Arthur Bottone
Analyst · Lazard
Thank you, Mike. FuelCell Energy's vision is to provide ultra-clean, efficient, distribute generation baseload power for less than the cost of grid-delivered electricity without incentives. We have positioned the company to participate in a very attractive and growing market space. The nexus of 3 closely related markets encompassing clean renewable energy, the smart grid and energy efficiency. To achieve our vision, we have established 3 strategic priorities: d-riving growth, operational excellence and customer satisfaction. Let's talk first about driving growth. FuelCell Energy is the world's leading producer of megawatt class fuel cells for clean and renewable baseload power generation. More than 80 of our power plants are generating ultra-clean power at more than 50 sites globally. Our install base and backlog now exceeds 180 megawatts. We sell into 2 growing primary markets. The first is ultra-clean power. FuelCell is operating on clean natural gas across 7 distinct and diversified vertical markets. The second is renewable power. Fuel cells operating on renewal biogas across 4 distinct and diversified vertical markets. Global demand for power continues to grow, and the need for distributed generation becomes more apparent with every unforeseen event that interrupts the electric grid, whether it's the hurricane or an issue with nuclear power generation. We have analyzed our markets and estimate that the near-term global potential for fuel cell power plants is about $6 billion, of which renewable energy represents about $2 billion. Services are growing part of our revenue stream, represent significant additional potential, but are not included in these estimates. Our worldwide business is growing because our Direct FuelCell solutions excel at solving in energy, environmental and business problems. Our DFC power plants are ultra-clean, efficient and reliable distribute generation solutions. The emissions profile virtually eliminates pollutants and helps customers reach their sustainability goals for high electrical efficiency results and more output for a given unit of fuel, reducing operating costs and carbon emissions. Our power plants generate electricity at the point of use without additional investments in transmission and distribution. Growing demand and our relentless focus on driving growth have resulted in increased order flow from our markets. During the third quarter, POSCO Power ordered 70 megawatts of FuelCell kits. Under this order, we will deliver 2.8 megawatts of FuelCell kits to POSCO every month for 2 years, from October 2011 through October 2013. This order almost doubled our product and service backlog to $230 million and 79 megawatts. We increased our production run rate to 56 megawatts during the third quarter of 2011, up from 22 megawatts in late 2010. We will maintain this 56-megawatt rate through 2011, and then increase it as needed to meet demand. We ramped up production very quickly, and I'm proud of the outstanding job our entire team of associates is doing to support this growth. Credit for achieving our recent operational milestones goes to Tony Rauseo and his talented associates. Tony is our Chief Operating Officer. Tony has been with FuelCell Energy since 2005, and has a strong track record of delivering results. Formerly Vice President of Engineering and Chief Engineer, Tony was appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2010, and has been instrumental in helping shorten product development times, improve product operational reliability, and most important, achieving significant cost reductions. Obtaining positive gross profit for the third quarter is a significant milestone for us. This achievement illustrates the operating leverage inherent in our business model. As our production volume grows, the absorption of our factory fixed overhead improves, as our production ramp involved a lot of hard work, but not a lot of costs other than additional direct labor. In addition, the large 2-year POSCO order provides a base level of production and material purchase plan. This operational predictability, combined with expanded global sourcing and higher volume purchasing is generating additional cost reductions. We remain on track to achieve company profitability and a run rate in the range of 80 to 90 megawatts annually. Let's look at some of our key market developments. In South Korea, POSCO Power's large order represents initial demand under the country's Renewable Portfolio Standard, which mandates 6,000 megawatts of new and renewable energy through 2022, including FuelCell's operating under natural gas or renewable biogas. The RPS, which goes into effect in 2012 will continue to drive demand for fuel cells in South Korea. POSCO has developed nearly 70 megawatts of projects already, and is developing a substantial pipeline of new projects and Memorandum of Understandings with key customers. We expect the order volume will grow in response to demand created by the RPS, and the potential exists for our partner to place incremental orders to satisfy market demand. The recently completed strategic planning discussions with POSCO. We've focused on expansion and penetration of other Asian markets, and plans to accelerate our business growth and alignment of our respective strengths and resources. There are substantial growth opportunities within Asia, supported by the need for ultra-clean baseload distributed generation. We are pleased to announce the initial step in POSCO's Asia expansion plans, as explained in our press release issued this morning regarding market expansion into Southeast Asia. POSCO Power's expanding outside of South Korea, with a high-profile installation in Indonesia. In addition, POSCO opened a sales and services location in Indonesia to support further growth in Southeast Asia. South Korea's green energy and economic policy is focused on clean distributed generation that is scalable, efficient and creates green jobs. Scalable distributed generation allows power to be added in cost-effective increments at the point of use, while minimizing costly investment in transmission and distribution. Fuel cells are an ideal distributive baseload