Chip Bottone
Analyst · Craig-Hallum. Your line is open
Thank you, Mike. Please turn to Slide 7, titled Market Updates. We are executing on a number of large catalysts that I'd like to use as a guide for the discussion. First, the U.S. adoption and deployment of distributed generation using our solutions is happening. We are adding new utility customers, highlighting the value of clean, affordable and competitive and predictable power that solves grid challenges and enables utilities to retain their large customers. In April we announced a grid resiliency project with PSEG Long Island in New York. This is our first project for PSEG. I feel so proud that we will be supplying predictable power to PSEG electrical substation under the Clean Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff II through a multiyear power purchase agreement. Our plant will be installed at a facility owned by one of PSEG's commercial customers which will utilize the heat in return for hosting the plant. This project demonstrates the benefits and competitiveness of predictable distributed power generation while cleanly enhancing grid reliability and resiliency. The term reliable refers to power that is delivered round the clock and resilient refers to power delivered during storms or other potential disruptions. Separately, we submitted proposals which are currently pending under PSEG 40 MW fuel-cell only RFP. PSEG recently provided an update on their website that three different clean energy RFPs included a fuel cell RFP are moving forward. Recent board meetings have indicated support and review teams have completed their work and we expect decisions will come no later than the end of July. Given our competitiveness and preferred site selections we are optimistic about our chances. Installation of our SureSource 4000 with its world-leading electrical efficiency is continuing to progress on schedule at Triangle Street in Danbury Connecticut. Suitable for installation in urban and residential areas our SureSource 4000 provides easy to site megawatt class distributed generation with large scale combined cycle electrical efficiency. We recently executed a letter of intent with Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative, CMEEC for long-term supply of 744 MW of clean distributed power. Definitive agreements are expected in the June-July timeframe with project completion in 2018. The CMEEC project will help our new utility customer to economically meet their customers' needs for clean and reliable on-site distributed generation and it supports the Department of Defense's requirement for energy resiliency and independence. The project demonstrates how we can help utilities to retain customers who might otherwise seek alternative energy supplies and sources while reducing or eliminating capital deployment. We announced the execution of a PPA with Connecticut's Trinity College at Hartford that will reduce their energy costs by approximately 30% annually. As our steadily growing roster of university customers demonstrates, we can help these institutions affordably meet their clean power and energy independence goals, while spending our generation portfolio and growing sources of recurring revenue. The three new projects mentioned totaled 10.2 MW will be added to our generation portfolio. Once operational, we will have nearly 30 MW of generation assets as Mike points out. We have 10 MW of additional projects whose profile would complement our expanding portfolio that we expect to close in 2017. Yesterday, the Connecticut State Legislature passed House Bill 7036 that provides a path for the deployment of over a 100 MW of fuel cell projects. Legislation passed both the House and Senate with near unanimous support and is awaiting the signature of the government or the Governor who has been supportive of the fuel cell industry in Connecticut. The Bills elements are affected either on passage or July 2017. So, things can move quickly based on the work that we have done previously. Two aspects of this legislation are very important to the fuel industry in general and the fuel cell energy in particular. First, it enables Connecticut electric utilities to purchase up to 30 MW of fuel cell power plants. The prior version of the legislation was called renewable connections and was limited to 20 MW and included solar, but, we did quite well given our competitiveness. This utility legislation is for fuel cells only. Second, it directs the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, DEEP to issue an RFP for procuring clean energy with a focus on enhancing the reliability and resiliency of energy supply and in a manner that supports in-state economic development. Solar and Onshore Wind are excluded from this RFP. This creates a path for Beacon Falls project and other large scale fuel cell projects. Our next catalyst is growth in Asia. Our strategic relationship with POSCO Energy dates back over a decade and is evolving to meet the market opportunities as well as the changing goals of POSCO Energy and FuelCell Energy. FuelCell Energy has already assumed marketing and sales for the region having regained rights for the Asian market, while POSCO Energy will focus on servicing their existing fleet of FuelCell power plants in South Korea and operating the FuelCell manufacturing facility. Our new agreement gives FuelCell Energy the rights to market our higher portfolio