United Kingdom

Republic of Ireland

Republic of Ireland

United Kingdom

United Kingdom

Altilow Wind Turbine Limited

Republic of Ireland

Synergy Projects d.o.o.

EQTEC France SAS

Grande-Combe SAS

Croatia

France

France

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

50.02%

100%

100%

100%

 100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

5

1

2

2

2

2

2

1

1

1

3

4

3

1

1

3

3

1

6

7

7

Provision of technical engineering 
services

Development of building projects

Development of building projects

Waste-to-energy developer

Waste-to-energy developer

Waste-to-energy developer

Waste-to-energy developer

Dormant company

Dormant company

Dormant company 

Dormant company 

Dormant company 

Dormant company 

Dormant company

Dormant company

Dormant company

Dormant company

Dormant company

Waste-to-energy developer

Waste-to-energy developer

Waste-to-energy developer

The shareholding in each company above is equivalent to the proportion of voting power held.

Key to registered offices:
1.  Building 1000, City Gate, Mahon, Cork T12 W7CV, Ireland.

2.  Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ER, England.

The share options and awards addition reflect the cost of share-based payments attributable to employees of subsidiary undertakings, 
which are treated as capital contributions by the Company.

3.  Labs Triangle, Camden Lock Market, Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8AB, England.

4.  68 Cloughanramer Road, Carnmeen, Newry, Co. Down BT34 1QG, Northern Ireland.

5.  Rosa Sensat nº 9-11 Planta 5ª, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.

6.  Zagorska 31, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia.

7.  28 Cours Albert 1er, 75008 Paris, France.

84  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  85

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements 20. INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARY UNDERTAKINGS – CONTINUED
The table below shows details of non-wholly owned subsidiaries of the Group that have non-controlling interests:

21. INVESTMENTS ACCOUNTED FOR USING THE EQUITY METHOD 

PROPORTION OF OWNERSHIP 
INTERESTS AND VOTING 
RIGHTS HELD BY NON-
CONTROLLING INTERESTS

PROFIT/(LOSS) ALLOCATED  
TO NON-CONTROLLING 
INTERESTS FOR THE  
FINANCIAL YEAR

NON-CONTROLLING 
INTERESTS

NAME OF SUBSIDIARY

PRINCIPAL PLACE 
OF BUSINESS AND 
PLACE OF 
INCORPORATION

Newry Biomass Limited

Northern Ireland

49.98

Individually immaterial subsidiaries  
with non-controlling interests

Total

0.00

0.00

2022
€

2021
€

49.98

2022
€

(11)

 –

(11)

2021
€

2022
€

2021
€

68 (2,363,523)

(2,489,189)

 –

105,000

 105,000

 68 (2,258,523)

(2,384,189)

EQTEC plc owns 50.02% of the voting rights in Newry Biomass Limited. One other company owns the remaining voting rights. 
Management has reassessed its involvement in Newry Biomass Limited in accordance with IFRS 10’s revised control definition and 
guidance and has concluded that it has control of Newry Biomass Limited. The activities of Newry Biomass Limited are not considered 
material to the Group as a whole.

No dividends were paid to the non-controlling interests during the years ended 31 December 2022 and 2021.

During the year ended 31 December 2021, the Group set up two subsidiaries, Synergy Belisce d.o.o. and Synergy Karlovac d.o.o. that were 
initially accounted for as an investment in subsidiaries. On 26 November 2021, the Group disposed of 51% of its share in the two companies 
to Sense ESCO d.o.o. for proceeds of €2,709 (receivable after the year-end). The Group has accounted for the remaining 49% interest in 
these companies as an investment in joint ventures. The transaction has resulted in the recognition of a gain in profit and loss, calculated 
as follows:

Proceeds of disposal

Plus: Fair value of investment retained (49%)

Add: Carrying amount of net liabilities of investments on the date of loss of control

Gain recognised

 €

2,709

 489

6,759 

 9,957

GROUP

Investment in associate undertakings (a)

Investment in joint ventures (b)

COMPANY

Investment in associate undertakings (a)

a) Investment in associate undertakings

GROUP

At beginning of financial year

Derecognition of loans

Derecognition of investment arising from Chapter 11 (Note 15)

Investment in shares 

Loans advanced to associate undertakings

Receivables converted into loans to associate undertakings

Interest accrued on loans to associate undertakings

Share of loss of associate undertakings

Adjustment in respect of unrealised sales from the Group

Exchange differences

At end of financial year

Made up as follows:

Investment in shares in associate undertakings

Loans advanced to associate undertakings

Less: Losses recognised under the equity method

Investment in associate undertakings
Details of the Group’s interests in associated undertakings at 31 December 2022 is as follows:

NAME OF ASSOCIATE 
UNDERTAKING

North Fork Community 
Power LLC

COUNTY OF INCORPORATION

2022

United States of America

49%

SHAREHOLDING

2021

49%

EQTEC Italia MDC srl

Italy

19.99%

20.02%

2022
€

2021
€

4,263,604

3,355,910

7,619,514

6,951,064

1,123,120

8,074,184

2,728,959

6,569,432

6,951,064

–

(4,677,590)

6,790

528,085

1,161,000

196,188

(31,626)

(907)

130,600

4,263,604

2,777,249

1,656,573

(170,218)

4,263,604

3,379,625

(1,150,619)

–

2,458,584

2,272,113

–

64,693

(19,441)

(101,296)

 47,405

6,951,064

4,597,855

2,384,248

 (31,039)

6,951,064

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITY

Operator of biomass 
gasification power project

Operator of biomass 
gasification power project

86  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  87

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements 21. INVESTMENTS ACCOUNTED FOR USING THE EQUITY METHOD – CONTINUED
On 22 November 2022, it was announced that, to fund additional investments in the project, EQTEC Italia MDC SRL raised c. € 1.45 million 
through a combination of shareholder loans and equity from the Group and one of the other investors, each subscribing approximately 
for half of the amount, resulting in a change to relative ownership of the SPV. The Group’s share remains largely unchanged (going from 
20.02% to 19.99%) as the majority of its participation was through a shareholder loan, intended to be repaid with a bank refinance after 
COD (Commercial Operations Date).

On 12 October 2022, it was announced that North Fork Community Power, LLC (“NFCP”) has entered into an agreement for a financial 
restructuring with the project lenders (“Lenders”), for the provision of a standby facility, in the amount of USD 4.3 million, towards full 
funding of the project up to the commercial operations date (“COD”) of a plant, with EQTEC technology at its core, in North Fork California, 
USA (the “Plant”). The third-party funding has been agreed as part of a pre-negotiated petition filed by NFCP for relief under Chapter 11 of 
the US Bankruptcy Code, following alignment between NFCP managing members, including the Company, with the Lenders.

As part of the agreed terms, it was specified that the Group will remain as an equity shareholder in NFCP with the final shareholding being 
determined during the legal process post 31 December 2022 as 28.52%. However, any further drawdown on the convertible loan facility 
committed by the Group in 2021, of which c. USD 1.5 million remains undrawn, will no longer apply thereby preserving the Company’s 
financial resources. The Group has no plans to make any further investments into NFCP. The Group has written off its initial investment in 
NFCP as per Note 15 arising from above.

Summarised financial information in respect of the Group’s interests in associated undertakings is as follows:

2022

NORTH
FORK
€

EQTEC ITALIA 
€

TOTAL 
€

Non-current assets

1,738,412

5,687,496

7,425,908

NORTH
FORK
€

46,469

Current assets

27,869,071

141,018

28,010,089

23,555,070

2021

EQTEC ITALIA 
€

2,155,006

454,946

TOTAL 
€

2,201,475

24,010,016

Non-current liabilities

(25,064,040)

(4,875,541)

(29,939,581)

(19,422,943)

(2,542,001)

(21,964,944)

Current liabilities

Net Assets

 90,586

4,634,029

(869,152)

(778,566)

83,821

4,717,850

 74,253

4,252,849

 (110,805)

(42,854)

(36,552)

4,209,995

Reconciliation to carrying amount

Group’s share of net 
assets/(liabilities)

Carrying value of loan 
to associate

Adjustment in respect 
of unrealised profits on 
sales from the Group

Adjustment arising 
from Chapter 11

Exchange differences

Goodwill

Carrying amount

2,270,674

16,743

2,287,417

2,083,896

(8,589)

2,075,307

–

1,656,573

1,656,573

1,891,842

492,406

2,384,248

(78,846)

(23,358)

(102,204)

(78,846)

(22,450)

(101,296)

(1,948,631)

(1,467,946)

3,838,395

2,613,646

–

–

 –

1,649,958

(1,948,631)

(1,467,946)

3,838,395

4,263,604

(1,245,590)

3,838,395

6,489,697

– 

 –

461,367

(1,245,590)

3,838,395

6,951,064

Summarised income statement

Revenue

 6,105

 –

 6,105

12,888

 –

12,888

(Loss)/Profit after tax 
for period

Other comprehensive 
income

Total comprehensive 
income/(loss)

(73,613)

12,937

(60,676)

3,481

(92,852)

(89,371)

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

(73,613)

12,937

(60,676)

3,481

(92,852)

(89,371)

Reconciliation to Group’s share of total comprehensive income

Group’s share of total 
comprehensive income

Group’s share of total 
comprehensive income

(34,216)

2,590

(31,626)

(34,216)

2,590

(31,626)

(852)

(852)

(18,589)

(19,441)

(18,589)

(19,441)

21. INVESTMENTS ACCOUNTED FOR USING THE EQUITY METHOD – CONTINUED

COMPANY

At beginning of financial year

Derecognition of loans

Derecognition of investment arising from Chapter 11

Investment in shares 

Loans advanced to associate undertakings

Interest accrued on loans to associate undertakings

Exchange differences

At end of financial year

Made up as follows:

Investment in shares in associate undertakings

Loans advanced to associate undertakings

At end of financial year

b) Investment in joint ventures
The Group’s interests in joint ventures at the end of the reporting period is as follows 

GROUP

Synergy Belisce d.o.o.

