2 May 2024
Iofina plc
("Iofina", the "Company" or the "Group")
(AIM: IOF)
2023 FULL YEAR RESULTS
Revenue up 18.5% to
Iofina plc, specialists in the exploration and production of iodine and manufacturers of specialty chemical products, announces its audited full-year results for the 12 months to 31 December 2023 (the "Period").
Higher sales of crystalline iodine drive 18.5% revenue growth, profits resilient despite higher inflation and input costs:
· Revenue of
· Gross profit of
· Adjusted EBITDA1 of
· Operating profit of
· Profit before tax of
Strong balance sheet and swing to net cash position:
· Cash of
· Further debt reduction moved the Company into a net cash position of
Investing for growth:
· Capital investment into chemical and new iodine plants doubled to
· Signed agreement in Q4 2023 for IO#10
2024 so far:
· Production of 123.7 MT of crystalline iodine in Q1 from Iofina's six IOsorb® plants
· The iodine global spot price started around the mid to upper sixties $ per kg and prices are expected to stay at these levels into the second half of 2024
· IO#10 is currently on schedule and expected to be operational in Q3 2024
· Potential sites for IO#11 identified
· Renewal of iodide-rich brine water supply agreements for two IOsorb® plants
1Refer to the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income for calculation
Commenting, President and CEO, Dr. Tom Becker, stated:
"Iofina delivered another strong year across the business, which culminated in record sales of just over
"In Q4 2023, we announced the agreement was signed for IO#10 and we remain on track to have this in operation in Q3 2024. Like IO#9, the new plant is expected to add 100MT-150MT of crystalline iodine per annum. We are also pleased that negotiations are progressing well with several interested parties for IO#11, with potential sites identified. Outside of the construction of new IOsorb® plants, the Board continues to examine other potential growth projects that complement Iofina's existing skill set and range of products, which may present cross-selling opportunities.
"2024 has started well, with Q1 production up 15.5% year-on-year as recently announced, and iodine prices continue to remain at their higher, favourable levels. We have also confirmed the long-term agreement to supply two IOsorb® plants with iodide-rich brine water with the current supplier. The security in the new agreement ensures the Company can keep on track with its strategy in aiming to increase production from our existing plants and to match the increased production with additional sales."
Enquiries:
Dr. Tom Becker
CEO & President
Iofina plc
Tel: +44 (0)20 3006 3135
Nomad & Broker:
Henry Fitzgerald-O'Connor/Harry Rees
Canaccord Genuity Limited
Tel: +44 (0)20 7523 8000
Media Contact:
Charles Goodwin/Shivantha Thambirajah/Zara McKinlay
Yellow Jersey PR Limited
Tel: +44 (0)7747 788 221/+44 (0)7983 521 488
About Iofina:
Iofina plc (AIM: IOF) is a vertically integrated company that specialises in the production of Iodine and the manufacturing of specialty chemical products. Iofina is the second largest producer of iodine in
LEI: 213800QDMFYVRJYYTQ84
ISIN: GB00B2QL5C79
Iofina Resources
Iofina Resources develops, builds, owns, and operates iodine extraction plants using Iofina's WET® IOsorb® technology. Iofina currently operates six producing IOsorb® plants in
Iofina Chemical
Iofina Chemical has manufactured high quality halogen speciality chemicals derived from raw iodine, as well as non-iodine-based products. Iofina Chemical celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2023 as a preeminent halogen-based specialty chemicals company.