of solutions throughout the Asian market including the SureSource 4000, carbon capture, distributed hydrogen and storage solutions. Because these equipment configurations are not included in the existing licensing and royalty agreement with POSCO Energy, the consensual decision regarding the marketing rights, involved evaluation of which party is best positioned to market them. Unlike the U.S. with numerous utilities and independent power producers plus regulations and requirements are different by state. South Korean power generation is highly concentrated with only a handful of utilities and independent power producers. We are already in discussions with most of these entities and have already submitted proposals for multimegawatt projects. Last Friday we were advised of an award for a multimegawatt power plant which can be shipped in 2017 with full commissioning in 2018. We expect definitive agreements to be finalized in the near term. We have other proposals pending and a large pipeline of projects in development. This partnership realignment also supports the needs of our multinational customers enabling us to work with them seamlessly around the world. Our Asian business model will include outright sales of power plants accompanied with long-term service agreements. This complements our PPA based power model in the United States. I would like to reinforce that we will not be buying or assuming any assets or liabilities of POSCO Energy. Regarding POSCO Energy they are refocusing on their large coal and gas-fired central generation power plants in South Korea and neighboring countries. They will continue to serve their existing installed base of fuel cell power plants in South Korea. POSCO Energy will continue to manufacture locally to support their installed fleet and is expected to commit to a specified level of modular power system [ph] of FuelCell Energy to supplement its own production. We expect new power plant projects in Asia. We will initially utilize modules produced [indiscernible] in the USA. Over the long term as the Asian market grows it will leverage POSCO's factories well. Our global supply chain already includes purchases for POSCO Energy and this will continue for the South Korean factory. This is a thoughtful and synergistic decision where the parties will maintain an active relationship for years to come. We expect to be successful in Asia due to favorable market dynamics, coupled with our joint experience with POSCO Energy and ability to leverage the installed base. With the presence in Asia, Europe and North America we believe carbon capture continues to represent a sizable global opportunity. Numerous multinational companies are publicly committing to carbon reductions and we’re receiving inquiries from industrial companies in North America and Europe. Global energy giant, ExxonMobil is firmly committed to the relationship with us highlighting FuelCell Energy in its recent annual report and its annual shareholder meeting presentation. Our innovative solutions are consistent with the White House’s support of clean coal and domestic job preservation as well as job creation from export potential of our fuel cell carbon capture solution. The Canadian oil sands engineering study for Alberta Innovates representing a consortium of oil and gas companies has been completed. The potential next step is a pilot plant and one of two heavy oil sands processing plants evaluating the study. We hope to hear about potential next steps with Alberta Innovates in the summer or fall. The fuel cell carbon capture pilot project located in Southern Company's mixed use coal and gas fired plant in Alabama is progressing as well. We are experiencing growing interest in longer duration storage as we engage with utilities and explain the differences between short-term battery storage and long duration hydrogen energy storage. The need for cost effective solution becomes increasingly urgent as more and more intermittent sources are placed into electric grids. We recently announced a contract award to advance the commercialization of our reversible solid oxide fuel cell solution for long duration carbon neutral electrical power storage and generation. Please turn to Slide 8, Summary. Global market dynamics favor our business model and solutions while diverse and meaningful near term catalysts support our growth pathway. Large scale utilities seek distributed generation to address the power reliability and resilience in these. Asia is a sizable opportunity for utility scale projects as well as carbon capture, distributed hydrogen and storage. We’re actively marketing these solutions and are confident in our ability to capture this business growth in the region. Our generation portfolio was expanded. We now have near visibility of almost 30 megawatts of power plants for our generation portfolio which brings us to nearly half of our EBITDA breakeven target with generation portfolio alone. With this as our reference for example, adding approximately to 20-25 megawatts with power plants sales on an annual basis will allow us to achieve EBITDA breakeven. We continue to advance FuelCell carbon capture and energy storage both of which represents significant future potential value. We are working hard to capitalize on these favorable catalysts through the efforts of our talented team of associates. Operator, we’ll be happy to take questions at this time.