Synergy Karlovac d.o.o. 

EQTEC Synergy Projects Limited

Interests in joint ventures

Details of the Group’s interests in joint ventures is as follows:

NAME OF JOINT VENTURE

Synergy Belisce d.o.o.

Synergy Belisce d.o.o.

COUNTRY OF 
INCORPORATION

Croatia

Croatia

EQTEC Synergy Projects Limited

Cyrprus

Synergy Projects Aegean Energy 
Production and Distribution 
Society SA.

Greece

Synergy Drama Single Member PC Greece

Synergy Livadia Single Member PC Greece

2022

49%

49%

50.1%

50.1%

50.1%

50.1%

SHAREHOLDING

2021

49%

49%

50.1%

–

–

–

2022
€

6,569,432

–

(4,677,590)

–

528,085

177,069

131,963

2021
€

3,379,625

(1,150,619)

–

2,448,584

1,790,113

54,287

 47,442

2,728,959

6,569,432

2,728,959

 –

2,728,959

4,677,590

1,891,842

6,569,432

2022
€

2,171,174

1,091,612

93,124

2021
€

506,664

519,437

97,019 

3,355,910

1,123,120

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITY

Operator of biomass 
gasification power project

Operator of biomass 
gasification power project

Operator of biomass 
gasification power project

Holding company

Operator of biomass 
gasification power project

Operator of biomass 
gasification power project

The joint ventures have share capital, consisting solely of ordinary shares. Decisions about the relevant activities of the joint ventures 
require unanimous consent of the Group and the respective joint venture partners. 

a)   Synergy Belisce d.o.o. was set up in April 2021 as a 100% subsidiary of Synergy Projects d.o.o., a 100% subsidiary of the Group. On 26 
November 2021, the Group’s Croatian project development partner, Sense ESCO d.o.o. subscribed for additional shares in Synergy 
Belisce d.o.o. which resulted in the Group owning 49% of the equity of the joint venture. Synergy Belisce d.o.o. has acquired a 1.2 MWe 
waste-to-energy gasification plant in Belisce, Croatia which had been built in 2016 around EQTEC’s proprietary and patented Advanced 
Gasification Technology. The plant is expected to be updated, recommissioned and repowered for operations towards the end of 2023.

88  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  89

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements 21. INVESTMENTS ACCOUNTED FOR USING THE EQUITY METHOD – CONTINUED
b)   Synergy Karlovac d.o.o. was set up in April 2021 as a 100% subsidiary of Synergy Projects d.o.o., a 100% subsidiary of the Group. On 

26 November 2021, the Group’s Croatian project development partner, Sense ESCO d.o.o. subscribed for additional shares in Synergy 
Karlovac d.o.o. which resulted in the Group owning 49% of the equity of the joint venture. Synergy Karlovac d.o.o. Synergy Karlovac 
d.o.o. has acquired a 1.2 MWe waste-to-energy gasification plant in Karlovac, Croatia which originally employed an early gasification 
technology from a third party. The plant was not able to achieve the designed operational availability and had to be closed. The Group’s 
intention is to redesign and reconfigure the Plant to incorporate the patented, proprietary EQTEC Advanced Gasification Technology 
at the centre. When subsequently commissioned, it will transform locally sourced wood chips and forestry wood waste from regional 
forests into green electricity for use by the local community. The plant is expected to be updated, recommissioned and repowered for 
operations towards the end of 2023.

c)   EQTEC Synergy Projects Limited was set up in 2020 in partnership with its Greek strategic partners, ewerGy GmbH. The Group owns 
50.1% of the equity of the joint venture. The joint venture has signed an agreement for the proposed acquisition of a 5MWe project 
in Drama, North-eastern Greece.  Once acquired, the joint venture will lead the development of a new biomass-to-energy plant, 
generating 5MW green electricity from locally and sustainably sourced forestry waste. Due diligence, including financial and technical 
feasibility, has been completed. To facilitate the structure of these projects, a holding company, Synergy Projects Aegean Energy 
Production and Distribution Society SA, has been set up by EQTEC Synergy Projects Limited, which holds 100% of the shares in two 
further companies: Synergy Drama Single Member PC and Synergy Livadia Single Member PC. 

The movement in the investment in joint ventures is as follows:

At the beginning of the year

Investment in joint ventures 

Fair value retained on disposal of control in subsidiary

Impairment of fair value of joint venture

Loans advanced to joint ventures

Loans repaid by joint ventures

Interest receivable on loans to joint ventures

Share of loss after tax

Unrealised profits on sales to joint ventures

Exchange differences

Interests in joint ventures

Made up as follows:

Investment in shares in joint ventures

Loans advanced to associate ventures

Less: Losses recognised under the equity method

2022
€

1,123,120

–

–

(489)

2021
€

–

501

490

–

2,324,614

1,228,909

(40,018)

–

(20,433)

(27,470)

(3,414)

–

6,485

(4,747)

(110,182)

 1,664 

3,355,910

1,123,120

–

3,517,979

(162,069)

3,355,910

–

1,237,059

 (113,939)

1,123,120

21. INVESTMENTS ACCOUNTED FOR USING THE EQUITY METHOD – CONTINUED
Summarised financial information for joint ventures accounted for using the equity method
Set out below is the summarised financial information for the Group’s joint ventures which are accounted for using the equity method. The 
information below reflects the amounts presented in the financial statements of the joint ventures reconciled to the carrying value of the 
Group’s investments in joint ventures. 

2022

2021

2022

SYNERGY 
BELISCE 
D.O.O. €

SYNERGY 
KARLOVAC 
D.O.O. €

EQTEC 
SYNERGY 
PROJECTS 
LIMITED 
GROUP €

SYNERGY 
BELISCE 
D.O.O. €

SYNERGY 
KARLOVAC 
D.O.O. €

TOTAL €

EQTEC 
SYNERGY 
PROJECTS 
LIMITED 
GROUP €

TOTAL €

Summarised balance sheet (100%) 

Non-current assets

4,278,173

3,235,696

–

7,513,869

4,043,271

3,128,485

–

7,171,756

Current assets

Cash and Cash equivalents

124

580

424

1,128

Other current assets

187,340

168,592

203,022

558,954

Non-current liabilities

Current liabilities

187,464

169,172

203,446

560,082

 –

 –

 –

 –

640

133,308

133,948

 –

747

123,510

124,257

 –

10,412

200,499

210,911

 –

11,799

457,317

469,116

 –

Bank overdrafts and loans

2,250,880

1,174,339

100,000

3,525,219

555,331

588,987

100,000

1,244,318

Other current liabilities

2,212,103

2,259,812

117,521

4,589,436

3,613,016

2,666,235

116,860

6,396,111

4,462,983

3,434,151

217,521

8,114,655

4,168,347

3,255,222

216,860

7,640,429

Net (liabilities)/assets 
(100%)

Reconciliation to  
carrying amount:

Group’s share of net assets/
(liabilities)

Carrying value of loans to  
joint ventures

Unrealised gains on sales to  
joint ventures

2,654

(29,283)

(14,075)

(40,704)

8,872

(2,480)

(5,949)

 443

1,300

(14,349)

(6,876)

(19,925)

4,347

(1,215)

(2,981)

151

2,247,366

1,170,613

100,000

3,517,979

551,808

585,251

100,000

1,237,059

(72,655)

(64,997)

Exchange differences

(4,348)

345

Adjustment arising on loss 
of control in period

(489)

 –

–

–

 –

(137,652)

(45,185)

(64,997)

(4,003)

–

–

 (489)

(4,306)

398

–

–

–

(110,182)

–

(3,908)

Carrying amount

2,171,174

1,091,612

93,124

3,355,910

506,664

519,437

97,019

1,123,120

90  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  91

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements 21. INVESTMENTS ACCOUNTED FOR USING THE EQUITY METHOD – CONTINUED

2022

2021

SYNERGY 
BELISCE 
D.O.O. €

SYNERGY 
KARLOVAC 
D.O.O. €

EQTEC 
SYNERGY 
PROJECTS 
LIMITED 
GROUP €

SYNERGY 
BELISCE 
D.O.O. €

SYNERGY 
KARLOVAC 
D.O.O. €

TOTAL €

EQTEC 
SYNERGY 
PROJECTS 
LIMITED 
GROUP €

TOTAL €

22. FINANCIAL ASSETS – CONTINUED
On 6 December 2021, EQTEC announced that Deeside has signed a binding supplemental agreement (the “Agreement”) with Logik. 

