Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to Grupo Equatorial Energia's Earnings Call for the Second Quarter of 2025. Joining us today are our CEO, Mr. Augusto Miranda, Vice President Leonardo Lucas , Regulation Director Mr. Cristiano Logrado, Financial Strategy and IR Director Ms. Tatiana Vazquez, and Mr. Liu Aquino, CEO of Echoenergia. They'll be available at the end to take your questions. Before we begin, I'd like to remind you that simultaneous interpretation is available. To use it, simply click the interpretation button at the bottom of your screen and select your preferred language. This call is being recorded and will be available at our IR website, www.ri.equatorialenergia.com.br. The presentation we'll be showing today will also be available there. All participants will be in listen-only mode during the presentation. We'll have a Q&A session, at which time further instructions will be given.
Before moving on, we'd like to remind everyone that any forward-looking statements made here are based on management's current beliefs and assumptions and on information available to the company at this time. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties as they refer to future events and therefore depend on circumstances that may or may not occur. Investors, analysts, and journalists should keep in mind that factors related to the macroeconomic environment, the industry, and others could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements. We're now beginning the presentation and hand the call over to Mr. Augusto Miranda. Please go ahead, Mr. Miranda.
Good afternoon. Thanks for joining us on our earnings call. We delivered strong operating results in Q2 2025. Looking at our consolidated distribution portfolio, even against a tough comparison basis from last year, we still grew, billed, and compensated volumes by 4%. On top of that, we had the best Q2 in our history in generation, driven by the solid performance of our wind assets. We adjusted EBITDA to BRL 3.2 billion this quarter, up 32.4% from Q2 2024, and adjusted net income reached BRL 614 million. These results were fueled by margin expansion in distribution and the equity pickup from Subesp, which totaled BRL 312 million. With this performance, our net debt-to-EBITDA ratio improved to 3.1 times, down 0.1 times from Q1 2025. Continuing to deliver leverage, even with the highest investment levels we've had in recent quarters, reflecting the company's EBITDA growth.
CapEx totaled BRL 2.7 billion in the quarter, up 32.4% year-over-year, with the bulk going to distribution. We're already seeing returns from these investments in the form of better service quality across our companies. This quarter, we brought CEEE-D within regulatory FEC limits, and with that, all of our distribution companies are now in compliance. We also reduced DEC across all distributors compared to Q2 2024. Standout improvements at Equatorial Piauí : - 7.6 hours, Equatorial Goiás: - 5.3 hours, and CEEE-D: - 5.2 hours. Finally, CEA: - 3.9. Versus Q1, four of our seven distribution concessions improved by more than one hour. Lastly, the concession renewal processes are moving forward. This quarter, ANEEL approved the renewals of Maranhão and Pará, which are now under review at the MME, and in the case of Maranhão, also under the TCU.
We expect to sign the contract amendments between October and November. I'll now hand it over to Leo on slide five to walk you through the group's consolidated financial and operating performance. Over to you, Leo.
Thanks, Augusto. Good afternoon, everyone. I'll give you a quick overview of the group's financial performance on a consolidated and adjusted basis. This quarter, we posted strong growth in both margins and EBITDA. Gross margin for the quarter was boosted by the solid performance in distribution, with high volumes, increased POB tariffs, and lower losses. EBITDA also benefited from the equity pickup from Subesp. We delivered these results with strict cost discipline. Adjusted PMSO grew in line with inflation, showcasing one of our core strengths as an efficient operator.
On the non-recurring side, we booked a BRL 444 million gain, mostly from the reversal of contingency recorded in the PPA for the Equatorial Goiás acquisition, thanks to case closures and settlements led by our legal team as part of the due diligence process. As a result, adjusted net income for the quarter came in at BRL 614 million, more than double the figure from a year ago. This quarter, we once again reduced net debt-to-EBITDA to 3.1 x, driven by EBITDA growth. Finally, capital expenditures for the quarter totaled BRL 2.7 billion, with most of it going to distribution. Moving on to slide seven. Here's an overview of the operational and commercial performance of our distributors, along with key highlights for the quarter. On the left-hand side, you can see strong growth in billed plus compensated distributor generation volumes, even off a high base from recent years.
Despite that scenario, we have been able to keep cutting losses while maintaining solid collections and PECLD levels. As Augusto mentioned, all of our distribution companies are now within regulatory FEC limits, underscoring our commitment to service quality. We also delivered solid improvements in DEC across all distributors compared to Q2 of last year. Gross margin for the distribution segment rose 14%, mainly on higher POB tariffs, increased volumes, and lower losses. Adjusted PMSO for the distributors was up 6.1% in the quarter, but on a per-customer basis over the last 12 months, the increase was just 0.8%. These factors drove an 18.7% increase in adjusted distribution EBITDA. Excluding distributor generation costs in Q2 2024, growth would have been 20.8%. On to slide nine. Let's take a look at the group's other businesses. In transmission, regulatory EBITDA was BRL 248 million, down 11.4%, mainly due to the deconsolidation of SPE-7.
EBITDA margin in transmission remained strong at 93%. In sanitation, results continue to reflect progress in water metering. EBITDA came to BRL 7.3 million this quarter. CSA's IAR reached 72.1% in the quarter, 6.1 percentage points above the EBITDA, and 13.4 pp higher than last year. In renewables, EBITDA came in at BRL 177 million, up 35% year-over-year, driven by the startup of solar farms and record output from our wind portfolio, which, excluding curtailments, would have matched P44 levels. I'll now turn the call back to the operator to open the Q&A session.
