Debt Financing	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt Financing	Debt Financing On June 16, 2017, the Company amended its existing U.S. Domestic credit facility with JPM Chase to extend the maturity date to June 28, 2019. There are no financial covenants set forth in this amendment to the Facility. The credit availability under the Facility remains at $5,000 with this amendment, and further, JPM Chase's current Revolving Commitment under the Facility remains secured by cash held by the Company in a separate restricted use designated JPM Chase deposit account. The amount of credit available to the Company under the Facility is $5,000 and will remain as such until the Maturity Date of the Facility on June 28, 2019. During the entire period of the Facility the Company must maintain sufficient cash balances in a segregated deposit account equal to the amount of the Facility and has fully pledged such cash as collateral to the bank to support the credit available to the Company under the Facility. As of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, there were no outstanding borrowings on the credit facility. At June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company had outstanding standby letters of credit and bank guarantees totaling approximately $3,054 and $3,292, respectively, under the Facility in connection with contracts in process. Fuel Tech is committed to reimbursing the issuing bank for any payments made by the bank under these instruments. The Company pays a commitment fee of 0.25% per year on the unused portion of the revolving credit facility. At June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, approximately $1,946 and $1,708 was available for future borrowings under the Facility. On June 16, 2017, Beijing Fuel Tech Environmental Technologies Company, Ltd. (Beijing Fuel Tech), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fuel Tech, entered into a new revolving credit facility (the China Facility) agreement with JPM Chase for RMB 6.5 million (approximately $959), which expires on June 29, 2018. The current facility for Beijing Fuel Tech is also secured by cash held by the Company in a separate restricted use designated JPM Chase deposit account. The Company intends to renew the China Facility at its maturity. This new credit facility replaced the previous RMB 6.5 million facility that expired on June 23, 2017. The facility is unsecured, bears interest at a rate of 125% of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) Base Rate, and is guaranteed by Fuel Tech. Beijing Fuel Tech can use this facility for cash advances and bank guarantees. As of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, Beijing Fuel Tech had no cash borrowings under the China Facility. At June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company had outstanding standby letters of credit and bank guarantees totaling approximately $37 and $22, respectively, on its Beijing Fuel Tech revolving credit facility in connection with contracts in process. At June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, approximately $922 and $914 was available for future borrowings. In the event of default on either the domestic facility or the China facility, the cross default feature in each allows the lending bank to accelerate the payments of any amounts outstanding and may, under certain circumstances, allow the bank to cancel the facility. If the Company were unable to obtain a waiver for a breach of covenant and the bank accelerated the payment of any outstanding amounts, such acceleration may cause the Company’s cash position to deteriorate or, if cash on hand were insufficient to satisfy the payment due, may require the Company to obtain alternate financing to satisfy the accelerated payment.

Debt Financing

On June 16, 2017, the Company amended its existing U.S. Domestic credit facility with JPM Chase to extend the maturity date to June 28, 2019. There are no financial covenants set forth in this amendment to the Facility. The credit availability under the Facility remains at $5,000 with this amendment, and further, JPM Chase's current Revolving Commitment under the Facility remains secured by cash held by the Company in a separate restricted use designated JPM Chase deposit account. The amount of credit available to the Company under the Facility is $5,000 and will remain as such until the Maturity Date of the Facility on June 28, 2019. During the entire period of the Facility the Company must maintain sufficient cash balances in a segregated deposit account equal to the amount of the Facility and has fully pledged such cash as collateral to the bank to support the credit available to the Company under the Facility. As of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, there were no outstanding borrowings on the credit facility.

At June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company had outstanding standby letters of credit and bank guarantees totaling approximately $3,054 and $3,292, respectively, under the Facility in connection with contracts in process. Fuel Tech is committed to reimbursing the issuing bank for any payments made by the bank under these instruments. The Company pays a commitment fee of 0.25% per year on the unused portion of the revolving credit facility. At June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, approximately $1,946 and $1,708 was available for future borrowings under the Facility.

On June 16, 2017, Beijing Fuel Tech Environmental Technologies Company, Ltd. (Beijing Fuel Tech), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fuel Tech, entered into a new revolving credit facility (the China Facility) agreement with JPM Chase for RMB 6.5 million (approximately $959), which expires on June 29, 2018. The current facility for Beijing Fuel Tech is also secured by cash held by the Company in a separate restricted use designated JPM Chase deposit account. The Company intends to renew the China Facility at its maturity. This new credit facility replaced the previous RMB 6.5 million facility that expired on June 23, 2017. The facility is unsecured, bears interest at a rate of 125% of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) Base Rate, and is guaranteed by Fuel Tech. Beijing Fuel Tech can use this facility for cash advances and bank guarantees. As of June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, Beijing Fuel Tech had no cash borrowings under the China Facility.

At June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company had outstanding standby letters of credit and bank guarantees totaling approximately $37 and $22, respectively, on its Beijing Fuel Tech revolving credit facility in connection with contracts in process. At June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, approximately $922 and $914 was available for future borrowings.

In the event of default on either the domestic facility or the China facility, the cross default feature in each allows the lending bank to accelerate the payments of any amounts outstanding and may, under certain circumstances, allow the bank to cancel the facility. If the Company were unable to obtain a waiver for a breach of covenant and the bank accelerated the payment of any outstanding amounts, such acceleration may cause the Company’s cash position to deteriorate or, if cash on hand were insufficient to satisfy the payment due, may require the Company to obtain alternate financing to satisfy the accelerated payment.