Table of Contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 20-F
(Mark One)
☐ REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
OR
**For the fiscal year ended December 31,2024 **
OR
☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
OR
☐ SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
**Date of event requiring this shell company report: **
**For the transition period from to **
Commission file number:001-33373
CAPITAL CLEAN ENERGY CARRIERS CORP.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
Republic of the Marshall Islands
(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
3 Iassonos Street, Piraeus,18537 Greece
+30 210 458 4950
(Address and telephone number of principal executive offices and company contact person)
Gerasimos (Jerry) Kalogiratos, j.kalogiratos@capitalmaritime.com
(Name and email of company contact person)
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered |
|---|
| Common Shares, par value $0.01 per share | CCEC | Nasdaq Global Select Market |
|---|
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act: None
Indicate the number of outstanding Shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report.
58,387,313 Common Shares
1,551,061 Treasury Common Shares
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
YES ☒ NO☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
YES ☒ NO☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “accelerated filer,” “large accelerated filer,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
| Large accelerated filer ☐ | Accelerated Filer ☒ | Non- accelerated filer ☐ | Emerging growth company ☐ |
|---|
If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
† The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on an attestation to it management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.☒
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b).☐
Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:
| U.S. GAAP ☒ | International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ☐ | Other ☐ |
|---|
If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statements item the registrant has elected to follow.
ITEM 17☐** ITEM 18**☐
If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
CAPITAL CLEAN ENERGY CARRIERS CORP.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| PART I | 7 |
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| Item 1. Identity of Directors, Senior Management and Advisors. | 7 |
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| Item 2. Offer Statistics and Expected Timetable. | 7 |
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| Item 3. Key Information. | 7 |
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| Item 4. Information on the Partnership. | 70 |
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| Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects. | 70 |
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| Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees. | 87 |
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| Item 7. Major Unitholders and Related-Party Transactions. | 95 |
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| Item 8. Financial Information. | 104 |
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| Item 9. The Offer and Listing. | 104 |
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| Item 10. Additional Information. | 104 |
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| Item 11. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk. | 113 |
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| Item 12. Description of Securities Other than Equity Securities. | 114 |
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| PART II | 115 |
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| Item 13. Defaults, Dividend Arrearages and Delinquencies. | 115 |
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| Item 14. Material Modifications to the Rights of Security Holders and Use of Proceeds. | 115 |
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| Item 15. Controls and Procedures. | 115 |
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| Item 16. | 117 |
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| PART III | 121 |
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| Item 17. Financial Statements | 121 |
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| Item 18. Financial Statements. | 121 |
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| Item 19. Exhibits | 122 |
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ABOUT THIS REPORT
This annual report on Form 20-F (this “Annual Report”) should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the related consolidated statements of comprehensive income, changes in shareholders’ equity and partners’ capital, and cash flows, for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2024, and the related notes included herein (the “Financial Statements”).
In this Annual Report, unless the context otherwise requires:
| • | the “Conversion” refers to our conversion, on August 26, 2024 (the “Effective Date”), from a Marshall Islands limited partnership named “Capital Product Partners L.P.” (the “Partnership” or “CPLP”) to a Marshall Islands corporation; |
| • | the “Company”, “CCEC”, “we”, “us” or “our” refer to Capital Clean Energy Carriers Corp. (or, prior to the Conversion, CPLP) and, unless the context otherwise requires, its consolidated subsidiaries; |
| • | “Capital Maritime” refers to Capital Maritime & Trading Corp.; |
| • | “CGP LLC” refers to Capital GP L.L.C., ; in its capacity as general partner of CPLP prior to the Conversion, CGP LLC is sometimes referred to as the “General Partner”; |
| • | “Capital Gas” refers to Capital Gas Corp.; |
| • | “Capital Parties” refers to Capital Maritime, CGP LLC and Capital Gas; |
| • | “Capital-Executive” refers to Capital-Executive Ship Management Corp.; |
| • | “Capital Ship Management” refers to Capital Ship Management Corp.; |
| • | “Capital Gas Management” refers to Capital Gas Ship Management Corp.; |
| • | “common shares” refers to common shares of the Company, par value $0.01 per share; |
| • | “common units” refers to common units representing limited partnership interests of the Partnership prior to the Conversion; |
| • | the “Managers” refers to our managers, Capital-Executive, Capital Ship Management and Capital Gas Management; |
