•  Revenue up by 17.5% YoY•  Gross profit up by 25% YoY FORT MILL, S.C., April 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Utility-scale transatlantic clean energy independent power producer Alternus Clean Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALCE) ("Alternus" or the "Company") today announced its audited financial results for the full year 2023 under US GAAP format. The 2023 financial report is included in a Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The 2023 financial report is available to view on the Alternus' website at https://ir.alternusenergy.com/financials-filings/sec-filings. Company Highlights: Increase in revenue from by 17.5% YoY; Increase in revenue offtake by 3.8% YoY; Debt reduced by $77 million subsequent to balance sheet; Total of 165 GWH of clean energy produced in 2023, further offsetting global CO2 emissions; Completed business combination agreement with Clean Earth Acquisitions Corp., ("Clean Earth") priorly listed as "CLIN", "CLINW", and "CLINU" over NASDAQ; Listed on NASDAQ in December 2023 under the ticker symbol "ALCE"; Divestment of non-strategic operating assets in Poland and the Netherlands, reducing debt by over $75M; Net loss of $69.5M, due primarily to one-time events including, $15.8M related to divestment of projects in non-core countries, $16.6M for fair value movement related to the forward purchase agreement, $11.2M related to the Solis bond waiver fees, and $5.5M related to loss on disposal of assets. Commenting on the results, Vincent Browne, Chairman and Group CEO said: "In 2023, we focused on a strategic business realignment and consolidation, refining our core operations to pave the way for further growth in key high-potential markets across the US and Europe. One standout moment was our successful merger with Clean Earth Acquisitions Corp (CLIN), culminating in our Nasdaq listing (NASDAQ: "ALCE")—a significant achievement that fills us with pride. Now, equipped with renewed energy and resolve, we're poised to increase our impact, broaden our scope, and ignite further growth in our business. We remain focused on our goal of reaching 3GW of operational assets within five years." Alternus Chief Financial Officer Joseph E. Duey added: "2023 represented a year of strategic development for Alternus. We announced our listing on Nasdaq in December 2023 and are now well positioned organisationally to deliver on our goals. Our 2023 balance sheet is reflective of a conservative position. Subsequent to this balance sheet we have reduced debt by $77 million. We are now in a process of refinancing assets over a longer-term period, to align our debt with the longevity of our continuing asset portfolio. Once restructured the debt will be spread out of our balance sheet. We also have a secure pipeline of potential acquisition projects to execute on within the coming 12-18 months and are confident that we have the ability to access equity capital as needed and fund the growth plan we have in place." Results Underpinned by a Diversified Portfolio of Assets The table below summarises the Company's portfolio of assets as of December 31, 2023. COUNTRY     MEGAWATTSINSTALLED     Percentage   Romania       40.1       91.3 % United States       3.8       8.7 % Total       43.9       100 %                     The Company announced the divestment of non-core assets in late 2023, in line with our renewed strategy to focus on strategic markets across Europe and the US. A focus will be on delivering on the advanced stage development pipeline portfolio of over 300MW in Italy and Spain and on executing on near-term acquisitions of both operating and ready-to-build projects from a growing pipeline of ‘equity light' projects in the US. It was announced in 2023 that Alternus acquired 32MWp solar PV project in Tennessee, USA, known as ‘Dancing Horse.' Dancing Horse is expected to start operating in Q1 2025 and should produce annual revenue of approximately $2.3 million when fully operational. 100% of the offtake from this facility is secured by 30-year power purchase agreements with two regional utilities. The Company also announced a planned expansion in Spain with the acquisition of Solar PV projects totalling 32 MWp of Solar PV projects in Valencia, Spain, known as the NF Projects. The portfolio consists of six projects in total: five of which, totalling 24.4 MWp, are expected to reach operation in Q2 2024, with the remaining project expected to achieve operation in Q1 2025. Once operating, 10-year average annual revenues from the initial portfolio of five will be approximately $2.3 million, going to $2.8 million once all are connected. Business Combination and Nasdaq Listing The Company successfully started trading over Nasdaq on the 26th of December 2023 under the ticker (NASDAQ:ALCE) following a successful business combination with its predecessor, Clean Earth. Under the terms of the business combination agreement, the Company acquired the majority of Alternus Energy Group PLC, a company incorporated under the laws of Ireland ("AEG")'s assets, with simultaneously issuing it common stock, in turn making it the largest shareholder in the Company. AEG continues to exist as a separate legal entity and continues to trade on the Euronext Growth stock market in Oslo under the ticker (OSE: ALT). The completion of the business combination with Clean Earth and resultant listing on Nasdaq, is a key strategic pillar in our commitment towards a sustainable future. The below table summarises the Company's financial performance for the full year 2023, compared to the full year 2022.   2023 2022 $ Change % Change Revenues 20.1 17.1 3.0 18% Cost of Sales (4.5) (4.4) (0.1) 2% Gross Profit 15.6 12.7 2.9 23% Gross Margin 78% 74% 3% 5% Selling and General Expenses (11.2) (5.7) (5.5) 96% EBITDA 4.4 7.0 (2.6) -37%           Interest Charges (18.6) (10.3) (8.3) 81% Depreciation and amortization (3.7) (3.7) – 0% Total Other Expense (35.8) (11.6) (24.2) 209% Net Loss (53.7)