Issuer Profile
Profile
Reon Energy Limited (“Reon” or “the Company”) was incorporated on
September 15, 2014, as a public unlisted company to carry out the trading and
construction of renewable energy projects, mainly solar/wind, for commercial
and industrial consumers. The Company's registered office is situated at 3rd
Floor, Dawood Centre, M.T. Khan Road, Karachi. Reon's core operations span two major
segments: Commercial & Industrial (C&I) and Telecom. In the C&I
segment, Reon offers turnkey solar PV solutions and intelligent renewable
microgrids tailored to energy-intensive industries such as cement, textile,
automotive, and dairy. In the Telecom segment, the Company provides
solar-powered infrastructure for telecom towers, reducing diesel dependence,
enhancing uptime, and lowering operational costs. Reon has also developed
in-house technologies including SPARK™, a hardware-agnostic energy asset
management platform, and REFLEX™, a lithium-ion energy storage system optimized
for long-term reliability and microgrid integration. Early projects included a
bioenergy plant at Nestlé Farms, solar tube wells in Sharaqpur, a telecom solar
solution in Kallar Kahar, and a 125kW solar PV installation at Wah Nobel
Limited. A key milestone was Pakistan's first corporate Power Purchase Agreement,
signed with Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) for a 5 MW solar project in
Tharparkar. In 2023, Reon launched its first Reflex™ Energy Storage System at
Gatron Industries, followed by Pakistan's largest Reflex™ Battery Energy
Storage Project — a 20.7 MW / 22.7 MWh system for Lucky Cement. Reon has since
expanded into wind energy development as part of its broader renewable
strategy. To date, Reon has deployed over 500 MW of solar PV and 90 MWh of
energy storage capacity, including projects across more than 7,500 telecom
sites. Notable commercial clients include Bestway Cement, Fauji Cement,
Unilever Pakistan, and Friesland Campina Engro. Beyond Pakistan, Reon has
executed projects in Qatar, UAE, Yemen, Mauritius, Kenya, and Nigeria.
Ownership
Reon was established as a wholly owned subsidiary of Dawood Lawrencepur
Limited (DLL), part of the Dawood Hercules Group. Following DLL's strategic
divestment, the Company became a wholly owned subsidiary of RMH International
DMCC in October 2024. RMH International DMCC is part of a broader group of
energy-focused businesses founded by Mr. Kashif Naseem Afzal, an
entrepreneur and investor with extensive experience in the energy, natural
resources, and real estate sectors. As part of the Group's ownership
restructuring, Reon Energy Limited (UK) was incorporated in June 2025 as
the ultimate holding company of RMH International DMCC. Approximately 53.15%
of Reon Energy Limited (UK) is owned by Reon Holdings Ltd., an
investment vehicle, owned by the the Company's
management, while the remaining shareholding is held by Juniper
International FZ LLC, Unitas Holdings Limited, and ALAF Family Holdings
Limited. This ownership structure reflects strong management alignment while
benefiting from the strategic oversight and financial backing of Mr. Kashif
Naseem Afzal and the wider shareholder group. The Company continues to be led
by Mr. Mujtaba Haider Khan, who has over two decades of experience in
the energy sector and has been instrumental in establishing and expanding
Reon's position as one of Pakistan's leading renewable energy EPC companies.
Governance
Reon is governed by a three-member board, comprising exclusively
Executive Directors: the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Chief Financial
Officer (CFO), and the Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer, reflecting a
management-driven governance structure. Mr. Mujtaba Haider Khan – CEO, is a
seasoned leader with a career spanning strategy, technology, and
entrepreneurship, having held prior roles as Head of Strategy at Dawood
Hercules Corporation Limited and in strategy and transformation at British Telecom,
London. Supporting him, Mr. Mudasar, Chief Commercial & Strategy Officer,
holds a BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Oklahoma State
University, USA, and brings over two decades of telecom sector experience with
Huawei Technologies and Telenor, where he integrated telecom and energy
management solutions. Mr. Waleed Bukhari – CFO, is a Chartered Accountant from
the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan with over a decade of
experience at KPMG, Pepsi, and Zong.
The Board of Directors currently holds its meetings on an annual basis,
providing oversight of the Company's operations and strategic initiatives; the
formation of board committees and the formal documentation of meeting outcomes
present avenues for further strengthening the Company's governance structure.
The Company's external auditors, M/S A.F. Ferguson & Co., Chartered
Accountants, a QCR-rated firm carrying a Category 'A' rating on the SBP panel,
expressed an unqualified opinion on the financial statements for the period
ended December 2025.