Contents
COMPANY INFORMATION....................................................................................................... ..2
CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT........................................................................................................ ..3
FINANCIAL REVIEW.................................................................................................................. ..8
DIRECTORS' BIOGRAPHIES……................................................................................................... 10
STRATEGIC REPORT................................................................................................................... 12
S172 STATEMENT………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….22
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE……………………………………………………………………………………………………24
DIRECTORS' REPORT.................................................................................................................. 25
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENT....................................................................................27
ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE ("ESG")………………………………………………………….34
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF IOFINA PLC......................................37
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME .....................................................47
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET .............................................................................................. 48
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY.....................................49
CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT ................................................................................. 50
COMPANY BALANCE SHEET ........................................................................................................51
COMPANY STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY.............................................52
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS...........................................................53
COMPANY INFORMATION
Directors L J Baller
T M Becker
W D Bellamy
M T Lewin
J F Mermoud
M Fallin Christensen
Secretary Simon Holden
Company number 05393357
Registered office 48 Chancery Lane
London WC2A 1JF
Auditor UHY Hacker Young LLP
Quadrant House
4 Thomas More Square
London E1W 1 YW
Nominated Adviser and Broker Canaccord Genuity Limited
88 Wood Street
London EC2V 7QR
Solicitors Keystone Law Limited
48 Chancery Lane
London WC2A 1JF
Registrar Link Asset Services (Holdings) Limited
10th Floor, Central Square
29 Wellington Square
Leeds LS1 4DL
Financial PR Yellow Jersey PR Limited
Thanet House
231-232 Strand
London WC2R 1DA
CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT
Introduction
Iofina delivered another strong performance in 2023 against a backdrop of higher inflation, which saw input costs rise materially across all industries. We achieved increased revenues for the sixth consecutive year of
Cash started the year at
Iofina produced 559 metric tonnes ("MT") of crystalline iodine in 2023, an increase of 8.3% over 2022 (516 MT). Average prices per kilogram achieved for sales of crystalline iodine, based on 100% iodine, decreased 2.8% on the previous year to an average of
One of the Key Performance Indicators ("KPI's") the Company utilises to measure progression showed a healthy bank term debt to Adjusted EBITDA ratio of 0.50 for year-end 2023. This compared to 0.58 for year-end 2022 (1.19 for year-end 2021). In 2017, we set out to reduce the Group's debt-to-EBITDA ratio to below one from an unhealthy and unsustainable 15.53 ratio. The debt-to-EBITDA ratio is a leverage metric that measures the amount of income that is available to pay down debt before covering interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation expenses. Industry standards indicate a term debt to EBITDA ratio of below three is standard and acceptable. A debt-to-EBITDA ratio below one indicates that the Group is generating enough cash from operations to cover its debts plus has excess funds for other purposes such as plant expansion. In addition, the Company was able to reduce its net debt position from
Iofina remains committed to the safety of our employees and our communities. We continue to improve upon our robust Environmental Health and Safety ("EH&S") programs and apply the tenets of these programs in our daily activities. At the end of 2023, the Group has not had a Lost Time Incident ("LTI") in 993 days has not experienced any LTI's so far in 2024. Iofina continues to invest heavily in training and software for EH&S and is committed to the highest standards.
We have built an excellent business with diversified, low-cost production across a diverse array of IOsorb® plants and a specialty chemicals business, supplying customers globally across several end markets. While many of our KPI's were encouraging in 2023, overall results were mixed as we tried to maintain a stronger sales margin, giving up lower-margin business, whilst dealing with inflationary pressures, especially on new plant construction.
Iofina Chemical ("IC")
IC operates as the Group's chemical derivatives manufacturer and processes all product sales. Sales in 2023 exceeded
IC production and sales of non-iodine halogen derivatives remain a strategic segment of the Group. These compounds add to the diversity of our offerings and support various applications including biocides and semiconductor etchant uses. Non-iodine sales accounted for 16% of the Group's total sales in 2023, with overall sales for these non-iodine derivatives falling in 2023. Iofina expects semiconductor demand to be the key driver of sales for our non-iodine derivatives in 2024 as this sector continues to strengthen.
IC is an ISO 9001:2015 certified company, continuing to meet or exceed our internal KPI's regarding IC's quality performance to ensure it is delivering quality compounds timely that meet or exceed customer expectations.
In 2023, several plant improvements at IC were authorised, including the installation of a new chiller to support the production of numerous iodine derivatives, process improvements to produce a specialty gas used in semiconductor applications, and equipment replacements in our Sodium Iodide and Methyl Iodide processes. The most significant changes in 2023 affected IPBC, where improvements have resulted in faster reaction times, reduced costs, and increased quality. Additionally, IC added equipment to produce a new IPBC formulation for the Group.
As a specialty chemical manufacturer, IC handles numerous hazardous substances and performs various chemical reactions in large quantities. It is imperative that IC follow a robust safety program and we strive for continual improvement in these safety-related measures. IC is proud to have had no LTI's in the last 1,181 days as of 31 December 2023 and no LTI's so far in 2024. Additionally, IC management continues to build, with our employees, a strong culture focused on safety and performance.