On 1 April 2022, EQTEC announced that Deeside has signed a binding supplemental agreement (the “Supplemental Agreement”) with 
Logik. The Supplemental Agreement, inter alia, sets out the terms on which Logik and Deeside (together, the “Parties”) have agreed to 
vary the terms of the share purchase agreement signed by the Parties on 7 December 2020, as amended by the supplemental agreement 
announced on 6 December 2021 (the “Existing SPA”). 

Summarised income statement (100%)

The Key terms of the Supplemental Agreement were as follows:

Revenue

Depreciation

Amortisation

Interest expenses

Taxation

Loss after tax

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 23

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 23

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

(6,584)

(27,167)

(7,776)

(41,527)

(917)

(1,666)

(6,949)

(9,532)

Other comprehensive income

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

 –

Total comprehensive loss

(6,584)

(27,167)

(7,776)

(41,527)

(917)

(1,666)

(6,949)

(9,532)

Reconciliation to Group’s share of total comprehensive income

Group’s share of total 
comprehensive loss

Group’s share of total 
comprehensive loss

(3,226)

(13,312)

(3,896)

(20,434)

(449)

(816)

(3,482)

(4,747)

(3,226)

(13,312)

(3,896)

(20,434)

(449)

(816)

(3,482)

(4,747)

22. FINANCIAL ASSETS 

GROUP

Investment in related undertakings

At beginning of the financial year

Advance payment on purchase of in shares in Logik WTE Limited

Advance payment on purchase of shares in Shankley Biogas Limited

Derecognition of investment in Shankley Biogas Limited

Exchange differences

At end of the financial year

2022
€

2021
€

4,050,030

–

–

(113,644)

(207,952)

3,728,434

2,570,888

1,034,825

116,272

–

328,045

4,050,030

Investment in Logik WTE Limited
On 8 December 2020, EQTEC announced that EQTEC’s wholly owned subsidiary, Deeside WTV Limited (“Deeside”), had signed a Share 
Purchase Agreement (the “SPA”) with Logik Developments Limited (“Logik”) to acquire full ownership of the Deeside Refuse Derived Fuel 
(“RDF”) project (the “Project”) from Logik through the acquisition of Logik WTE Limited (“Logik WTE”). 

The key terms of the SPA were as follows:

   Initial consideration of £2,310,000 of which a deposit amount of £300,000, from which the existing exclusivity payment of £100,000 was 
deducted, was payable on signing of the SPA and the balance of £2,010,000 payable on or before a date 12 months from the date of 
signing of the SPA (and which sum shall be netted off the existing debts of Logik WTE).

   Additional deferred conditional consideration of £2,290,000 payable on the achievement of certain conditions precedent related to 

development milestones of the Project.

   The issue of a fixed dividend share in Deeside WTV to Logik, which gives the Logik the right to 5% of distributable profits in Deeside WTV. 

This share carries no voting rights in Deeside WTV.

   An additional development premium or overage payment, subject to a maximum further amount of £5.4 million, calculated in 

accordance with an agreed formula payable on the achievement of each of the following

(i)  Financial close on the funding for the Waste Reception & Anaerobic Digestion plant on the site for which planning and the necessary 

permits have been obtained (“Project Phase I”).

(ii)  Financial close as defined on the funding for the Advanced Gasification plant on the site for which planning and the necessary 

permits have been obtained (“Project Phase II”).

   Deeside acquire 32% of the share capital of Logik WTE Limited (the “Project SPV”), the entity which holds the land and necessary 

planning permissions for the Deeside RDF project (the “Project”), with the consideration to be satisfied by the settlement of advances 
from the Group to Logik and the Project SPV in an amount of c. £2.3 million;

   Completion of Deeside‘s acquisition of the interest in the share capital in the Project SPV is subject to third party consent and is expected 

to complete on or before 30 June 2022;

   Parties are in discussions to procure a buyer for the Project SPV at a minimum valuation of £15 million. Subject to the sale of the Project 

SPV, EQTEC will invoice up to £2 million for its project development services to the Project SPV (such fee to be reduced on a pound 
for pound basis if the investment received is less than £17 million), subject to certain conditions to be finalised and agreed as part of 
ongoing discussions with potential buyers; and

   While the amendment of the Existing SPA to extend the completion date to 30 June 2022 is immediately effective, the Parties have 
agreed to act in good faith and to use all reasonable endeavours to implement the additional undertakings and agreements in the 
Supplemental Agreement, including to amend the terms of the Existing SPA and to finalise other necessary documentation such as a 
shareholders’ agreement for the Project SPV.

On 30 June 2022, EQTEC confirmed that, further to its announcement on 1 April 2022, Deeside and Logik had reached an agreement to 
further extend the date for completing the share purchase agreement signed by Deeside and Logik to 31 August 2022.

On 26 September 2022, EQTEC announced that the Company, Deeside and Logik had signed non-binding Heads of Terms (“HoTs”) for 
the acquisition by a publicly quoted corporate investor (“Investor”) of the project at Deeside, Flintshire, UK. To facilitate this transaction, 
Deeside and Logik had agreed to further extend the longstop date specified in the share purchase agreement to 28 February 2023 (the 
“Long Stop Date”). Details of further updates on this deal post year-end are set out in Note 35.

Contracts have been exchanged but completion as defined in the Agreement had not occurred at the year-end, and as a result Logik WTE 
Limited is not considered a joint venture of the Group at 31 December 2022. 

In these financial statements the full initial consideration of €3,728,434 (£3,300,000) (2021: €3,930,911 (£3,300,000)) has been recognised as 
an investment in a related undertaking and the balance of consideration payable of €2,485,623 (£2,200,000) (2021: €2,977,963 (£2,500,000)) 
has been recognised as a payable in other payables (see note 32).

Investment in Shankley Biogas Limited
On 27 September 2021, EQTEC announced that EQTEC’s wholly owned subsidiary, Southport WTV Limited (“Southport”), had signed a 
Share Purchase Agreement (“SPA – Southport”) with Rotunda Group Limited (“Rotunda”) to acquire full ownership of the Southport Hybrid 
Energy Park project (“Southport Project”) from Rotunda through the acquisition of Shankley Biogas Limited (“Shankley”).

On 21 September 2022, the Company announced that it had entered into agreements for the cancellation of the SPA-Southport. Any 
investments costs previously recognised has now been de-recognised (€113,644) and included in the costs associated with development 
fee services charged to Shankley amounting to €2,841,093.

92  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  93

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements  
 
23. OTHER FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS 

Group

Financial investments at amortised cost

Convertible loan note in Metal NRG plc

Bonds and Debentures

Less: Provision against investment in Bonds

Other investments

Less: Provisions against other investments

Financial investments at fair value through profit or loss (FVTPL)

Investment in Metal NRG plc

Total

MNRG

Financial investments at amortised cost

Convertible loan note in Metal NRG plc

Financial investments at fair value through profit or loss (FVTPL)

Investment in Metal NRG plc

Total

2022
€

2021
€

112,983

402,644

(402,644)

17,250

(17,250)

112,983

58,203

171,186

–

402,644

(402,644)

17,250

(17,250)

 –

506,976

506,976

112,983

 –

58,203

171,186

506,976

506,976

Financial assets at FVTPL include the equity investment in Metal NRG plc (“MNRG”) which was financed through the exchange of shares in 
the Company. The Group and the Company accounts for the investment in MNRG at FVTPL and did not make the irrevocable election to 
account for it at FVOCI. 