| • | “Shareholders’ Agreement” refers to the shareholders’ agreement dated August 26, 2024 among us and the Capital Parties; |
| • | “Executive Services Agreement” refers to the executive services agreement dated August 26, 2024 between us and CGP LLC; |
| • | “Registration Rights Agreement” refers to the registration rights agreement dated August 26, 2024 between us, the Capital Parties, Paparebecorp Limited and Ascetico Limited; |
| • | “Umbrella Agreement” refers to the umbrella agreement, which we entered into on November 13, 2023 with Capital Maritime and CGP LLC; |
| • | the “conflicts committee” refers to the conflicts committee of our board of directors |
| • | “CPLP PLC” refers to CPLP Shipping Holdings PLC, a public limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of CCEC; |
| • | “Bonds” refers to €100.0 million and €150.0 million of senior unsecured bonds issued by CPLP PLC and guaranteed by the Company, which were listed on the Athens Stock Exchange in July 2022 and October 2021, respectively; |
| • | “financing arrangements” refers to our debt financing arrangements as well as to our sale-leaseback financing arrangements, seller’s credit agreements and the Bonds; |
| • | “debt” includes indebtedness under the financing arrangements; |
| • | “LCO2” refers to liquefied carbon dioxide; |
| • | “LNG” refers to liquefied natural gas; |
| • | “LNG/C” refers to LNG carriers; |
| • | “low carbon ammonia” refers to ammonia produced from renewable energy (green ammonia) or using carbon capture and storage technology (blue ammonia); |
| • | “LPG” refers to liquefied petroleum gas, including propane, butane, isobutane, propylene and mixtures of these gases; |
| • | “other gas carriage” refers to existing LPG and ammonia (excluding low carbon ammonia) shipping markets; |
| • | “other gas carrier” refers to ocean-going vessels capable of transporting LPG and/or ammonia; |
| • | “Newbuild LNG/C Vessels” refers to the 11 newbuild LNG/C vessels we agreed to acquire from Capital Maritime in November 2023 pursuant to the Umbrella Agreement; and |
| • | “Gas Fleet” refers to the 10 newbuild gas carriers, including four LCO2/multi gas carriers and six LPG-ammonia carriers that we agreed to acquire from Capital Maritime in June 2024. |
CORPORATE CONVERSION AND CONTAINER VESSEL DIVESTMENT
We were originally formed as a Marshall Islands limited partnership named “Capital Product Partners L.P.”, and on the Effective Date, converted into a Marshall Islands corporation named “Capital Clean Energy Carriers Corp.” Please read “Item 4. Information on the Company—A. History and Development of the Company—Developments in 2024 and up to the filing of this Annual Report” for further information on the Conversion. Following our announcement on November 13, 2023 of our intention to shift our business focus towards LNG and energy transition shipping and gradually divest from our non-core assets (legacy container vessels), since December 2023 we have completed the sale of 12 legacy container vessels as set forth in the following table.
| Name of Vessel | Type | Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (“TEU”) | Memorandum of Agreement Date | Delivery/Expected Delivery |
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| M/V Akadimos | Neo Panamax Container Vessel | 9,288 | January 31, 2024 | March 8, 2024 |
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| M/V Long Beach Express | Panamax Container Vessel | 5,089 | December 15, 2023 | February 26, 2024 |
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| M/V Seattle Express | Panamax Container Vessel | 5,089 | February 14, 2024 | April 26, 2024 |
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| M/V Fos Express | Panamax Container Vessel | 5,089 | February 14, 2024 | May 3, 2024 |
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| M/V Athenian | Neo Panamax Container Vessel | 9,954 | March 1, 2024 | April 22, 2024 |
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| M/V Athos | Neo Panamax Container Vessel | 9,954 | March 1, 2024 | April 22, 2024 |
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| M/V Aristomenis | Neo Panamax Container Vessel | 9,954 | March 1, 2024 | May 3, 2024 |
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| M/V Hyundai Premium | Neo Panamax Container Vessel | 5,023 | September 12, 2024 | November 22, 2024 |
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| M/V Hyundai Paramount | Neo Panamax Container Vessel | 5,023 | September 12, 2024 | December 20, 2024 |
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| M/V Hyundai Prestige | Neo Panamax Container Vessel | 5,023 | September 12, 2024 | December 5, 2024 |
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| M/V Hyundai Privilege | Neo Panamax Container Vessel | 5,023 | September 12, 2024 | January 10, 2025 |
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| M/V Hyundai Platinum | Neo Panamax Container Vessel | 5,023 | September 12, 2024 | March 10, 2025 |
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We determined that the assets and liabilities, results of operations and cash flows of these 12 legacy container vessels met the criteria to be reported in discontinued operations. As a result, in this Annual Report and the accompanying Financial Statements, these 12 legacy container vessels are reported as discontinued operations for all periods presented. See Note 3 (Discontinued Operations) to our Financial Statements included herein. The three legacy container vessels that remain in our on the water fleet (i.e., the M/V Manzanillo Express, M/V Itajai Express and M/V Buenaventura Express) continue to be reported in our continuing operations.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