Management
The Company's organization is structured around eight major departments,
each headed by an experienced professional reporting directly to the CEO. The
senior management team includes Mr. Waleed Bukhari (CFO), Mr. Mudasar Hussain
(Chief Commercial Officer), Mr. Syed Saqib Ahmed Zaidi (Chief Operating
Officer) and Mr. Muhammad Zohaib (Chief Technology Officer), bringing deep industry expertise across commercial operations,
technology, and project execution. There are currently no formal management
committees in place; however, the management team holds monthly meetings to
ensure operational efficiency. As the Board of Directors and the management
team comprise largely the same individuals, there is strong alignment between
strategic oversight and execution, though this overlap also means the Company
currently has limited independent check on management decision-making — a
factor of increasing relevance as the Company layers on additional short-term
debt instruments. The Company has installed ORACLE (FICO module) as its ERP for
financial reporting, and the control environment is assessed as adequate, built
on a foundation of clear policies, accountability, and regular monitoring.
Business Risk
Pakistan's power sector is undergoing a structural shift toward renewable
energy, driven by persistently high electricity tariffs, grid unreliability,
and the compelling economics of solar, with the country's solar share in
generation gradually increases in 2025. The market is estimated to have grown
to 7.95 GW of installed capacity in 2026 and is forecast to reach 18 GW by
2031, with the Commercial & Industrial (C&I) segment accounting for
over half of installed solar capacity. A significant regulatory development
occurred in February 2026 when NEPRA replaced the net-metering framework with a
“net billing” mechanism, compensating exports at PKR 9–11 per unit versus the
previous PKR ~25.9 retail-linked rate. This primarily affects grid-exporting
residential installations, while Reon's core C&I and telecom microgrid
model — structured around off grid solutions, and corporate PPAs — offers
relative insulation from the revision. Reon continues to hold a prominent
position within Pakistan's C&I renewable energy segment as one of the early
movers, with a track record of executing large-scale solar and hybrid energy
projects across cement, textile, telecom, and FMCG, though competitive
intensity continues to build as both established players and new entrants such
as K-Solar expand their presence in the C&I space.
Revenue during CY25 remained broadly stable compared to CY24, reflecting
normalization after the strong growth witnessed in CY24 rather than any
material weakening in underlying demand. Profitability moderated during CY25,
primarily due to competitive pricing pressures and a relatively lower margin
mix. Furthermore, net profitability declined largely because CY24's result had
been lifted by a one-time write-back of a previously received loan from DLL.
The revenue base remains contract-based across three segments — C&I,
Telecommunications, and O&M — with C&I the largest contributor and
O&M, though smaller, providing a steadier, recurring income stream that
partially offsets the lumpiness of project-based C&I and Telecom billing. As
the business is inherently project-based, revenue sustainability depends on
continuously sourcing and executing new projects; this dependency is of direct
relevance to the instrument being rated, as the cash flows available for
repayment of the Sukuk are derived from the same project-based receipts that
contribute to the Company’s revenue stream. Therefore, timely completion of
projects, realization of milestone-linked receivables, and continued development
of the project pipeline over the Sukuk repayment period remain important
considerations in assessing the Company’s ability to generate sufficient cash
flows for debt servicing.
Financial Risk
Reon’s working capital cycle remains closely aligned with the
project-based nature of its operations. The Company generally receives advances
from clients against performance guarantees, while trade receivables are
recognized based on the stage of project completion. During CY25, the working
capital cycle witnessed some elongation, primarily due to higher receivable
levels, partly offset by extended supplier credit and improved inventory
management. Liquidity remained adequate, supported by an improvement in the
Company’s current ratio. Coverage metrics strengthened during CY25, supported
by lower finance costs and improved operating profitability. The Company’s leverage
profile increased during CY25 following the introduction of short-term
borrowings, including a short-term Sukuk and a banking facility, primarily to
support working capital requirements associated with its project-based
operations. However, the overall capital structure remained manageable,
supported by a growing equity base arising from profit accumulation and
adequate operating cash flow generation. The short-term Sukuk issued in
December 2025 was fully redeemed upon maturity in June 2026 through internally
generated cash flows, demonstrating the Company’s ability to meet its repayment
obligations in a timely manner and reflecting positively on its financial
discipline. Given the inherent nature of Reon’s business, project execution
requires upfront procurement of inventory and deployment of resources, while
project-related cash inflows are realized progressively based on achievement of
contractual milestones. Accordingly, maintaining adequate liquidity support is
important to ensure smooth project execution and continuity of operations. In
this context, the Company plans to raise funds through the issuance of a PKR
1.5bn Sukuk to support its working capital requirements and facilitate
execution of its growing project pipeline.
