Financial performance

Alexander Sharabaika
39 %
growth in adjusted EBITDA
In the reporting year, we faced multiple challenges, many of which were by all means unprecedented. Despite these headwinds, our high production efficiency and a balanced financial policy along with the favourable pricing environment on global markets helped the Company deliver strong financial results.

Increased fertilizer production and sales spurred a revenue rise in excess of 35% y-o-y. Revenue growth outpaced the increase in production costs, which were up by circa 23% y-o-y.

With these drivers in place, the Company was able to increase adjusted EBITDA by 39% y-o-y, while adjusted net profit improved by 40%.

Adjusted free cash flow increased by 81% to more than RUB 141 bln as a result of both improved sales margins and strong working capital management.

PhosAgro’s strong y-o-y performance contributes to ensuring its robust financial stability. As at 31 December 2022, our net debt / adjusted EBITDA ratio was 0.68x, way below the 2x threshold that we consider comfortable. Importantly, it continued to decline throughout 2022 (down from 0.8x at the end of 2021 and 1.8x in December 2020).

With investors’ confidence in our production and financial strategy and the management team, PhosAgro successfully held a vote among its Eurobond holders to amend the relevant issuance documentation so as to continue honouring its public debt commitments to the holders of bonds recorded both in Russia and abroad.

Alexander Sharabaika Deputy CEO for Finance and International Projects

Key external drivers of financial results

Other drivers of PhosAgro's strong financial performance in 2022 along with an increase in sales and competitive cost levels include:

Growth of global crop prices

underpinned in part by stronger demand for forage crops, which itself was partially caused by the recovery of hog production in China after the swine flu epidemic in 2018–2019

Restrictions on exports

of phosphate-based fertilizers from China to bolster domestic supply and introduction of fertilizer export quotas in Russia

Growth of supplies
to Asian countries

especially to India, due to stronger government support for agriculture (increase in subsidies) and favourable weather conditions

Fertilizer
affordability issues

caused on the global market by supply disruptions and an increase in raw materials prices

Revenue analysis

Revenue for 2022 grew by 35.4% y-o-y and amounted to RUB 569.5 bln. The growth was associated with increased sales volumes driven by higher mineral fertilizer output. A large-scale programme to upgrade existing production facilities and build new ones helped the Group achieve a significant improvement in equipment productivity.

Higher average sales prices on global markets and a shift in the sales mix towards a greater share of higher-margin fertilizers, which are consistently popular among farmers, also contributed to the revenue increase.

Financial and operational highlights
Item 2020 2021 2022 Δ 2022/2021, %
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS, RUB MLN
Revenue 253,879 420,488 569,527 35.4
Adj. EBITDAAdjusted EBITDA is calculated as operating profit adjusted for depreciation and amortisation less foreign exchange gain or loss from operating activities. 84,280 192,117 266,947 39.0
Adj. EBITDA margin 33.2% 45.7% 46.9% 1.2
Net profit 16,921 129,674 184,714 42.4
Adj. net profitAdjusted net profit means net profit less net foreign exchange gain or loss from operating and financing activities. 41,991 130,512 182,297 39.7
Adj. free cash flowAdjusted free cash flow is calculated as cash flows from operating activities less cash flows from investing activities, adjusted for the outflow of cash and cash equivalents as result of a loss of control over foreign subsidiaries. 42,519 77,857 141,024 81.1
31.12.2020 31.12.2021 31.12.2022
Net debt 156,875 153,718 180,338 17.3
12M net debt / adj. EBITDA 1.86 0.80 0.68 (15.6)
SALES VOLUME, KT
Phosphate-based fertilizers and feed phosphates 7,669 7,762 8,403 8.3
Nitrogen-based fertilizers 2,286 2,495 2,551 2.3
Total fertilizers 9,955 10,257 10,954 6.8
Other products 184 177 144 (18.8)
Total fertilizers and other products 10,139 10,434 11,097 6.4
Revenue breakdown by key product, RUB bln
Item 2020 2021 2022 Δ 2022/2021, %
Phosphate and nitrogen-based products 242.3 404.9 551.0 36
Other 11.6 15.6 18.5 19
Total 253.9 420.5 569.5 35
Operating costs analysis
Cost of sales, RUB mln
Item 2020 2021 2022 Δ 2022/2021, %
Depreciation and amortisation 23,743 24,812 26,979 8.7
Materials and services 40,937 47,084 54,178 15.1
Phosphate rock transportation 8,134 9,105 11,610 27.5
Repair 10,134 11,373 12,002 5.5
Drilling and blasting 3,168 3,486 3,217 (7.7)
Other materials and services> 19,501 23,120 27,349 18.3
Raw materials 35,514 63,534 108,323 70.5
Ammonia 4,802 14,277 19,550 36.9
Sulphur and sulphuric acid 4,360 17,707 40,798 130.4
Potassium 12,253 16,574 27,418 65.4
Natural gas 12,342 12,635 14,226 12.6
Ammonium sulphate 1,757 2,341 6,331 170.4
Salaries and social contributions 13,807 15,286 19,667 28.7
Electricity 6,311 6,740 6,754 0.2
Fuel 3,885 5,578 6,459 15.8
Products for resale 9,333 12,725 15,599 22.6
Customs duties 1,482 2,483 1,420 (42.8)
Freight, port and stevedoring expenses 19,128 28,587 16,382 (42.7)
Russian Railways and operators’ fees 11,452 10,728 12,647 17.9
Other 1,111 1,250 610 (51.2)
Total 166,703 218,807 269,018 22.9

In 2022, cost of sales grew by 22.9% y-o-y to RUB 269 bln, mainly on the back of higher sales volumes and increased prices for key feedstocks.