Subsequent to the Company’s receipt of 100,000,000 shares of MNRG in a share-for-share exchange, the Company acted as guarantor 
for a Convertible Loan Note entered into by MNRG on 02 February 2022 with Global Investment Strategy UK Limited (“GIS”). Further, 
and in satisfaction of the Company’s guarantee obligations to GIS, the Company transferred £100,000 worth of MNRG shares to GIS 
(being 100,000,000 Ordinary Shares at an average price of 0.1p per share after costs) on 03 October 2022. On the basis of this transaction, 
the Company’s obligations to GIS as guarantor were fully settled. In consideration of the Company’s actions as guarantor, MNRG has 
subsequently issued £100,000 (€112,983) of zero-coupon, unsecured convertible loan notes to the Company (the “CLN”). The CLN gives the 
Company the right  to convert the CLN, in whole or in part to MNRG shares.

As at 31 December 2022, the fair value of the Group’s interest in Metal NRG plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, was €58,203 
(2021: €506,976) based on the quoted market price available on the London Stock Exchange, which is a Level 1 input in terms of IFRS 13.

Movement in other financial investments was as follows:

At beginning of financial year

Acquired via the exchange of shares in EQTEC plc

Movement in fair value 

Exchange differences

At end of financial year

2022
€

506,976

–

(326,501)

(9,289)

171,186

2021
€

–

745,161

(250,378)

12,193

506,976

24. DEFERRED TAXATION
A deferred tax asset has not been recognised at the consolidated statement of financial position date in respect of trading tax losses 
arising from the Irish and UK subsidiaries. Due to the history of past losses, the Group has not recognised any deferred tax asset in respect 
of tax losses to be carried forward which are approximately €29.3 million at 31 December 2022 (2021: €24.3 million). 

25. DEVELOPMENT ASSETS

GROUP

Costs associated with project development undertakings

Loan receivable from project development undertakings

Convertible loans

Other loans 

2022
€

2021
€

6,033,543

3,455,496

2,824,572

2,621,515

5,446,087

–

3,000,469

3,000,469

The Group invests capital in assisting in the development of waste to value projects which can deploy its technology and expertise and 
make a profit from the realisation of the development costs at the financial close, when project financing is in place so that the project 
undertaking can commence construction. Cost comprises direct materials and overheads that have been incurred in furthering the 
development of a project towards financial close. For the financial year ended 31 December 2022, €2,160,694 (2021: €Nil) of development 
assets was included in consolidated statement of profit or loss as an expense and €2,752 (2021: €5,498) was impaired resulting from write 
down of development assets. 

Included in loans receivable from project development undertakings is an amount of €450,000 (2021: €550,000) which is receivable, along 
with accrued interest, 18 months from the date of drawdown. Interest is charged at 15% per annum. At 31 December 2022, the loan is 
valued at €597,329 (2021: €613,678). 

Included in loans receivable is an amount of £2,500,000 (2021: £Nil) arising from development service fees to Shankley Biogas Limited 
which has been converted into a convertible loan note secured by a fixed and floating charge on the assets and business of Shankley 
Biogas Limited. The loan note, which is interest-free, is due to be paid to the company following sale of, or investment into Shankley Biogas 
Limited by any third party. At 31 December 2022, the loan is valued at €2,824,572 (2021: €Nil).

The remaining loans receivables were issued with no interest and no fixed repayment date.

COMPANY

Costs associated with project development

Loan receivable from project development undertakings

Convertible loans

Other loans 

2022
€

2021
€

1,258,191

305,553

2,824,572

597,329

3,421,901

–

613,678

613,678

94  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  95

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements 26. TRADE AND OTHER RECEIVABLES 

GROUP

Trade receivables gross 

Allowance for credit losses

Trade receivables net

VAT receivable

Deferred consideration for the disposal of Pluckanes Windfarm (see note 33) 

Advances to related undertakings

Allowance for credit losses 

Prepayments

Amounts receivable from associate companies

Deposit payment on land (See below)

Corporation tax 

Receivable arising from issue of ordinary shares

Payments on account to suppliers

Other receivables 

2022
€

5,961,004

(475,687)

5,485,317

257,288

–

60,000

(60,000)

149,786

29,477

858,670

47,757

55,635

14,529

322,587

7,221,046

2021
€

5,268,923

(475,687)

4,793,236

903,069

133,034

60,000

(60,000)

133,344

27,508

309,708

381

–

355,267

 221,200

6,876,747

The deposit option payment on land represents a deposit paid with respect to a conditional land purchase agreement relating to the land 
on which the proposed up to 25 MWe Billingham waste gasification and power plant at Haverton Hill, Billingham, UK, will be constructed.

On 15 February 2022, the Group announced an agreement to extend the existing, conditional Land Purchase Agreement (the “LPA”) 
relating to the land on which the proposed, up to 25 MWe Billingham waste gasification and power plant (the “Project”) at Haverton 
Hill, Billingham, UK, will be constructed (the “Project Site”). Pursuant to the variation, the Group agreed to make a payment of £250,000 
(€293,210) on 24 February 2022. In addition, the Group paid a further fee of £250,000 (€293,211) as consideration for the Variation to Scott 
Bros on 24 February 2022. On 20 December 2022, the Group announced that it had executed, with Scott Bros. Enterprises Limited (“Scott 
Bros”), as landlord, and its wholly owned subsidiary Billingham EFW Limited, an option for the grant of a lease (the “Option”) in respect of 
land at the Project Site. The Option replaces in full the LPA contracted by the parties and dated 25 February 2021, releasing the Group from 
all liabilities therein including purchase of the Project Site for a balance outstanding of £8,090,000. Any costs previously incurred by the 
Group will be recovered through the charging of development fees on the Project.

All amounts are short-term. The net carrying value of trade receivables is considered a reasonable approximation of fair value.

The following table shows an analysis of trade receivables split between past due and within terms accounts. Past due is when an account 
exceeds the agreed terms of trade, which are typically 60 days. 

Within terms

Past due more than one month but less than two months

Past due more than two months

2022
€

2021
€

1,063,269

4,649,704

4,317

4,893,418

5,961,004

2,876

616,343

5,268,923

Included in the Group’s trade receivables balance are debtors with carrying amount of €4,417,731 (2021: €140,656) which are past due at 
year end and for which the Group has not provided.

The Group does not hold any collateral over these balances. No interest is charged on overdue receivables. The quality of past due not 
impaired trade receivables is considered good. The carrying amount of trade receivables approximates to their fair values. 

The Group’s policy is to recognise an allowance for doubtful debts of 100% against all receivables with non-related parties over 120 days 
because historical experience has been that trade receivables that are past due beyond 120 days are not recoverable. Allowances for 
doubtful debts are recognised against trade receivables from non-related parties between 60 days and 120 days based on estimated 
irrecoverable amounts determined by reference to past default experience of the counterparty and an analysis of the counterparty’s 
current financial position. The review on these balances shows that all of the above amounts are considered recoverable.

26. TRADE AND OTHER RECEIVABLES - CONTINUED
In determining the recoverability of a trade receivable, the Group considers any changes in the credit quality of the trade receivable from 
the date credit was initially granted up to the end of the current reporting financial year. The concentration of the credit risk is limited due 
to the customer base being large and unrelated, and the fact that no one customer holds balances that exceeds 10% of the gross assets of 
the Group. The maximum exposure risk to trade and other receivables at the reporting date by geographic region, ignoring provisions, is 
as follows:

Ireland

Spain

Croatia

2022
€

30,000

4,295,790

1,635,214

5,961,004

2021
€

72,919

4,007,695

1,188,309

5,268,923

The aged analysis of other receivables is within terms. 

The closing balance of the trade receivables loss allowance as at 31 December 2022 reconciles with the trade receivables loss allowance 
opening balance as follows:

Opening loss allowance as at 1 January 2021
Loss allowance recognised during the financial year
Loss allowance as at 31 December 2021
Loss allowance recognised during the financial year
Loss allowance as at 31 December 2022

€

475,687
 –
475,687
 –
475,687

The closing balance of the advances to related undertakings loss allowance as at 31 December 2022 reconciles with the advances to 
related undertakings loss allowance opening balance as follows:

Opening loss allowance as at 1 January 2021
Loss allowance recognised during the financial year
Loss allowance as at 31 December 2021
Loss allowance recognised during the financial year
Loss allowance as at 31 December 2022

There is no concentration of credit risk with respect to receivables as disclosed in Note 5 under credit risk.

COMPANY

Amounts due from subsidiary undertakings
Allowance for impairment of balances

Trade receivables – Intercompany and related parties
Allowance for credit losses on trade receivables
Advances to related undertakings
Allowance for credit losses on advances to related undertakings
Management charges receivable
Prepayments
Receivable arising from issue of ordinary shares
Corporation Tax
VAT Receivable
Other receivables

€

60,000
 –
60,000
 –
60,000

2021
€

14,091,925
 –
14,091,925
353,219
(30,000)
60,000
(60,000)
–
87,567
–
96
2,281
 2,760
14,507,848

2022
€

20,731,916
–
20,731,916
310,300
(30,000)
60,000
(60,000)
2,532,848
63,881
55,635
96
4,157
2,916
23,671,749

96  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  97

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements 26. TRADE AND OTHER RECEIVABLES – CONTINUED
The concentration of credit risk in the individual financial statements of EQTEC plc relates to amounts due from subsidiary undertakings. 
The directors have reviewed these balances in the light of the impairment review carried out on the investments by EQTEC plc in its 
subsidiaries. 