Research and Development ("R&D") is critical for IC to meet the Group's expectations of continued growth. The IPBC improvements, mentioned above, were accomplished due to our R&D efforts. Additionally, the IC research team has focused on the following areas: systems to recover iodine from specific industrial waste streams, the development of iodine compounds used in the agricultural industry which is expected to be produced by IC in 2024, developing of synthetic routes for new iodine compounds for IC, and the development of a new synthesis of a specialty fluorinated gas. The investments that IC continues to make in its R&D facilities and team are expected to enhance future new product opportunities and margins realised by the Group.
As Iofina continues its expansion strategy, the Company recognised it needed to add resources to the Group to accomplish our goals. To that end, IC hired a new Sales and Marketing Manager in 2023 who has extensive experience in the specialty chemical industry. In 2024, the Company's website will go through a restructuring process to drive more traffic and further enhance the capabilities of Iofina. With the increased marketing efforts, we expect to expand our customer base and identify new opportunities for existing offerings. Finally, the Company believes the new strategy will obtain new R&D opportunities, within our core chemistries, to drive additional growth and further new research for our customers growing needs.
Iodine Market
The global demand for iodine in 2023 was mixed. Overall, we believe that the consumption of iodine slightly decreased in 2023 versus the previous year. There were areas of strong growth including X-ray contrast media applications, with other segments declining in demand such as automotive uses and some agricultural applications due to end-market production constraints. Additionally, there were likely some inventory corrections, especially at the beginning of 2023, that contributed to the year-over-year decline in iodine demand.
Nevertheless, prices remained robust and demand for Iofina's crystalline iodine was strong among our growing customer base. Spot iodine prices began the year near
Iofina Resources ("IR")
IR operates as the Group's iodine manufacturer and conducts exploration efforts for future growth in the extraction of valuable substances, such as iodine, from brine waters. IR has developed its proven technology to obtain iodine from produced water brines, which are a by-product of oil and gas production. IR currently operates six IOsorb® iodine plants in the state of Oklahoma. In 2023, IR continued to execute its growth strategy and switched on its newest plant IO#9 in June 2023. It also began construction of an additional iodine plant, IO#10, in late 2023, which is expected to be completed in Q3 2024. IR produced 559.3 MT of crystalline iodine in 2023, an 8% increase year-on-year. With a full year of production from IO#9, and additional production expected from IO#10, IR expects to produce a record amount of iodine for the Group in 2024.
The opening of IO#9 is a significant achievement for IR. This iodine production plant operates with a new brine supply partner in a new core area of production. We note that there were challenges in the timing of the opening of this plant, and the costs associated with the building of IO#9. We have documented and learned lessons that we will apply to the construction of future IOsorb® plants. In late 2023, the Group announced the start of construction of a new plant IO#10 in the same new core area in Oklahoma as IO#9. Once operational, IO#10 is expected to produce 100-150 MT of crystalline iodine annually, with this plant operating with a large new brine supply partner. IR has recently welcomed back our former VP of Operations from a Fortune 100 company into a new role to focus on managing new major business development and overseeing the new construction of IO#10. This project manager was heavily involved in the building of past iodine plants and has extensive experience in iodine recovery and exploration. As previously communicated, IR expects to double its production from 2021 levels in the next few years, and the development of new plants such as IO#9 and IO#10 is part of that process to achieve that goal.
To that, the IR team continues to strengthen its business development efforts to increase future production. We have added personnel to our geological team to provide additional capabilities to meet our growth goals and to have adequate resources to explore new areas both inside and outside of our current core production regions. IR continues its intern program in conjunction with an Oklahoma university to provide additional support to our exploration efforts.
We continue to make positive progress towards finalising the plans and agreements necessary for our next plant, IO#11. The Directors of Iofina will make the proper business decision regarding the timing of IO#11 based on market and business management factors. The most likely location for IO#11 will be in our new core area in Oklahoma where IO#9 is based, and IO#10 is being developed. IR is exploring other opportunities both in our Oklahoma core areas, as well as in two other states in the US. We are excited about the future growth opportunities outside of our current core areas, which could be a step change in the magnitude of growth for Iofina.
