REPORT OF THE STATUTORY AUDITOR
Zurich, 31. March 2023
To the General Meeting of Repower AG, Brusio
Report of the statutory auditor
Report on the audit of the consolidated financial statements
Opinion
We have audited the consolidated financial statements of Repower AG and its subsidiaries (the Group), which comprise the consolidated statement of financial position as at 31.12.2022, the consolidated statement of income, the consolidated statement of changes in equity and the consolidated statement of cash flows for the year then ended, and notes to the consolidated financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements (pages 76 to 113) give a true and fair view of the consolidated financial position of the Group as at 31.12.2022 and of its consolidated financial performance and its consolidated cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with Swiss GAAP FER and comply with Swiss law.
Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with Swiss law and Swiss Standards on Auditing (SA-CH). Our responsibilities under those provisions and standards are further described in the “Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the consolidated financial statements” section of our report. We are independent of the Group in accordance with the provisions of Swiss law and the requirements of the Swiss audit profession, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements.
We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
Key audit matters
Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgment, were of most significance in our audit of the consolidated financial statements of the current period. These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the consolidated financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do not provide a separate opinion on these matters. For each matter below, our description of how our audit addressed the matter is provided in that context.
We have fulfilled the responsibilities described in the “Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the consolidated financial statements” section of our report, including in relation to these matters. Accordingly, our audit included the performance of procedures designed to respond to our assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements. The results of our audit procedures, including the procedures performed to address the matters below, provide the basis for our audit opinion on the consolidated financial statements.
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Classification, valuation and presentation of energy derivatives |
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Risk |
The accounting treatment of energy derivatives is a result of its classification as “held-for-trading” or “cash flow hedges”. Classification requires judgment and has a material impact on both the consolidated balance sheet presentation and group result. The valuation of these “held-for-trading” instruments is derived from observable market data on active markets. The positive and negative replacement values are presented net when legally enforceable netting agreements are in place. The Company defines policies and procedures to account for energy contracts. These include the definition of segregation of duties and controls. Due to the significance of these transactions, significant judgment and the potential impact on the financial statements, the accounting of energy derivatives was considered significant in our audit. Refer to notes 3 Valuation principles, 25 Replacement values of held-for-trading positions and 35 Derivative financial instruments of the consolidated financial statements for further information. |
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Our audit response |
We evaluated the Group’s policies and procedures around classification, valuation and netting of open positions including the established segregation of duties and discussed these with the Group. We assessed internal controls over the Group’s accounting for such trading activity. For a sample of energy derivatives, we tested the observable inputs into valuation models by reference to externally available market data. Our audit did not give rise to any objections with regard to the recognition and measurement of the energy derivatives. |
Other information
The Board of Directors is responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, but does not include the consolidated financial statements, the stand-alone financial statements and our auditor’s reports thereon.
Our opinion on the consolidated financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the consolidated financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the consolidated financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated.
If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.
Board of Directors’ responsibilities for the consolidated financial statements
The Board of Directors is responsible for the preparation of the consolidated financial statements, which give a true and fair view in accordance with Swiss GAAP FER and the provisions of Swiss law, and for such internal control as the Board of Directors determines is necessary to enable the preparation of consolidated financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the consolidated financial statements, the Board of Directors is responsible for assessing the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern, and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Board of Directors either intends to liquidate the Group or to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.
Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the consolidated financial statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with Swiss law and SA-CH will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these consolidated financial statements.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the consolidated financial statements is located on EXPERTsuisse’s website at: https://www.expertsuisse.ch/en/audit-report. This description forms an integral part of our report.
Report on other legal and regulatory requirements
In accordance with Art. 728a para. 1 item 3 CO and PS-CH 890, we confirm that an internal control system exists, which has been designed for the preparation of the consolidated financial statements according to the instructions of the Board of Directors.
We recommend that the consolidated financial statements submitted to you be approved.
Ernst & Young Ltd
Reto Hofer
Licensed audit expert
(Auditor in charge)
Silvan Rüegsegger
Licensed audit expert