Press releases pg. 42

Finding the nearest charging station, reporting the occupancy of individual stands in the entire network of more than 240 stations or an overview of all consumption and billing - this is just a small list of services that have been a matter of course for ČEZ customers for half a year. This is how the FUTUR/E/GO application sets the pace while operating the network and managing customer accounts. The advanced IT system of the Israeli company Driivz is currently used globally by three-quarters of a million e-car drivers and, more recently, by roughly two thousand ČEZ clients. The launch of the system was funded by the European programme Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).

The CEZ Group fund Inven Capital has completed its second investment this year by purchasing a minority stake in Berlin-based Forto, a company providing global full-service digital freight forwarding and supply chain solutions. This year's round of financing lasted several months, and investors entrusted a total of 43 million euros to Forto. The European Investment Bank provided a further 20 million euros. Forto operates in Europe and Asia, has over 2,500 customers.

CEZ Group’s EBITDA reached CZK 50.9 billion for the first three quarters of 2020, rising by 14% year on year. The growth in earnings can be attributed primarily to higher electricity selling prices in the Czech Republic as electricity was pre-sold in the wholesale market over the previous years and safe and stable operation of our nuclear power plants. Net Income reached CZK 13.6 billion, which is the same as last year. After extraordinary non-monetary adjustments, Net Income actually increased by 27% and Adjusted Net Income reached CZK 18.7 billion; this figure is the basis for the company’s dividend policy. A similar growth rate of 28% was recorded with Operating Cash Flow, which rose to CZK 52 billion. CEZ Group expects its EBITDA for the entire year of 2020 to reach CZK 64 billion; the currently estimated overall negative impacts of COVID-19 amount to some CZK 3 billion.

Rolls-Royce and CEZ have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore the potential for compact nuclear power stations, known as small modular reactors (SMR), to be built in the Czech Republic.