Outside of IO#9, IR operates five other IOsorb® iodine production plants. These plants performed as expected in 2023, and we recently announced, on 16 April 2024, a market-rate brine fee agreement with a long-term partner at two of our sites. This agreement will help better align our partner to maximise brine flow to those two plants. These five historic plants are situated in Western Oklahoma, and three different partners supply our plants with produced brine water. We continue to ensure we maintain good relationships with each partner. IR's focus at these plants in 2023 emphasised working with our partners to maximise brine water inputs and to achieve maximum efficiencies to produce iodine from these plants. As these plants age, it is important to reinvest in these facilities to avoid production downtime and ensure cost controls at these plants are a focus for the Group. To that, our maintenance team continues to improve its preventative maintenance program to be more proactive in our approach to maintaining our facilities rather than reactive.
Costs of raw materials to process the brine water into iodine continued to increase in 2023, however, chemical cost increases in 2023 were lower than those of 2022. We have worked with our major raw material suppliers, and have supply agreements in place to minimise the impact of inflation of chemicals used in our process. We will continue to source from various suppliers, and we may explore producing these chemicals ourselves if needed.
IR continues to make strides in our safety culture and systems. The Group has invested in software to aid in our EH&S program as well as increase training for our employees. This system has improved IR's data collection of important EH&S information and enhanced our corrective action program to continually improve how we operate. IR had no LTIs in 993 days as of 31 December 2023 and no LTI's in 2024 at the time of writing. In late 2023, IR hired an additional dedicated EH&S employee to support our facilities as we continue to build and operate additional iodine plants.
Outlook
As we go into 2024, IO#10 currently appears to be in a location of strong brine flows and good iodine content and will be a material addition to the Group. We believe that our current focus area of future plants will be a paradigm shift for the Group, and it will ignite our long-term development plans as we seek to diversify geographically from prior plant locations. In 2023, we were able to provide evidence that Iofina is a highly attractive and profitable Group, and we continued to share our story with global institutional funds, family offices, and retail investors. Our shareholder register expanded in the financial year with the addition of new institutional holdings. We will continue to hold roadshows and investor programs in 2024 under the stewardship of Canaccord Genuity, the Company's nominated adviser and broker. We have a strategic plan to stabilise costs from inflationary pressures, which will help as we go into the next growth phase.
In terms of our expansion, we are squarely focused on growing our current iodine production and specialty chemical businesses, including developing new and exciting chemical compounds through internal research, development, and joint ventures. We are focused on developing strategies to reduce our reliance on our current oil and gas partners and explore new geographic areas in North America. We continue to analyse all potential business partnerships and product combinations in our chemical Group that could be beneficial to shareholders as a growing halogen chemistry Group, and we always continue to focus on calculated opportunities in our approach to growth.
I would like to thank all our shareholders for their continued support. We are looking forward to appraising the excellent developments we are seeing as we move the Company forward in setting continued record years.
Lance J Baller
Non-Executive Chairman
Iofina plc
1 May 2024
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Summary 2023 v 2022
· Sixth successive year of record revenue
· Revenue increased by 19% from
· Gross profit decreased by 1% from
· Adjusted EBITDA declined by 6% from
· Profit before tax decreased by 17% from
· Net debt of
· Capital investment into chemical and iodine plants was
*excludes lease liabilities
Trading results
Turnover |
Crystallised |
2023 |
|
Crystallised |
2022 |
|
Iodine 85% |
Sales |
|
Iodine 85% |
Sales |
|
MT |
$m |
|
MT |
$m |
Crystallised iodine |
423 |
24.9 |
|
220 |
13.3 |
Derivatives |
185 |
12.9 |
|
221 |
16.3 |
Prilled iodine |
|
4.1 |
|
|
1.8 |
Total iodine sales |
608 |
41.9 |
|
441 |
31.4 |
Non-iodine |
|
8.1 |
|
|
10.8 |
Total sales |
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue increased by 19% from
Derivative compounds turnover declined by 21% from
The higher level of iodine sales was facilitated by an increase in production to 559MT from 516MT in 2022, reflecting a contribution of 32MT from the new IO#9 plant that commenced production in July 2023. There was also an efficient conversion of production into sales, with 608MT of crystallised iodine sold in total compared to production of 559MT (2022: 441MT sold compared to 516MT produced).