The directors considered the future cash flows arising from subsidiaries and are satisfied that the appropriate impairment has been applied 
to these balances. All amounts are short-term. The net carrying values of amounts due from subsidiary undertakings, trade and loans 
receivables are considered a reasonable approximation of their fair values.

The closing balance of the trade receivables loss allowance as at 31 December 2022 reconciles with the trade receivables loss allowance 
opening balance as follows:

28. EQUITY
Share Capital

AT 31 DECEMBER 2021

AUTHORISED 
NUMBER

ALLOTTED AND
CALLED UP
NUMBER

Ordinary shares of €0.001 each

12,561,091,094

8,599,024,945

Deferred ordinary shares of €0.40 each 

Deferred “B” Ordinary Shares of €0.099 each

200,000,000

75,140,494

Deferred convertible “A” ordinary shares of €0.01 each

10,000,000,000

22,370,042

75,140,494

99,117,952

AUTHORISED
€

12,561,091

80,000,000

7,438,909

100,000,000

200,000,000

ALLOTTED AND 
CALLED UP
€

8,599,024

8,948,017

7,438,909

991,180

25,977,130

Opening loss allowance as at 1 January 2021

Loss allowance recognised during the financial year

Loss allowance as at 31 December 2021

Loss allowance recognised during the financial year

Loss allowance as at 31 December 2022

€

30,000

 –

30,000

 –

30,000

The closing balance of the advances to related undertakings loss allowance as at 31 December 2022 reconciles with the advances to 
related undertakings loss allowance opening balance as follows:

Opening loss allowance as at 1 January 2021

Loss allowance recognised during the financial year

Loss allowance as at 31 December 2021

Loss allowance recognised during the financial year

Loss allowance as at 31 December 2022

€

60,000

 –

60,000

 –

60,000

27. CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
For the purposes of the cash flow statement, cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and in banks. Cash and cash equivalents at 
the end of the financial year as shown in the cash flow statement can be reconciled to the related items in the balance sheet as follows:

Group

Cash and bank balances

Company

Cash and bank balances

2022
€

2021
€

1,693,116

6,446,217

980,098

4,845,633

The carrying amount of the cash and cash equivalents is considered a reasonable approximation of its fair value.

AT 31 DECEMBER 2022

AUTHORISED 
NUMBER

ALLOTTED AND
CALLED UP
NUMBER

AUTHORISED
€

ALLOTTED AND 
CALLED UP
€

Ordinary shares of €0.001 each

12,561,091,094

9,421,479,112

12,561,091

Deferred ordinary shares of €0.40 each 

200,000,000

22,370,042

80,000,000

Deferred “B” Ordinary Shares of €0.099 each

75,140,494

75,140,494

7,438,909

Deferred convertible “A” ordinary shares of €0.01 each

10,000,000,000

99,117,952

100,000,000

9,421,478

8,948,017

7,438,909

991,180

200,000,000

26,799,584

The holders of the ordinary shares are entitled to participate in the profits or assets of the Company (by way of payment of any dividends, 
on a winding up or otherwise) and are entitled to receive notice, attend, speak and vote at general meetings of the Company. Each 
ordinary share equates to one vote at meetings of the Company. 

The holders of the deferred convertible “A” ordinary shares are entitled to participate pari passu with ordinary shareholders in the 
profits or assets of the Company on a winding-up, up to an amount equal to the par value paid in respect of such deferred convertible 
“A” ordinary shares but are not entitled to participate in the profits or assets of the Company (by way of payment of any dividends or 
otherwise). The holders of the deferred convertible “A” ordinary shares are not entitled to receive notice, attend, speak and vote at general 
meetings of the Company. 

The holders of the deferred ordinary shares and the deferred “B” ordinary shares are not entitled to participate in the profits or assets of 
the Company (by way of payment of any dividends, on a winding up or otherwise) and are not entitled to receive notice, attend, speak and 
vote at general meetings of the Company. 

Share Premium
Proceeds received in excess of the nominal value of the shares issued during the financial year have been included in share premium, less 
registration and other regulatory fees. Costs of new shares charged to equity amounted to €362,241 (2021: €1,470,868).

Company Share Premium
The share premium included in the consolidated and company statement of financial position is different by €18,934,080 due to the 
reverse acquisition of the Group which occurred on 13 October 2008. The reverse acquisition resulted to a reverse acquisition reserve 
which has been netted off against the share premium in the consolidated statement of financial position. 

Movements in the financial year to 31 December 2022

AMOUNTS OF SHARES

2022

2021

Ordinary Shares of €0.001 each issued and fully paid

– Beginning of the financial year

– Issued on exercise of warrants 

– Issued in lieu of borrowings and settlement of payables

– Issued in exchange for financial instruments

– Share issue placement

Total Ordinary shares of €0.001 each authorised, issued and fully paid at the end of the 
financial year

8,599,024,945

6,977,439,598

19,696,881

335,657,692

52,757,286

167,728,038

–

51,532,961

750,000,000

1,066,666,656

9,421,479,112

8,599,024,945

98  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  99

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements 28. EQUITY – CONTINUED
Other Reserves
Other reserves relates to equity-settled share-based payment transactions.

Share warrants and options
As at 31 December 2022 the Company had 1,349,990,363 share warrants and options outstanding (2021: 554,355,338).

NO OF WARRANTS/OPTIONS

404,325,407

67,304,542

666,666,666

23,045,003

188,648,745

1,349,990,363

Details of warrants and options granted

EXERCISE PRICE 
(PENCE)

FINAL EXERCISE 
DATE

0.25

0.65

0.45

0.1

0.1

31/03/2025

30/06/2024

08/12/2024

31/01/2032

30/04/2033

LTIP 2021 OPTIONS

LTIP 2022 OPTIONS

LENDER WARRANTS

EMPLOYEE WARRANTS

EMPLOYEE OPTIONS

EXERCISE 
PRICE 
(PENCE)

EXERCISE 
PRICE 
(PENCE)

EXERCISE 
PRICE 
(PENCE)

NUMBER

EXERCISE 
PRICE 
(PENCE)

NUMBER

NUMBER

NUMBER

EXERCISE 
PRICE 
(PENCE)

NUMBER

23,045,003

0.1

–

–

–

–

424,022,288

0.25

67,304,542

0.65

–

–

–

–

–

–

188,648,745

0.1

666,666,666

0.45

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

19,696,881

0.25

–

–

–

–

–

–

23,045,003

0.1

188,648,745

0.1

666,666,666

0.45

404,325,407

0.25

67,304,542

0.65

–

–

–

–

666,666,666

0.45

404,325,407

0.25

67,304,542

0.65

9.08 years

10.25 years

1.92 years

0.25 years

1.58 years

At 1 January 
2022

Issued in year

Cancelled  
or expired  
in year

Exercised  
in year

At 31  
December  
2022

Exercisable  
at 31  
December  
2022

Average life 
remaining  
at 31  
December  
2022

At 1 January 2022

Cancelled or expired in year

At 31 December 2022

Exercisable at 31 December 2022

ADVISOR WARRANTS

ADVISOR WARRANTS

NUMBER

1,533,505

1,533,505

–

–

EXERCISE PRICE 
(PENCE)

5.53

5.53

–

–

NUMBER

38,450,000

38,450,000

–

–

EXERCISE PRICE 
(PENCE)

10.0

10.0

–

–

The options granted during the year related to the adoption of the EQTEC All Employee Long-term Incentive Plan (the “LTIP”). The LTIP is a 
core part of the Company’s new approach to business planning, performance management and employee incentives and is designed to 
drive individual and team performance in line with Company performance, thereby creating value for shareholders while minimising cash 
outlay. All Company Executive Directors and employees are eligible to participate in the LTIP. 