Our disclosure and analysis in this Annual Report concerning our business, operations, cash flows, and financial position, including, among other things, the likelihood of our success in developing and expanding our business, include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, in particular, statements about our plans, strategies, business prospects, changes and trends in our business, financial condition and the markets in which we operate, and involve risks and uncertainties. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “may,” “might,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “likely,” “intend,” “forecast,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “predict,” “propose,” “potential,” “continue,” “seek” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Although these statements are based upon assumptions we believe to be reasonable based upon available information, including projections of revenues, operating margins, earnings, cash flows, working capital and capital expenditures, they are subject to risks and uncertainties that are described more fully in this Annual Report in “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors” below. These forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this Annual Report and are not intended to give any assurance as to future results. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements appear in a number of places in this Annual Report and include statements with respect to, among other things:
| • | expectations regarding our ability to pay dividends to our shareholders; |
| • | expectations regarding global economic outlook and growth; |
| • | expectations regarding shipping conditions and fundamentals, including the balance of supply and demand, as well as trends and conditions in the newbuild markets and scrapping of older vessels; |
| • | our current and future business and growth strategies and other plans and objectives for future operations, future acquisitions and deliveries of vessels from Capital Maritime or third parties, and the expected benefits from the Newbuild LNG/C Vessels and the Gas Fleet; |
| • | expectations regarding our shift in strategic focus towards the transportation of various forms of gas to industrial customers, including our intention to dispose of our container vessels and abstain from acquiring additional container vessels; |
| • | expectations regarding our conversion in August 2024 from a limited partnership to a corporation with customary corporate governance; |
| • | our continued ability to enter into medium- or long-term, fixed-rate time charters with our charterers and to re-charter our vessels at attractive rates as their existing charters expire; |
| • | the relationships and reputations of our Managers in the shipping industry; |
| • | the financial condition, viability and sustainability of our charterers, including their ability to meet their obligations under the terms of our charter agreements; |
| • | our ability to maximize the use of our vessels; |
| • | our ability to access debt, credit and equity markets; |
| • | our ability to service, refinance or repay our financing under our financing arrangements and settle our hedging arrangements; |
| • | planned capital expenditures and availability of capital resources to fund capital expenditures; |
| • | the expected lifespan and condition of our vessels; |
| • | changes to the regulatory requirements applicable to the shipping industry, including, without limitation, stricter requirements adopted by international organizations and the European Union (“EU”), or by individual countries or charterers and actions taken by regulatory authorities overseeing such areas as safety and environmental compliance; |
| • | our ability to successfully operate exhaust gas cleaning systems (“scrubbers”) or other newly installed equipment and novel technologies on certain or all of our vessels; |
| • | the expected cost of, and our ability to comply with, governmental regulations and maritime self-regulatory organization standards, including new environmental regulations and standards, as well as standard regulations imposed by our charterers applicable to our business; |
| • | the impact of heightened regulations and the actions of regulators and other government authorities, including anti-corruption laws and regulations, as well as sanctions and other governmental actions; |
| • | the impact of new restrictions on trade, including the imposition of significant new tariffs by the United States on its trading partners and the imposition of significant retaliatory tariffs by China and the EU on the United States, and potential further protectionist measures and/or further retaliatory actions by others, including the imposition of tariffs or penalties on vessels calling in key export or import ports such as the United States, EU and/or China; |
| • | our anticipated general and administrative expenses; |
| • | the adequacy of our insurance arrangements and our ability to obtain insurance and required certifications; |
| • | the anticipated taxation of the Company and dividends to our shareholders; |
| • | the ability of CGP LLC to retain its officers and employees who provide services to the Company pursuant to the Executive Services Agreement and the ability of our Managers to retain key employees; |
| • | anticipated funds for liquidity needs and the sufficiency of cash flows; and |
| • | the ability of our counterparties to perform under our shipbuilding contracts. |
The preceding list is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all our forward-looking statements. These and other forward-looking statements are made based upon management’s current plans, expectations, estimates, assumptions and beliefs concerning future events impacting us and, therefore, involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including those risks discussed in “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors” below, which could cause actual results to be materially different from those contained in any forward-looking statement. The risks, uncertainties and assumptions involve known and unknown risks and are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. We caution that forward-looking statements are not guarantees and that actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements.
Unless required by law, we expressly disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statement or statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of these factors. Further, we cannot assess the impact of each such factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to be materially different from those contained in any forward-looking statement. You should carefully review and consider the various disclosures included in this Annual Report that attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may affect our business, prospects and results of operations.