Prilled iodine sales more than doubled from
Non-iodine sales fell back by 25% from
Gross profit fell slightly by 1% from
Adjusted EBITDA fell by
Interest swap derivative asset
The swap contract that pegs interest on 70% of the bank loan to 3.99% continues to deliver benefits in the continuing higher interest rate environment. The swap rebate for 2023 amounted to
Profit before tax
Profit before tax decreased by
Tax
The Group is utilising previous years' accumulated US Federal tax losses against current profits that would otherwise be taxable. Based on current projections, the Group expects that US Federal tax will not be payable in respect of 2023, but is likely to become payable in respect of 2024.
Capital investment
The Group invested
Cash flow
Cash started the year at
Malcolm Lewin
Chief Financial Officer
Iofina plc
1 May 2024
DIRECTORS' BIOGRAPHIES
Lance J. Baller, Non-Executive Chairman
Mr. Baller was co-founder, CEO and President of Iofina Plc prior to his departure for health reasons in June 2013. Mr. Baller was the Group's Finance Director from 2007 until his appointment as CEO in 2010. Mr. Baller returned as Chairman in April 2014. Mr. Baller currently serves as a director and as sole or principal shareholder of several privately owned businesses, including Baller Enterprises, Inc. (personal holding company), Titan Au, Inc, Empire Leasing LLC, Valdez Au, Inc, Extrac Technologies Limited, Extrac, Inc, Wyoming Sand Company LLC (which all are in gold, sand, rock, SiO2 and gravel mining), Ultimate Investment (personal investment company) and Baller Family Foundation, Inc. (personal family foundation) plus many others that he has founded and successfully sold over the years. He is the former managing partner of Shortline Equity Partners, Inc., a mid-market merger and acquisitions consulting and investment company. Mr. Baller is also the former Managing Partner of Elevation Capital Management, LLC and is the former alternative investment hedge fund manager of the Elevation Fund. He is also a former Vice-President of Corporate Development and Communications of Integrated Biopharma, Inc. and prior to that a vice-president of the investment banking firms UBS and Morgan Stanley. Mr. Baller has been a CEO, interim CEO, Chairman, CFO and secretary of various private and public listed companies throughout his career. He has served as Chairman to various companies and has led successful restructurings. Mr. Baller has had extensive experience in all aspects of corporate finance. Mr. Baller currently is on the board of trustees of Index Fund and Digital Funds where he serves as the chairman of the audit committee and as the audit committee financial expert under Sarbanes-Oxley.
Dr. Thomas M. Becker, Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Becker has served as President/CEO of Iofina plc since 2014 and has led Iofina Chemical since March 2010. Previously, Dr. Becker was the Vice President of Research and Development at H&S/Iofina Chemical. Iofina bought H&S in July 2009. Dr. Becker has conducted extensive research in both inorganic and organic halogen-based chemistry. Dr. Becker has written a magnitude of published technical papers in his career. Prior to H&S Dr. Becker worked as an Oak Ridge Scholar on behalf of the US EPA and for various other chemical manufacturing companies. Dr. Becker earned a BS in Chemistry from Indiana University, and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Cincinnati. He has extensive experience in scale-up of chemical processes from laboratory to pilot to full scale production. Dr. Becker is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates ("SOCMA").
Dr. William D. Bellamy, Non-Executive Director
Dr. Bellamy is the former Senior Vice President of the Water Business Group at CH2M HILL, Inc. ("CH2M"), a company he has worked at for 30 years until his recent retirement. CH2M is one of the largest consulting engineering companies in the world, providing leadership and strategic direction for the water business and application of technologies worldwide. Dr. Bellamy has participated in energy and sustainability forums, including as a panellist at the World Future Energy Conference in Abu Dhabi, the World Bank Sustainable Cities Symposium and the Future of Water Economic Forum. Dr. Bellamy serves as Professor of Practice at the University of Wyoming, where he teaches graduate courses and is responsible for securing grants and research funding in the areas of water resources, water treatment and sustainable energy development. Dr. Bellamy has a PhD in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University, an MSc in Civil (Environmental) Engineering from the University of Wyoming and a BSc in Electrical (Bio-Medical) Engineering from the University of Wyoming.