28. EQUITY – CONTINUED
Any awards made under the LTIP will comprise zero-cost share allocations (“Incentive Shares”) and will be settled in equity. 60% will vest 
providing the relevant individual is employed by the Company as of the vesting date, subject to no notice of termination, disciplinary 
proceedings or similar, and in the view of the Board, fulfilling his/her responsibilities to the highest possible standards. The remaining 
40% of Incentive Shares will vest provided the relevant individual has met the aforementioned employment conditions and, in addition, 
a Company-wide performance condition. The condition will be set annually by the Board against one or more of the Company’s priority 
financial targets. In respect of these Company performance allocations, there will be a minimum or ‘threshold’ achievement that must 
be obtained to qualify, with a ‘straight-line’ calculation of award up to a maximum level. Both types of Incentive Shares will be allocated 
annually and, subject to the above vesting conditions would vest over three years. The 2022 share allocation would vest in three equal 
instalments on 1 May 2023, 1 May 2024 and 1 May 2025, following announcement of the Company’s annual results. All vested awards 
are subject to a lock-in period, whereby any new ordinary shares of €0.001 each issued (“Ordinary Shares”) cannot be sold for two years 
from vesting for Directors and Heads of Function, or 12 months for all other employees. Awards are further subject to certain malus and 
clawback provisions, at the Board’s discretion.

The Group recognised total expenses of €340,257 and €205,648 related to equity-settled share-based payment transactions in 2022 and 
2021 respectively (see note 10). The corresponding credit is recognised in the share-based payments reserve.

29. NON-CONTROLLING INTERESTS

Balance at beginning of financial year

Share of (loss)/profit for the financial year

Unrealised foreign exchange gains/(losses)

Balance at end of financial year

30. BORROWINGS

Group

Current liabilities 

At amortised cost

Unsecured loan facility (USLF) 

Other loans

Non-current liabilities 

At amortised cost

Unsecured shareholder loan (USL)

Company 

Current liabilities

At amortised cost

Unsecured loan facility (USLF) 

Non-current liabilities 

At amortised cost

Unsecured shareholder loan (USSL)

2022
€

2021
€

(2,384,189)

(2,223,986)

(11)

68

 125,677

(160,271)

(2,258,523)

(2,384,189)

2022
€

2021
€

5,006,076

 99,962

5,106,038

1,064,598

2022
€

5,006,076

1,064,598

–

 –

 –

 –

2021
€

 –

 –

100  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  101

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements 30. BORROWINGS – CONTINUED
Borrowings at amortised cost
On 28 March 2022, the Company entered into arrangements in respect of the provision of a new unsecured loan facility (USLF) for up 
to £10 million, with an initial advance received by the Company of £5 million. The initial advance is to be repaid on a monthly basis 
commencing 5 months after the receipt of the advance by the Company and have a final maturity date of 12 months. The Company will 
also pay a fixed interest coupon to the lenders on a quarterly basis calculated at 7.5% of the value of each advance of the USLF. At 31 
December 2022, the face value of the USLF and accrued interest at 31 December 2022 was €5,080,940 (2021: €Nil). 

On 8 December 2022, the Company entered into a loan facility (USSL) with Altair Group Investment Limited, the Company’s largest 
shareholder. The USSL will provide the Company with an up to £2.0 million unsecured loan with a term of 24 months from the date of 
execution. The USSL carries an annual interest rate of 8.0% on funds drawn and outstanding, with interest payable quarterly in advance. 
Additionally, the Company will pay a 2.5% fee for arrangement of the Facility. At 31 December 2022, the face value of the USSL and accrued 
interest at 31 December 2022 was €1,131,513 (2021: €Nil).

Reconciliation of liabilities arising from financing activities
The table below details changes in the Group’s liabilities arising from financing activities, including both cash and non–cash changes. 
Liabilities arising from financing activities are those for which cash flows were, or future cash flows will be, classified in the Group’s 
consolidated statement of cash flows as cash flows from financing activities. Except where noted, all liabilities noted below are disclosed in 
Note 30.

UNSECURED 
LOAN 
FACILITY 
€

SECURED LOAN 
FACILITY 
€

BANK 
OVERDRAFT 
€

LEASE LIABILITIES 
(NOTE 31) 
€

TOTAL 
€

 –

896,641

 124,210

191,707

1,212,558

Balance at 1 January 2021

Financing Cash Flows

Proceeds from borrowings

Repayment of borrowings and lease 
liabilities

Change in bank overdraft

1,391,174

–

(1,479,764)

(1,386,752)

 –

 –

Total from financing cash flows

 (88,590)

(1,386,752)

Non-cash changes

Capitalisation of leases

Effect of changes in foreign  
exchange rates

Amortisation of loan issue costs

Redemption fee levied

Other changes

Total non-cash changes

Balance at 31 December 2021

–

–

60,019

–

–

28,571

88,590

 –

9,936

12,058

466,929

 1,188

 490,111

 –

Other changes include interest accruals and payments.

–

–

(124,210)

(124,210)

–

–

–

–

 –

 –

 –

(165,208)

(3,031,724)

 –

(124,210)

(165,208)

(1,764,760)

219,301

219,301

3,567

–

–

 8,341

231,209

257,708

73,522

12,058

466,929

 38,100

809,910

257,708

30. BORROWINGS – CONTINUED
Reconciliation of liabilities arising from financing activities - continued

USLF 
€

 –

USSL 
€

 –

BANK 
OVERDRAFT 
€

LEASE LIABILITIES 
(NOTE 31) 
€

 –

257,708

TOTAL 
€

257,708

5,981,262

1,157,520

98,068

–

7,236,850

Total from financing cash flows

4,732,562

1,151,732

 98,068

(206,552)

(919,931)

(328,769)

–

(5,788)

–

 –

(206,552)

(1,126,483)

 –

(334,557)

5,775,810

–

–

–

4,042

4,042

Balance at 1 January 2022

Financing Cash Flows

Proceeds from borrowings

Repayment of borrowings and lease 
liabilities

Loan issue costs paid

Non-cash changes

Capitalisation of leases

Effect of changes in foreign  
exchange rates

Amortisation of loan issue costs

Other changes

Total non-cash changes

(303,002)

243,825

332,691

273,514

(27,615)

896

(60,415)

(87,134)

(303)

–

2,197

1,894

–

1,391,174

Other changes include interest accruals and payments.

Balance at 31 December 2022

5,006,076

1,064,598

99,962

31. LEASES
Lease liabilities are presented in the statement of financial position as follows:

GROUP

Current

Non-current 

(3,667)

–

   5,000

 5,375

56,531

(334,587)

244,721

 279,473

193,649

6,227,167

2022
€

56,531

–

56,531

2021
€

200,853

56,855

257,708

The Group has leases for its offices in London, England and in Barcelona, Spain. With the exception of short-term leases and leases of low-
value underlying assets, each lease is reflected on the statement of financial position as a right-of-use asset and a lease liability. The Group 
classifies its right-of-use assets in a consistent manner to its property, plant and equipment (see Note 18).

Each lease generally imposes a restriction that, unless there is a contractual right for the Group to sublet the asset to another party, the 
right-of-use asset can only be used by the Group. Leases are either non-cancellable or may only be cancelled by incurring a substantive 
termination fee. Some leases contain an option to purchase the underlying leased asset outright at the end of the lease, or to extend the 
lease for a further term. The Group is prohibited from selling or pledging the underlying leased assets as security. For leases over office 
buildings, the Group must keep those properties in a good state of repair and return the premises in their original condition at the end of 
the lease. Further, the Group must insure items of property, plant and equipment and incur maintenance fees on such items in accordance 
with the lease contracts.

102  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  103

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements 31. LEASES - CONTINUED
The table below describes the nature of the Group’s leasing activities by type of right-of-use asset recognised in the statement of financial 
position:

NO. OF 
RIGHT-OF-USE 
ASSETS LEASED

RANGE OF 
REMAINING 
TERM

AVERAGE 
REMAINING 
LEASE TERM

NO. OF  
LEASES WITH 
EXTENSION 
OPTIONS

NO OF LEASES 
WITH OPTIONS 
TO PURCHASE

NO OF LEASES 
WITH VARIABLE 
PAYMENTS 
LINKED TO AN 
INDEX

NO OF  
LEASES WITH 
TERMINATION 
OPTIONS

2

0.33 years

0.29 years

0

0

0

0

RIGHT-OF-USE 
ASSET

Leasehold 
Building

The lease liabilities are secured by the related underlying asset. Further minimum lease payments at 31 December 2022 were as follows:

WITHIN 1 YEAR
€

1-2 YEARS
€

2-3 YEARS
€

3-4 YEARS
€ 

4-5 YEARS
€

AFTER 5 YEARS
€

TOTAL
€

MINIMUM LEASE PAYMENTS DUE

2022

Lease 
payments

Finance 
charges

Net Present 
Values

2021

Lease 
payments

Finance 
charges

Net Present 
Values

56,849

 (318)

 56,531

–

 –

 –

205,838

57,177

 (4,985)

 (322)

200,853

56,855

–

 –

 –

–

 –

 –

–

 –

 –

–

 –

 –

–

 –

 –

–

 –

 –

–

 –

 –

–

 –

 –

56,849

 (318)

 56,531

263,015

(5,307)

257,708

Lease payments not recognised as a liability
The Group has elected not to recognise a lease liability for short-term leases (leases with an expected term of 12 months or less) or for 
leases of low value assets. Payments made under such leases are expensed on a straight-line basis. The expense related to payments not 
included in the measurement of the lease liability is as follows:

Short term leases

Leases of low-value assets 

2022
€

16,131

10,294

26,425

2021
€

29,053

12,566

41,619

At 31 December 2022, the Group was committed to short-term leases and the total commitment at that date was €18,837 (2021: €17,472).