solution for South Korea and other geographies because they are ultra-clean, efficient, quiet, easily sited in areas of high population density. POSCO has completed and begun production at its local stacking facility, which is annual capacity of 100 megawatts. Under a licensing agreement, POSCO assembles, complete power plants using fuel cell components produced by us in our proprietary balance of plant designs. POSCO assembled the first fuel cell to be stacked in their module assembly facility, and completed power plant has been installed at a customer site. Our manufacturing business model can be replicated in other markets globally to respond to market demand and the desire for high-quality, sustainable job growth. We control intellectual property, while leveraging our manufacturing capacity to support local markets. Our partners create market demand by developing policy and have delivered patents and jobs, creating both customer and market value in addition to economic development. Localization also ensures our products are adapted to local power needs. Another example of partner alignment and focusing our resources on an emerging opportunity is the building application market. FuelCell Energy and POSCO are developing a 100-kilowatt FuelCell power plant for the commercial buildings market that is being driven by the South Korean energy policy. This project is on schedule, and we expect to ship 200-kilowatt demonstration stacks to POSCO later this year. POSCO is designing the balance of plant, and we'll install the units in Seoul city. This product has strong market potential in South Korea and other regions globally. In California, recent installations in the process of commissioning, combined with the pending installations from backlog, will give rise to more than 12 megawatts of new plants coming online in the next several quarters in key market segments with more key customers. This increases our install base in California by more than 60%, and gives us momentum to increase our market penetration and deliver growing service revenue. Policy development continues to evolve and has a significant portion of our efforts. These developments include an increase of its Renewable Portfolio Standard from 20% to 33%, plans to deploy 12,000 megawatts of renewable distributed generation and a shift to performance-based fee and tariff policies. We have also had favorable results in the development of project and program financing, which will aid in the closure of new business. In August, Pacific Gas & Electric signed 2 multiyear service agreements under which FuelCell Energy will operate and maintain 2 DFC1500 power plants owned by the utility and recently installed on 2 California university campuses. They are efficiently and economically providing ultra-clean baseload power and usable heat, while helping these universities meet their sustainability goals. In Connecticut, we have made significant progress in the development financing for several projects. We'll be ready to announce the closure of some soon. The state recently adopted a comprehensive clean energy policy designed to increase energy efficiency and expand renewable power. The state created a long-term renewable energy credit program funded with $300 million over 20 years. Connecticut has begun taking the position of greater national leadership in clean distributed generation, and this legislation should be more effective in fostering the near-term adoption of clean energy than prior legislation. FuelCell Energy has more than doubled production in less than a year and added 50 good paying green jobs in 2011 to the state's economy. Finally, we're in the final stages of discussion with 2 potential major European partners. I expect you will hear some news prior to our next call. Europe is an attractive and underserved market for stationary fuel cell power plants. We are currently working on follow-up orders in the U.K. market from our previously announced order with the Crown Estates in the U.K. A sizable segment of our growing backlog, as you've heard, is comprised of multiyear service agreements, which all of our customers have executed. Service agreements are an increasingly important part of our focus on customer satisfaction. It helps us partner more closely with our customers to deliver expected value and provide us with the opportunity for additional and adjacent services. Service agreements generate predictable and stable recurring revenue, and as our install base continues to grow, it will begin to contribute materially to profitability and future sustainable revenues. We're focusing our advanced technology programs on strategic areas of research and technologies that have strong prospects for commercialization within a reasonable timeframe. Our research and development capabilities and strong intellectual property portfolio contribute value in many ways, including enhancement of our current product line and the development of adjacent markets for existing products. An excellent example of this is the recent inauguration of the world's first wastewater treatment base fuel cell power plant renewable hydrogen fueling station in Southern California. Our team modified one of our commercial power plants to provide renewable hydrogen for vehicle fueling, plus ultra-clean electricity, illustrating the versatility of our technology. Other contracts in areas of similar importance are expected to be announced in the next several weeks. We have a clear vision with 3 strategic priorities that can deliver profitability and sustainable growth. As we strive to meet the world's energy needs today, our strategic priorities of driving growth, operational excellence and customer satisfaction, are producing positive financial and operating results. We achieved quarterly gross profit. Our products are profitable, POSCO placed a large multiyear order, the largest in our history, and we're executing on the production of our record backlog. While more remains to be done, I would like to thank our talented associates for making excellent progress and for our investors with their confidence placed on us. Thank you for your continued support. Operator, we'll be happy to take questions at this time.