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Nature of Operations
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Nature of Operations  
Nature of Operations

1.  Nature of Operations

Description of Business

Plug is facilitating the paradigm shift to an increasingly electrified world by innovating cutting-edge hydrogen and fuel cell solutions.  In our core business, we provide and continue to develop commercially-viable hydrogen and fuel cell product solutions to replace lead-acid batteries in electric material handling vehicles and industrial trucks for some of the world’s largest retail-distribution and manufacturing businesses. We are focusing our efforts on industrial mobility applications, including  electric forklifts and electric industrial vehicles, at multi-shift high volume manufacturing and high throughput distribution sites where we believe our products and services provide a unique combination of productivity, flexibility, and environmental benefits. Additionally, we manufacture and sell fuel cell products to replace batteries and diesel generators in stationary back-up power applications for telecommunications, transportation, and utility customers. Plug supports these markets with an ecosystem of vertically integrated products that make, transport, handle, dispense and use hydrogen.

Our current products and services include:

GenDrive: GenDrive is our hydrogen fueled PEM fuel cell system, providing power to material handling electric vehicles, including Class 1, 2, 3 and 6 electric forklifts, Automated Guided Vehicles (“AGVs”), and ground support equipment.

GenFuel: GenFuel is our liquid hydrogen fueling delivery, generation, storage, and dispensing system.

GenCare: GenCare is our ongoing “Internet of Things”-based maintenance and on-site service program for Gendrive fuel cell systems, GenSure fuel cell systems, GenFuel hydrogen storage and dispensing products and ProGen fuel cellengines.

GenSure: GenSure is our stationary fuel cell solution providing scalable, modular Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell power to support the backup and grid-support power requirements of the telecommunications, transportation, and utility sectors; GenSure high Power Fuel Cell Platform will support large scale stationary power and data center markets.

GenKey: GenKey is our vertically integrated “turn-key” solution combining either GenDrive or GenSure fuel cell power with GenFuel fuel and GenCare aftermarket service, offering complete simplicity to customers transitioning to fuel cellpower.

ProGen: ProGen is our fuel cell stack and engine technology currently used globally in mobility and stationary fuel cellsystems, and as engines in electric delivery vans. this includes the Plug Power MEA (membrane electrode assembly), a critical component of the fuel cell stack used in zero-emission fuel cell electric vehicle engines.

GenFuel electrolyzers: GenFuel electrolyzers are modular, scalable hydrogen generators optimized for clean hydrogen production. Electrolyzers generate hydrogen from water using electricity and a special membrane and “green” hydrogen generated by using renewable energy inputs, such as solar or wind power.

We provide our products and solutions worldwide through our direct sales force, and by leveraging relationships with original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”) and their dealer networks. Plug is currently targeting Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East and North America for expansion in adoption. Europe has rolled out ambitious targets for the hydrogen economy and Plug is seeking to execute on its strategy to become one of the European leaders. This includes a targeted account strategy for material handling, securing strategic partnerships with European OEMs, energy companies, utility leaders and accelerating our electrolyzer business. Our global strategy includes leveraging a network of integrators or contract manufacturers. We manufacture our commercially viable products in Latham, New York, Rochester, New York, Houston, Texas and Spokane, Washington and support liquid hydrogen generation and logistics in Charleston, Tennessee.

Our wholly-owned subsidiary, Plug Power France, created a joint venture with Renault SAS (“Renault”) named HyVia, a French société par actions simplifiée (“HyVia”) in the second quarter 2021.  HyVia plans to manufacture and sell fuel cell powered electric light commercial vehicles (“FCELCVs”) and to supply hydrogen fuel and fueling stations to support the FCE-LCV market, in each case primarily in Europe. HyVia is owned 50% by Plug France and 50% by Renault.

Our wholly-owned subsidiary, Plug Power Spain, created a joint venture with Acciona Generación Renovable, S.A., (“Acciona”), named AccionaPlug S.L., in the fourth quarter 2021. AccionaPlug S.L. will develop, operate, and maintain green hydrogen projects throughout Spain and Portugal. AccionaPlug S.L. is owned 50% by Plug Power Spain and 50% by Acciona. This joint venture was funded equally by Acciona and the Company as of December 31, 2021 but had not yet commenced any related activities.

Plug Inc. created a joint venture with SK E&S Co., Ltd. (“SK E&S”), in the fourth quarter 2021. This joint venture with SK will accelerate the use of hydrogen as an alternative energy source in Asian markets. Through this initiative, the two companies will collaborate to provide hydrogen fuel cell systems, hydrogen fueling stations, electrolyzers and green hydrogen to the Korean and other Asian markets. This joint venture is owned 49% by Plug Power Inc. and 51% by SK E&S.  As of December 31, 2021, this joint venture had not been funded by either party.  

Liquidity

As of  December 31, 2021, the Company had $2.5 billion of cash and cash equivalents, $650.9 million of restricted cash, $1.2 billion of available-for-sale securities and $148.0 million of equity securities. In January and February 2021, the Company issued and sold in another registered equity offering an aggregate of 32.2 million shares of its common stock at a purchase price of $65.00 per share for net proceeds of approximately $2.0 billion. Furthermore, in February 2021, the Company completed the previously announced sale of its common stock in connection with a strategic partnership with SK Holdings Co., Ltd. (“SK Holdings”) to accelerate the use of hydrogen as an alternative energy source in Asian markets. The Company sold 54,996,188 shares of its common stock to a subsidiary of SK Holdings at a purchase price of $29.29 per share, or an aggregate purchase price of approximately $1.6 billion.

The Company has continued to experience negative cash flows from operations and net losses. The Company incurred net losses attributable to common stockholders of $460.0 million, $596.2 million and $85.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively. The Company’s cash used in operations totaled $358.2 million, $155.5 million, and $53.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, and has an accumulated deficit of $2.4 billion at December 31, 2020.

The Company’s significant obligations consisted of the following as of December 31, 2021:

Operating and finance leases totaling $206.5 million and $29.3 million, respectively, of which $30.8 million  and $4.7 million, respectively, are due within the next 12 months. These leases are primarily related to sale/leaseback agreements entered into with various financial institutions to facilitate the Company’s commercial transactions with key customers.

Finance obligations totaling $253.7 million of which approximately $42.0 million is due within the next 12 months. Finance obligations consist primarily of debt associated with the sale of future revenues and failed sale/leaseback transactions.

Long-term debt, primarily related to the Company’s loan and security agreement (Loan Agreement) with Generate Lending, LLC (Generate Capital) totaling $128.0 million of which $15.3 million is classified as short term on the consolidated balance sheets. See Note 14, “Long-Term Debt”, for more details.

Convertible senior notes totaling $192.6 million at December 31, 2021. See Note 15, “Convertible Senior Notes,” for more details.

The Company believes that its current working capital of $4.0 billion at December 31, 2021, which includes unrestricted cash and cash equivalents of $2.5 billion, and available-for-sale securities of $1.2 billion, will provide sufficient liquidity to fund operations for a least one year after the date the financial statements are issued.

The Company plans to invest a portion of its available cash to expand its current production and manufacturing capacity and to fund strategic acquisitions and partnerships and capital projects. Future use of the Company’s funds is discretionary and the Company believes that its future working capital and cash position will be sufficient to fund operations for one year after the date of the consolidated balance sheet.