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Nature of Operations
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
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.  

While we continue to develop commercially viable hydrogen and fuel cell product solutions, we have expanded our offerings to support a variety of commercial operations that can be powered with green hydrogen. We provide electrolyzers that allow customers — such as refineries, producers of chemicals, steel, fertilizer and commercial refueling stations — to generate hydrogen on-site. We are focusing our efforts on (a) 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; (b) stationary power systems that will support critical operations, such as data centers, microgrids, and generation facilities, in either a backup power or continuous power role and replace batteries, diesel generators or the grid for telecommunication logistics, transportation, and utility customers; and (c) production of hydrogen. Plug expects to support these products and customers with an ecosystem of vertically integrated products that produce, transport, store and handle, dispense, and use hydrogen for mobility and power applications.

Our current products and services include:

GenDrive: GenDrive is our hydrogen fueled Proton Exchange Membrane (“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 cell engines.

GenSure: GenSure is our stationary fuel cell solution providing scalable, modular 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 cell power.

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

Electrolyzers: The design and implementation of 5 and 10MW electrolyzer systems that are modular, scalable hydrogen generators optimized for clean hydrogen production. Electrolyzers generate hydrogen from water using electricity and a special membrane and “green” hydrogen is generated by using renewable energy inputs, such as solar or wind power.

Liquefaction Systems: Plug’s 15 ton-per-day and 30 ton-per-day liquefiers are engineered for high efficiency, reliability, and operational flexibility — providing consistent liquid hydrogen to customers. This design increases plant reliability and availability while minimizing parasitic losses like heat leak and seal gas losses. 

Cryogenic Equipment: Engineered equipment including trailers and mobile storage equipment for the distribution of liquified hydrogen, oxygen, argon, nitrogen and other cryogenic gases.

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. The European Union (the “EU”) has rolled out ambitious targets for the hydrogen economy as part of the EU strategy for energy integration and Plug is seeking to execute on our strategy to become a leader in the European hydrogen economy. Plug intends to implement 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, Slingerlands, New York, Houston, Texas., Lafayette, Indiana, and Spokane, Washington, and support liquid hydrogen production and logistics in Charleston, Tennessee and Kingsland, Georgia.

In addition, our wholly-owned subsidiary, Plug Power LA JV, LLC, created a joint venture with Niloco Hydrogen Holdings LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Olin Corporation (“Olin”), named “Hidrogenii” in the third quarter of 2022. We believe Hidrogenii will support reliability of supply and speed to market for hydrogen throughout North America, and set the foundation for broader collaboration between Plug and Olin. Hidrogenii plans to begin with the construction of a 15-ton-per-day hydrogen plant in St. Gabriel, Louisiana. Hidrogenii is owned 50% by Plug Power LA JV, LLC and 50% by Niloco Hydrogen Holdings LLC. As of December 31, 2022, there has been no activity related to this joint venture.

Our wholly-owned subsidiary, Plug Power France, entered into a joint venture with 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 Power France and 50% by Renault.

Our wholly-owned subsidiary, Plug Power Espana S.L. (“Plug Power Spain”), entered into a joint venture with Acciona Generación Renovable, S.A. (“Acciona”), named AccionaPlug S.L., in the fourth quarter 2021. AccionaPlug S.L. plans to 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, but has not yet commenced any related activities.

Plug Power Inc. entered into a joint venture with SK E&S named SK Plug Hyverse Co. Ltd. (“SK Plug Hyverse”), which was funded in the first quarter of 2022. The joint venture with SK E&S seeks to 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.  

Liquidity

As of December 31, 2022, the Company had $690.6 million of cash and cash equivalents, $858.7 million of restricted cash, $1.3 billion of available-for-sale securities and $134.8 million of equity securities. In January and February 2021, the Company issued and sold in a 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 a 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 $724.0 million, $460.0 million and $596.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively.

The net cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 was $828.6 million, $358.2 million, and $155.5 million, respectively. The Company’s working capital was $2.7 billion at December 31, 2022, which included cash and cash equivalents of $690.6 million and restricted cash of $159.0 million. The Company plans to invest a portion of its available cash to expand its current production and manufacturing capacity, construction of hydrogen plants 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 working capital and cash position will be sufficient to fund its operations for at least one year after the date the financial statements are issued.

The net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 was $679.4 million, $1.7 billion, and $95.3 million, respectively. This included purchases of property, plant and equipment and outflows associated with materials, labor, and overhead necessary to construct new leased property. Cash outflows related to  equipment that we lease directly to customers are included in net cash used in investing activities.

The net cash (used in) provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 was ($77.5) million, $3.6 billion, and $1.5 billion, respectively. The change was primarily driven by proceeds from public and private offerings, net of transaction costs that occurred in 2021.

The Company’s significant obligations consisted of the following as of December 31, 2022:

Operating and finance leases totaling $320.4 million and $46.1 million, respectively, of which $48.9 million  and $8.1 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 $329.2 million of which approximately $58.9 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.

Convertible senior notes totaling $193.9 million at December 31, 2022, none of which are due within the next twelve months. See Note 15, “Convertible Senior Notes,” for more details.

The Company believes that its current working capital of $2.7 billion at December 31, 2022, which includes cash and cash equivalents of $690.6 million and available-for-sale securities of $1.3 billion, will provide sufficient liquidity to fund operations for a least one year after the date the financial statements are issued.