Thank you. We'll now begin the Q&A session. If you'd like to ask a question, please click on the Q&A icon at the bottom of your screen and type it in. To ask your question live, click raise hand. [Foreign language] .
Ms. Luiza Candiota from Itaú BBA asks the first question.
Thank you for taking my question. My question is about the thesis of the century, and the DI case that discussed the return of excluding sales tax from the PIS/COFINS tax bases, and also the prescription for the deadline for those credits. I believe that they're discussing that today. We would like to hear your take on this matter as to the deadline of the credits and potential gains the company would have if the 10-year thesis or the 5-year thesis were to be approved. What's your take on it? Thank you.
[Foreign language] . Good afternoon, Luiza. Thank you for your question.
[Foreign language].
I think it started out back in Maranhão a long time ago. We have been closely monitoring it. All we have to do now is to keep on monitoring and sit and wait. I wouldn't like to discuss this issue in further detail at this time.
[Foreign language].
Thank you. No problem.
[Foreign language].
Daniel Travitzky from Safra asks the next question. Please go ahead, sir.
[Foreign language].
Your mic has been unmuted. You can answer your question now.
[Foreign langugae].
Mr. Bruno Amorim from Goldman Sachs is asking the next question.
Good afternoon, and thank you for taking my question. If possible, c ould you please elaborate on recent auctions in the water and sewage treatments? The company was not part of it. Even in states where you have a strong operation, do you believe the auctions were not attractive enough because of the model? Or were the premises that were not appropriate? If you could please explain why you are not that active in recent auctions. Is that an indication that the company is more prone or less prone to take part in future auctions? I think it's good to estimate future capital allocation.
Thank you for your question, Bruno. As we have been saying in recent calls, this is a focus for Equatorial. One of our basic principles is the fact that we have been disciplined in allocation. Despite the model, we may prefer this or that model, especially in sanitation. However, if the asset or the auction provides good returns, there are no problems with that. We could not understand that these auctions would provide the returns we were expecting. That's why we chose not to take part.
All right, thank you.
[Foreign language].
Maria Carolina Carneiro from Safra asks the next question.
Good afternoon. I actually have two questions. Number one, can you give us more color? Also, remind us of the Goiás PPA impacts that ended up impacting your results. Can you describe what the balance is, how much you have? Question number two. We've noticed that despite these high curtailments for this quarter, you also managed to increase availability. We'd like to better understand this "turnaround" in the Echoenergia investments you've made so that we can understand what will happen in the coming quarters. What's your take about possible solutions at the government level for the curtailment and for the industry as a whole? What have you been discussing? What is the outlook to maybe bring down these impacts in the coming quarters?
Thank you, Carol, for your question. I'll turn it over to Leo to address the PPA Goiás, and then we'll address the curtailment question. Over to Leo.
Hi, Carol. Good afternoon. The PPA contingencies, I believe we started out at BRL 2.5 billion, BRL 2.4 billion. At the very start, there was that reversal of BRL 500 million, so the remainder is BRL 1 billion, BRL 1 billion something. I'm referring only to the PPA. I'm not including that remainder that we see in the balance sheet for the company in Goiás. Things are moving along quite nicely. We have been successful because of the effort of our legal team, and results have been very positive. I'll turn now over to Liu to address the other part of your question.
Hi, Carol. How are you? [Foreign langugae]. Let me address your first question.
What helped us in the quarter was the wind availability. We were at P44, above P50 in terms of wind resources that partially offset those cuts that were a little above those of Q1. The overall technical availability has improved because we have more wind resources, and it also has more availability. As far as the curtailment goes, we are working on several fronts in the industry. Things that are currently underway. Let me mention a few. We do have a monitoring committee for the energy industry trying to reduce technical impacts from cuts, from shortages. That includes removing some system banks, shifting the models. We work with the energy authorities to provide them more specific models to help the agency to better understand how the machines operate. Once these systems are implemented, they will improve the agency's capacity to accept the energy system.
We're still adapting the regulation. There is also a legal case it can be solar . These are cases that are currently underway. These are the main drivers behind that.
All right, thank you.
As a question in writing by Mr. Daniel Travitzky, we've seen lower delinquency rates this quarter. What are the main drivers behind it? Is it a better microeconomic environment, or were those results from the company's initiatives? What is the outlook down the road?
[Foreign language].
Good afternoon. Thank you for your question.
Our [PECLD] was a slight decrease quarter on quarter, and the IR also, but at a very interesting level. We do have different scenarios depending on the asset. As far as improvements go, those that provide the most improvement were, number one, Rio Grande do Sul. The best improvement in the previous quarter, almost one point. Last quarter, we had that event over there. It was hurt the most. The reduction came in mostly from that region. Maranhão and Goiás provided more interesting improvements. Piauí improved a little bit. Pará, Alagoas, and Amapá had an upward trend. Maintaining these collection levels, we'll see that level be remaining around those same figures.
Let me remind you that to ask a question, please click the Q&A icon at the bottom of your screen and type it in. To ask your question live, click the raise hand button.
Please hold while we collect some more questions. [Foreign language] .
This concludes the Q&A session. I'll turn the call over to Mr. Augusto Miranda for his closing remarks.
Thank you. To wrap up, I want to reaffirm our commitment to consistently creating value for our shareholders by delivering solid results across all of our businesses, supported by this disciplined financial management, something that's ingrained in Equatorial 's culture. As always, our IR team is available to answer any follow-up questions after the call. Thanks again.
This concludes today's call. Thank you all for joining us and have a great afternoon.