To assess the repayment capacity of the
proposed Sukuk, the Company’s projected cash flows over the Sukuk tenor (Jul-26
to Jun-27) were evaluated, including the underlying project portfolio, expected
collections, and associated cash outflows. The assessment considered ongoing
projects, including contract status, execution progress, and milestone-linked
receivables, while newly awarded projects were incorporated after reviewing
contractual arrangements and execution visibility. The evaluation also considered
projects with established local corporates or conglomerates, providing
additional comfort regarding the quality and reliability of projected cash
flows.
The Company’s cash flow assessment was
conducted under two scenarios: (i) a conservative case based on collections
from existing billed and unbilled project backlog; and (ii) a case
incorporating additional inflows from the prospective project pipeline. Both scenarios indicate gross coverage of the issue size comfortably
above 1x, with coverage of 3.9x under the conservative scenario and 7.2x
including additional project pipeline inflows. However, under the conservative
scenario, the projected cash position reflects a shortfall at tenor-end,
primarily due to the timing mismatch between project cash collections and the
scheduled repayment requirements of the Sukuk. Given the Company’s
project-based business model, maintaining a continuous pipeline of new projects
remains important to ensure sustained cash flow availability. Accordingly,
additional projects incorporated in the assessment were considered after evaluating
their execution visibility, expected award probability, and the Company’s
established relationship with repeat clients. The realization of these projects
is expected to provide incremental liquidity support and strengthen the
repayment cushion over the Sukuk tenor. In addition to project-related cashflows, the
Company’s operating cash flows (FCFO) at the consolidated level remain sound,
enabling timely settlement of all liabilities.
Instrument Rating Considerations
About the Instrument
The Company is in process of issuing a Rated, Secured, Privately Placed
Short-Term Sukuk of up to PKR 1,500mn, inclusive of a PKR 500mn green shoe
option, under the Sukuk (Privately Placed) Regulations, 2017. The Sukuk carries
a tenor of 12 months from the Issue Date, with proceeds to be utilized by the
Company to meet its working capital requirements. The profit rate is set at
3-month KIBOR plus up to 175 bps, reset quarterly, with profit serviced
quarterly in arrears on a 365-day basis; the first profit payment falls due
three months from the Issue Date. Principal is repaid in a single bullet at the
expiry of the 12-month tenor. BMA Capital Management Limited acts as Mandated
Lead Advisor and Arranger, Pak Brunei Investment Company Limited as Investment
Agent, and Al-Hilal Shariah Advisors as Shariah Advisor.
Relative Seniority/Subordination of Instrument
The Sukuk is secured by a ranking charge over the current assets of the
Company, supplemented by a Debt Payment Account (DPA) maintained under lien of
the Investment Agent. The instrument carries a minimum inventory covenant,
under which the Company must maintain inventory of at least 33% of the Sukuk
issue value throughout the tenor, with an obligation to notify the Investment
Agent if inventory falls below this threshold. The Sukuk ranks pari passu with
the Company's other secured creditors, including the existing Bank of Khyber
facility, to the extent their security interests are not exclusive, and senior
to unsecured obligations.
Credit Enhancement
i) A dedicated DPA will be maintained under lien of the Investment Agent, to
be funded ahead of the Sukuk's maturity so as to ensure repayment discipline on
the bullet principal. the DPA appears to be funded through three monthly
transfers of PKR 500mn each in the final quarter of the tenor, an equal
one-third/one-third/one-third pattern.
|
Month
|
%age of obligation
|
Amount - PKR
|
|
10th
|
33.33%
|
500
|
|
11th
|
33.33%
|
500
|
|
12th
|
33.33%
|
500
|
These deposits shall be made no later than five (5) days before each
month-end, ensuring that the DPA is fully funded by maturity. The Company will
not have operational access to the DPA during the tenor and has issued
irrevocable standing instructions to the account bank.
ii) Post-Dated Cheques: Post-dated cheques in favor of the Sukuk holders
have been provided to the Mandated Lead Arranger.
iii)Letter of Support: A letter of support from RMH—Reon’s parent company
with established international presence—provides coverage against potential
shortfalls on a pre-default basis, further strengthening the security
framework.
|