Raw materials costs added 70.5% y-o-y and  amounted to RUB 108 bln as a result of a significant increase in the global prices for all key inputs, including sulphur and sulphuric acid, potassium, ammonium sulphate and natural gas.

Despite the higher costs, PhosAgro remains one of the industry's most efficient players and leads the pack globally in terms of production costs. The main way we ensure effective cost control is by sourcing the key inputs and materials from domestic suppliers.

Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA in 2022 vs actual 2021, RUB bln
Adjusted EBITDA to adjusted FCF conversion in 2022, RUB bln
Adjusted free cash flow

Capital investments (including capitalised repairs) for the year amounted to RUB 63 bln and were mainly focused around completing the construction of a large production facility in Volkhov, developing the ore and raw material base in Kirovsk, developing production capacities in Balakovo, and maintaining production facilities across all process stages, from mining and processing of raw materials to producing finished products.

Debt

Net debt as at 31 December 2022 increased y-o-y to RUB 180.3 bln. At the 2022 year-end, our net debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio went down to 0.68x from 0.8x as at 31 December 2021, primarily thanks to EBITDA growth.

Our commitment to maintaining high credit quality and ensuring timely debt servicing continues to be a priority for the Company.

Loans and borrowings breakdown by rate type as at 31 December 2022, %
Loans and borrowings breakdown by currency as at 31 December 2022, %
Debt maturity profile, RUB bln
Item 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 Total
Unsecured bank loans 44.6 23.2 3.7 10.7 2.1 84.3
Eurobonds Eurobond debt amount does not include the bank fee of  RUB  220  mln. 35.2 35.2 35.2 105.6
Interest payable 1.1 1.1
Total debt 80.9 23.2 38.9 10.7 2.1 35.2 191.0
Tax policy
GRI 3-3, 207–1, 207–2, 207–3

In 2022, PhosAgro’s Board of Directors approved the Company’s Tax Strategy. Our approach to taxation was developed in accordance with the Company’s Strategy to 2025 and combines social responsibility for developing and maintaining the well-being of regions across PhosAgro’s footprint, minimising tax litigation risks, and maximising the use of the Company’s leverage toolkit stipulated by law for actively investing companies, in particular Investment Protection and Promotion Agreements and Special Investment Contracts.

Our approach to tax management, participation in shaping government tax policy, and organisational arrangements pertaining to the exercise of tax functions at PhosAgro is described in the Company’s Tax Strategy.

Country-by-country reporting, RUB mln
GRI 207–4
Tax jurisdiction Unrelated party revenue Revenue from intra-group transactions with other tax jurisdictions Profit/(loss) before income tax Income tax paid (cash basis) Income tax accruedReasons for the difference between corporate income tax accrued on profit/loss and the tax due if the statutory tax rate is applied to profit/loss before tax are as follows: intercompany transactions elimination, provisions accrued in accordance with IFRS (mostly allowance for expected credit losses), reduction in tax rate for certain Russian and foreign entities items which are not deductible or assessable for taxation purposes, and other differences. Statutory tax rateFor the Russian tax jurisdiction, an average statutory tax rate is used. Average headcount, people Tangible assets other than cash and cash equivalents Total empoyee renumeration Intra-group oans received
2021 2022 2021 2022 2021 2022 2021 2022 2021 2022 2021 2022 2021 2022 2021 2022 2021 2022 2021 2022
Russia 131,527 440,639 250,534 106,420 11,877 157,360 28,471 41,393 29,875 39,932 20.00% 20.00% 18,198 19,846 274,386 320,961 34,039 55,318 67,069 103,233
Switzerland 221,961 96,268 63,188 27,436 112,008 57,850 137 331 742 764 12.05% 12.05% 32 36 4,725 0 1,723 528 0 0
Cyprus 0 0 8 4 (598) (4,243) 0 2 0 2 12.50% 12.50% 28 30 14 0 201 57 2,237 0
Poland 14,916 8,088 0 0 7,253 4,943 59 48 84 235 19.00% 19.00% 15 15 1,705 0 121 55 0 0
Germany 10,423 7,446 0 0 6,381 5,242 7 2 60 129 32.27% 32.27% 7 7 466 0 97 33 0 0
France 15,833 7,045 0 0 10,887 5,541 0 5 93 94 26.50% 25.00% 6 6 578 0 85 58 0 0
Serbia 4,752 2,020 230 58 2,060 1,063 (1) 1 89 65 15.00% 15.00% 12 14 1,443 0 54 28 337 0
Lithuania 9,838 1,598 0 0 5,075 1,038 28 26 31 0 15.00% 15.00% 4 4 7 0 67 20 0 0
Romania 4,681 4,050 0 0 1,213 1,916 5 0 6 63 16.00% 16.00% 5 7 1,019 0 25 14 0 0
South Africa 6,452 2,343 0 0 4,046 1,643 79 0 85 174 28.00% 28.00% 2 2 338 0 18 10 502 0
Finland 105 29 0 0 (7) (2) 12 3 12 3 20.00% 20.00% 1 1 677 0 8 2 0 0
Brazil 0 0 0 0 (86) (42) (5) 0 (5) 4 34.00% 34.00% 7 7 2 0 58 32 0 0
Singapore 0 0 0 0 (55) (13) 13 0 0 0 17.00% 17.00% 3 3 7 0 25 8 0 0
Total 420,488 569,527 313,961 133,918 160,055 232,297 28,806 41,811 31,073 41,465 285,368 320,961 36,522 56,163 70,146 103,233