Malcolm T. Lewin, Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Lewin was named CFO and a director of the Group in November 2016 after having joined Iofina as interim CFO in February 2016. Mr. Lewin is based in the UK and has over 30 years of experience in finance and accounting for both public and private companies. As well as being a partner in a chartered accounting firm for 11 years, he has acted for various companies listed on AIM and other exchanges. In particular, from 2000 to 2003 he was the Finance Director of Oxford Metrics plc, an AIM company supplying motion capture and visual geometry systems. From 2004 to 2006 he was the Finance Director of Real Estate Investors plc, an AIM property investment company with interests in quality commercial and industrial properties. From 2006 to 2011 he was a Director and CFO of Hunter Bay Minerals plc, a junior mining company listed on the Toronto Venture Exchange with interests in South America and Canada. From 2011 to 2014 he was CFO and Treasurer of VolitionRX Limited, an OTC life sciences company focused on developing blood tests for a broad range of cancer types and other conditions. Mr. Lewin has an MA in Classics from Oxford University and qualified as a chartered accountant with Coopers & Lybrand.
J. Frank Mermoud, Non-Executive Director
Mr. Mermoud has more than 30 years' experience in international business, facilitating trade and investment in both the public and private sectors. He has held senior international, economic and commercial policy positions within the United States Government having served as the Secretary of State's Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs at U.S. Department of State from 2002 to 2009. Mr. Mermoud is also a Non-Executive Director of Cub Energy Inc. an oil and gas company headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Mary Fallin Christensen, Non-Executive Director
Mary Fallin Christensen has served the State of Oklahoma for over 30 years. She was elected the first female Governor of the State in 2010, and was re-elected for a second term in 2014. Prior to serving as Governor, she held a number of state and federal positions, including serving as US Congresswoman for Oklahoma's 5th district between 2007-2011 and serving as Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma between 1995-2006. Mary has been a major contributor to natural resources industries in Oklahoma, and implemented the State's first comprehensive energy plan as well as its State-wide water plan. She has held several positions, including Chair of the Southern State Energy Board, Chair of the Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission, and has served on the natural resource committee of the National Governors Association (NGA). Previously, she also served on the United States House of Representatives Committee on Small Business, was Small Business Chairman on the Republican Policy Committee, and was named the "Guardian of Small Business" by the National Federation of Independent Business. Mary has also served on numerous Boards of Directors for both commercial organizations and non-profits.
STRATEGIC REPORT
Principal activities and review of the business
Iofina plc ("Iofina" or the "Company") is the holding company of a group of companies (the "Group") involved in the exploration and isolation of iodine and the production of specialty chemicals. Iofina Resources, Inc. is the Group's wholly owned subsidiary which uses proprietary Wellhead Extraction Technology® (WET®) and WET® IOsorb® methods to produce iodine from brine. Large volumes of brine water are sourced from partnerships with oil and gas operators and saltwater disposal ("SWD") operators in the United States and are used as a raw material to produce iodine at the Group's multiple IOsorb® plants. The Group's unique business model isolates a resource, iodine, from a produced waste stream that, without Iofina's technology, would be lost. The Company's WET® IOsorb® technology has unique elements that allow Iofina to handle brines which contain residual hydrocarbons and efficiently produce high-quality iodine. The Directors of the Company believe that Iofina's production process, which utilises brine water from third-party oil and gas production, is advantageous for long-term sourcing of the raw material as well as minimised production and expansion costs. Compounds containing iodine or other specialty chemicals are produced at and sold through the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Iofina Chemical, Inc., with the major raw material being the Group's produced iodine. Additionally, the Group's crystalline IOflo® iodine is sold directly to other iodine end-users.
Iodine is a rare element that is produced only in a few countries in the world, with approximately 90 per cent of global production coming from Chile (~60 per cent) and Japan (~30 per cent, including recycled waste streams). Iodine and its compounds have many human health-related applications, including X-ray contrast agents, pharmaceuticals, antiseptics, thyroid function, and others. Additional high-volume uses of iodine include LCD screen technology, material heat stabilisation, animal feed additives, biocides, catalysts and more. The Group produces iodine in the United States where the overall global iodine production is approximately six per cent of the world's total production, but where there is a large consumption of the world's iodine by various American users. Iofina believes it is the second largest producer of iodine in North America.
The ability of the Group to expand its iodine production quickly, at a low cost, differentiates Iofina from other iodine producers. This has been proven by the expansion of production and opening of new IOsorb® plants such as IO#9, which opened in 2023, and IO#10 which is under construction and scheduled to open in Q3 2024. Additionally, the Directors believe that the Group's technology to produce iodine is far more environmentally friendly compared to other producers. By using a produced water waste stream from the oil and gas industry to isolate iodine versus isolating iodine from ores, Iofina's process is considered ecologically efficient in obtaining a valuable product from a waste stream versus the environmentally intensive processes of mining iodine from ores by Chilean producers.