Total cash outflow for lease liabilities for the financial year ended 31 December 2022 was €206,552 (2021: €165,208).

Additional information on the right-to-use assets by class of assets is as follows:

Leasehold Buildings

Total Right-of-use assets

CARRYING 
AMOUNT 
(NOTE 18) 
€

57,520

57,520

DEPRECIATION 
EXPENSE 
€

197,016

197,016

IMPAIRMENT 
€

 –

 –

The right-of-use assets are included in the same line item as where the corresponding underlying assets would be presented if they were owned.

32. TRADE AND OTHER PAYABLES

GROUP

VAT payable

Trade payables

Advances paid by customers

Other payables

Accruals

PAYE & social welfare 

2022
€

273,570

1,537,888

186,018

2,629,734

1,522,092

115,102

6,264,404

2021
€

220,167

2,526,017

400,000

2,986,084

680,938

108,600

6,921,806

Trade and other creditors are payable at various dates in accordance with the suppliers’ usual and customary credit terms. PAYE and 
social welfare and other taxes including social insurance are repayable at various dates over the coming months in accordance with the 
applicable statutory provisions.

The carrying amount of trade and other payables approximates its fair value. All trade and other payables fall due within one year. 

Included in other payables is an amount of €2,485,623 (£2,200,000) (2021: €2,977,963 (£2,500,000)) relating to consideration payable under 
the share purchase contract to acquire Logik WTE Limited (see Note 22).

COMPANY

Trade payables

Other creditors

Amounts payable to subsidiary undertakings

Advances paid by customers

PAYE & social welfare

Accruals

2022
€

161,177

4,504

2

69,018

24,685

1,115,163

1,374,549

2021
€

89,669

2,840

2

–

16,604

381,941

491,056

Trade and other creditors are payable at various dates in accordance with the suppliers’ usual and customary credit terms. PAYE & social 
welfare are repayable at various dates over the coming months in accordance with the applicable statutory provisions.

The carrying amount of trade and other payables approximates its fair value. All trade and other payables fall due within one year. 

33.  DISPOSAL OF SUBSIDIARY 
On 24 August 2020, the Group disposed of its interest in Pluckanes Windfarm Limited.

During the year ended 31 December 2022, the Group received €170,000 from the buyer of Pluckanes Windfarm Limited in full and final 
settlement of the deferred consideration. Per the sales purchase agreement, €170,000 was deferred and held in escrow subject to the 
following conditions, all of which have been met:

(i)  the Buyer obtaining a planning extension to Pluckanes Windfarm Limited’s existing planning permission on its property, in order to 

extend the term of the wind turbine activity, within two years of the date of the requisite planning application which must be submitted 
by the Buyer within three months of completion of the sale; 

(ii)  the Group procuring the transfer of the substation between the landlord and ESB Networks; and

(iii)  the Group procuring a letter from the relevant local authority confirming compliance with a certain customary condition of the existing 

planning permission.

The fair value of the deferred consideration was calculated as €116,492 on the date of disposal. At 31 December 2022, the fair value of the 
deferred consideration was valued at €Nil (31 December 2021: €133,034) and is included in trade and other receivables (See Note 26).

104  |  EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022

EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  105

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements 34.  RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS 
The Group’s related parties include Altair Group Investment Limited (“Altair”),who at 31 December 2022 held 18.19% (2021: 19.00%) of the 
shares in the Company. Other Group related parties include the associate and joint venture companies and key management. 

34.  RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS – CONTINUED
Transactions with associate undertakings and joint ventures
The following transactions were made with associate undertakings and joint ventures for the year ended 31 December 2022:

Transactions with Altair 
During the financial year ended 31 December 2022, Altair advanced €1,157,520 (2021: €1,391,174) to the Group by way of borrowings. 
During the financial year ended 31 December 2022, the Group repaid borrowings of €Nil (2021: €1,479,764) by way of conversion into 
equity. Interest payable to Altair for the financial year ended 31 December 2022 amounted to €1,725 (2021: €28,571) and is included in 
interest on loans, bank facilities and overdrafts as set out in Note 11. 

Included in borrowings, net of amortisation costs, at 31 December 2022 is an amount of €1,064,598 (2021: €Nil) due to Altair from the 
Group (See Note 30).

Transactions with key management personnel
Key management of the Group are the members of EQTEC plc’s board of directors. Key management personnel remuneration includes  
the following:

DATE OF 
DIRECTORSHIP 
APPOINTMENT/
RETIREMENT

Appointed 
19/07/2021 

Retired 
15/07/2021 

NAME

Executive Directors

D Palumbo

J Vander Linden

N Babar

Y Alemán Méndez

Former Executive Directors

G Madden

Non-Executive Directors

I Pearson

T Quigley

Total 2022

Total 2021

SALARY
€’000S

FEES
€’000S

PENSION 
CONTRIBUTION
€’000S

OTHER 
BENEFITS
€’000S

TERMINATION 
PAYMENTS 
€000’S

SHORT TERM 
INCENTIVES
€’000S

LONG TERM 
INCENTIVES
€000’S

2022 
TOTAL
€’000S

2021
TOTAL
€’000S

265

265

204

186

–

–

–

920

731

–

–

–

–

–

71

42

113

111

13

13

10

–

–

–

–

36

23

–

8

11

5

–

–

–

24

21

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

241

79

79

62

55

–

–

–

275

342

54

54

42

35

–

–

–

185

 86

419

422

323

276

290

354

142

244

–

414

71

42

1,553

69

42

 –

 –

1,555

At 31 December 2022, directors’ remuneration unpaid (including past directors) amounted to €274,917 (31 December 2021: €341,812). 

A company controlled by Mr. Palumbo had previously provided office space to the Group in London. The cost of these services amounted 
to €Nil (2021: €12,566). At 31 December 2022, an amount of €Nil is included in trade and other payable with respect to payments due to this 
company (2021: €Nil).

During the year ended 31 December 2021, the Group entered into a royalty settlement arrangement, to the value of €2,492,059, with 
Syngas Technology Engineering, S.L. (a company controlled by Dr. Yoel Alemán Méndez, the Group’s CTO and current Board Director).  
This balance was settled through a cash payment of €1,000,000 with the remainder through the issue of new ordinary shares of €0.001 
each in the capital of the Company on 3 June 2021.

During the year ended 31 December 2021 a director, Mr I Pearson, provided consultancy services to the Group to the value of €116,261  
for which he received 6,666,666 in shares. There was nothing to note for the financial year ended 31 December 2022. Included in trade  
and other payables is an amount of €Nil (2021: €Nil) with respect to these services.

During the year ended 31 December 2021, a director, Mr. T Quigley, provided consultancy services to the Group amounting to €11,543. 
There was nothing to note for the financial year ended 31 December 2022. Included in trade and other payables is an amount of €Nil (2021: 
€Nil) with respect to these services.

During the year ended 31 December 2021, the company settled certain debts owed to directors and former directors by way of equity.  
In accordance with IFRIC 19 Extinguishing Financial Liabilities with Equity Instruments, the loss recognised on these transactions related  
to directors and former directors was €1,104,374. There was nothing to note for the financial year ended 31 December 2022.

Details of each director’s interests in shares and equity related instruments that were in office at the year-end are shown in the  
Directors’ Report.

NORTH FORK 
COMMUNITY  
POWER LLC

SYNERGY BELISCE 
D.O.O.

SYNERGY KARLOVAC 
D.O.O.