Economically viable iodide-rich brine co-produced during oil and gas production is not common, and the Group's proprietary geological model to locate and anticipate iodide-rich sources is unique. The Directors of Iofina are committed to producing its products in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner, and to improving communications regarding our long-term strategy in respect of Iofina's sustainable practices and other ESG tenets.
The focus of Iofina's current business model is the production of iodine from brine and the creation and sales of specialty chemicals through Iofina Chemical. The Directors feel strongly that diversification within the business whilst focusing on our core expertise is important. Iofina Resources diversifies its iodine production through multiple IOsorb® production plants, with multiple brine suppliers in western Oklahoma. The technology the Group has developed, utilising a waste resource already being produced allows Iofina the ability to expand its operations quickly with minimal capital expenditure. Continued prudent growth in the number of IOsorb® plants increases production, profit, and diversification. Continued expansion of the Group's geological model provides opportunities for Iofina outside of its current core areas.
Iofina Chemical produces a wide range of iodine-based products with applications in various industries including agricultural, pharmaceutical, biocides and others, whilst additional diversification is realised by the production of non-iodine-based products. The demand for various products can change, and Iofina Chemical's ability to produce a variety of products allows the Group to take advantage of growing markets while not being as affected by temporarily depressed or declining markets.
Iodine prices rose significantly between 2021 through mid-year 2022, exceeding
During 2023, Iofina believes the total global demand for iodine was slightly lower than in 2022, with some inventory corrections at the beginning of the year contributing to this slightly lower demand. Demand for X-ray contrast media applications, continued to show significant increases, whilst other applications such as automotive and some agricultural applications had weaker demand. Currently, iodine prices remain high versus historical levels, and the range of prices remains larger than typical historical prices. Spot prices peaked above
The Directors recognised that, as the Company built its IOsorb® plants, it was imperative for Iofina's iodine production costs to be amongst the lowest in the industry to be competitive. Between 2014 and 2017, numerous initiatives were successfully implemented to optimise Iofina's technology and lower production costs. Once most of these goals were achieved and iodine market conditions became more favourable, the Directors commenced the next phase of Iofina's business plan with a focus on growth. In early 2018, the Group's newest iodine plant at the time, IO#7, was completed. By expanding our operations and building IO#7, the Group successfully lowered its overall iodine production costs with its most efficient plant at that time. The next major growth development occurred in Q2 2019 when the Company performed an equity raise to reduce debt and provide working capital for expansion projects. The result was the construction of IO#8, which began in late 2019 and was completed in early April 2020. The Group has continued its expansion efforts and successfully opened IO#9 in June 2023 and is currently constructing IO#10 which is expected to open in Q3 2024.
The Group is committed to establishing new routes to growth and is investigating new locations and partnerships to expand iodine production. Lessons learned from past expansion play a role in management's iodine plant growth. Building of future IOsorb® plants will be done prudently to ensure to the best of our knowledge that Iofina has a long-term, low-cost iodine production. With an expanding iodine market and Iofina's improved balance sheet, Iofina will likely embark on additional iodine plants after IO#10 completion, although this will only be done with the correct evaluations of potential future sites and market conditions.
The Directors are aware of the risk of declining brine availability if our partners do not maintain or increase their hydrocarbon production in areas that supply the Group's IOsorb® plants. The Group continues to investigate the economics and the technology to have better control of the iodide-rich brine supplies that feed the current and future plants.
Iofina Chemical continues to be recognised as a world-renowned halogen specialty chemical producer. Vertical integration of the Group's iodine into iodine derivatives gives Iofina's customers stability of supply in addition to the long-standing quality and technical support to Iofina's global customers for the goods sold to them. Additionally, the non-iodine-based halogen derivatives produced by Iofina Chemical give the Group further diversity. Iofina Chemical invested in multiple projects in 2023, and will continue to invest in areas to expand current products and develop new products for Iofina using the Company's core expertise.
Key Performance Indicators
The Directors review a range of financial indicators to assess and manage the Group's performance, including the following relating to revenue and iodine production:
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Year ended |
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Year ended |
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31 December |
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31 December |
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2023 |
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2022 |
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