EQTEC ITALIA  
MDC SRL

EQTEC SYNERGY 
PROJECTS LIMITED

TOTAL

2022
€

2021
€

2022
€

2021
€

2022
€

2021
€

2022
€

2021
€

2022
€

2021
€

2022
€

2021
€

Loans to associated undertakings and joint ventures

At start of year

1,891,842

1,150,619

551,808

–

585,251

–

492,406

–

100,000

–

3,621,307

1,150,619

Advanced during year

528,085

1,790,113

1,706,258

547,853

618,356

581,056

Repaid in year

Debtor reclassified  
as loan

–

–

–

–

Loans derecognised

– (1,150,619)

Interest charged in year

177,069

54,287

Loans reclassified as 
investment (see below)

(2,728,959)

–

(8,694)

(31,324)

–

–

–

–

–

–

3,147

–

808

–

–

–

–

–

–

1,161,000

–

482,000

–

–

–

–

–

–

3,338

19,119

10,406

–

(15,952)

–

 –

–

–

–

–

–

–

 –

100,000

2,852,699

3,501,022

–

–

–

–

(40,018)

1,161,000

–

–

– (1,150,619)

196,188

71,178

– (2,744,911)

–

 – 

128,286

 49,107

Exchange differences

131,963

47,442

(2,006)

(1,671)

 857

 –

At end of year

 –

1,891,842

2,247,366

551,808

1,170,612

585,251

1,656,573

492,406

100,000

100,000

5,174,551

3,621,307

Sales of goods and services

Technology sales

Development fees

Year-end balances

Included in trade 
receivables

Included in other 
receivables

–

–

–

–

–

–

2,158,118

1,000,000

1,237,500

–

1,540,000

3,500,000

1,000,000

 –

245,010

599,607

115,005

549,647

 –

 –

2,158,118

1,245,010

1,837,107

115,005

2,089,647

3,500,000

1,000,000

34,900

2,217,523

1,962,925

2,245,191

2,202,884

609,000

42,919

–

–

–

–

–

 –

–

4,500,000

5,935,618

360,015

1,149,254

4,860,015

7,084,872

–

5,874,214

4,243,628

 –

 –

 –

12,421

 12,452

100

 100

34,900

2,217,523

1,962,925

2,257,612

2,215,336

609,100

43,019

16,956

16,956

14,956

29,477

27,508

14,956

5,903,691

4,271,136

As part of the financial restructurings of North Fork Community Power LLC under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code (see Note 21), 
borrowings and accrued interest advanced to North Fork Community Power LLC amounting to €2,728,959 have been reclassified as equity 
in North Fork Community Power LLC.

Unless otherwise stated, none of the transactions incorporate special terms and conditions and no guarantees were given or received. 
Outstanding balances are usually settled in cash.

35. EVENTS AFTER THE BALANCE SHEET DATE
Update on share purchase agreement for Deeside project
On 1 March 2023, it was announced that Deeside WTV Limited (“Deeside WTV”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of EQTEC, and Logik WTE 
Limited (“Logik WTE”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Logik Developments Limited (“Logik”) (the “Parties”) have been unable to meet by 
the agreed deadline all completion requirements specified under the share purchase agreement signed by the Parties on 07 December 
2020, and as amended by supplemental agreements announced on 06 December 2021, 01 April 2022 and 30 June 2022 (the “SPA”). While 
the SPA has not completed on the agreed date it remains in force and the Parties continue to discuss constructive options for moving 
forward with development of the Project, in line with the Company’s stated business strategy of focusing on high-margin technology and 
innovation services, engaging partners and customers to develop and fund the capital projects that will deploy EQTEC’s technologies.

Italy Market Development Centre operational
On 8 March 2023, the Group confirmed that its Italy Market Development Centre (“MDC”) is operational. EQTEC’s technical commissioning 
team has commenced handover protocols for transferring plant operations to EQTEC Italia MDC srl (“Italia MDC”), the MDC’s operating 
company (the “Handover Protocols”). The Plant is the first of EQTEC’s MDCs to become operational. Additionally, Italia MDC is pursuing 
refinance of the plant asset by an Italian bank. The technical advisor to the bank visited the plant in March to complete a technical 
survey. Subject, inter alia, to the finalisation of the technical report, the Company expects that a funding agreement with the bank will be 
completed during Q2 2023.

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EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  107

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements 36. NON-CASH TRANSACTIONS
During the financial year, the Group entered into the following non-cash investing and financing activities which are not reflected in the 
consolidated statement of cash flows:

Issue of shares in settlement of borrowings and other liabilities

Issue of shares in exchange for financial assets

2022
€

290,429

–

2021
€

3,452,741

 745,161

37. COMPANY PROFIT AND LOSS
As a consolidated group income statement is published, a separate income statement for the parent company is omitted from the Group’s 
financial statements by virtue of section 304(2) of the Companies Act, 2014. The Company’s loss for the financial year ended 31 December 
2022 was €5,216,344 (2021: €3,942,601).

38.  APPROVAL OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
These financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors on 05 May 2023.

35. EVENTS AFTER THE BALANCE SHEET DATE – CONTINUED
Share placing
On 21 March 2023, the Company announced that it had conditionally raised £3.5 million before expenses by way of placing, via direct 
subscriptions with the Company by institutional and other investors (the “Placees”) of units (“Units”) at a price of 0.22 pence per Unit 
(the “Placing Price”). Each Unit comprises one new ordinary share of €0.001 each in the Company (“Ordinary Share”) and one half of 
one Ordinary Share purchase warrant (“Warrant”). Each full Warrant is exercisable at 0.33 pence per new Ordinary Share. A total of 
1,595,454,545 Units was subscribed for at the Placing Price resulting in the issue of 1,595,454,545 new Ordinary Shares (the “Placing 
Shares”) and the grant of 797,727,273 Warrants. Each Warrant, which is unlisted and fully transferable, will entitle the holder thereof to 
purchase one Ordinary Share at a price of 0.33 pence (being a 50 percent premium to the Placing Price) for a period of 24 months from the 
date on which the Units are issued pursuant to the Placing.

Altair participation and Altair Facility prepayment and increase
On 21 March 2023, the Company announced that Altair Group Investments Limited (“Altair”), the largest shareholder of the Company, 
had agreed to subscribe for £1.5 million pursuant to the Placing (the “Altair Placing”). In addition, the Company had an existing £2 million 
loan facility with Altair, as announced on 9 December 2022 (the “Altair Facility”). The Company and Altair have entered into an agreement 
through which Altair’s participation in the Placing will be applied towards reducing the outstanding amount of £1.8 million under the 
Altair Facility and to increase the maximum amount of such facility to £3.5 million, with £1.7 million remaining available for drawdown 
following the Altair Placing and intended repayment (the “Facility Extension”). All other terms of the Altair Facility remain unchanged.

Lenders Facility conversion and reprofile
On 21 March 2023, the Company announced that Riverfort Global Opportunities PCC Limited and YA II PN Limited (the “Lenders”), who 
had an existing £10 million loan facility with the Company (the “Lenders Facility”), had agreed, conditional upon Admission, to convert 
£887,500 of the current outstanding loan balance into 403,409,091 Units at the Placing Price comprising 403,409,091 new Ordinary Shares 
(“Lender Shares”) and 201,704,540 share purchase warrants on the same terms as the Warrants. The Lenders have also agreed to reprofile 
the monthly repayment schedule of the Lenders’ Facility for the period until 31 December 2024, with repayments starting on 30 June 2023. 
A one-off reprofile fee of 3% of the Lenders’ Facility will be added to the outstanding balance. Following the reprofile, the outstanding 
balance of the Lenders’ Facility will be £4.25 million and a fixed-interest monthly coupon of £31,875 will be payable when repayments 
commence. The Lenders also received warrants over 965,909,091 Ordinary Shares as part of the debt reprofile, exercisable for a period of 
two years from the date of grant at a 100 percent premium over the Placing Price (“Lender Warrants”). However, the Lender Warrants will 
be exercisable only once the mid-market closing price of the Ordinary Shares is equal to or exceeds 0.55 pence at the time of exercise.

Issue of Ordinary Shares to strategic suppliers
On 21 March 2023, the Company further announced that it was proposing to issue, in aggregate, 106,805,444 new Ordinary Shares (the 
“Supplier Shares”) at the Placing Price to certain strategic service providers providing business development and advisory services to the 
Group in satisfaction of fees due to them. The issue of the Supplier Shares further aligns the interests of strategic advisors and service 
providers with those of the Company and its shareholders.

Issue of shares
On 21 April 2023, the Company announced that, as part of an option to provide registered shareholders with an opportunity to acquire 
shares on the same basis as the share placing announced on 21 March 2023, it had issued 1,105,828 units (“Units”) at 0.22 pence per Unit, 
the same price as the placing on 21 March.  Each Unit comprises one new ordinary share of €0.001 each in the Company (“Ordinary Share”) 
and one half of one Ordinary Share purchase warrant (“Warrant”). Each full Warrant is exercisable at 0.33 pence per new Ordinary Share. 
The Warrants are unlisted.  

No other adjusting or significant non-adjusting events have occurred between the 31 December reporting date and the date of 
authorisation.

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EQTEC plc Annual Report 2022  |  109

Notes to the Financial Statements Notes to the Financial Statements EQTEC plc
Cork, Building 1000,  
City Gate,  
Mahon,  
Cork,  
T12 W7CV,  
Republic of Ireland

Registered Number: 462861

Notes to the Financial Statements