Note 1 - General	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2022
Notes to Financial Statements
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]	1. General Organization Fuel Tech, Inc. and subsidiaries ("Fuel Tech", the "Company", "we", "us" or "our") develops and provides proprietary technologies for air pollution control, process optimization, water treatment, and advanced engineering services. These technologies enable customers to operate in a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable manner. The Company’s nitrogen oxide (NOx) reduction technologies reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from boilers, furnaces, and other stationary combustion sources. To reduce NOx emissions, our technologies utilize advanced combustion modification techniques and post-combustion NOx control approaches including non-catalytic, catalytic, and combined systems. The Company also provides solutions for the mitigation of particulate matter, including particulate control with electrostatic precipitator products and services, and using flue gas conditioning systems which modify the ash properties of particulate for improved collection efficiency. The Company’s FUEL CHEM® technology improves the efficiency, reliability, fuel flexibility, boiler heat rate, and environmental status of combustion units by controlling slagging, fouling, corrosion, and opacity. Water treatment technologies include DGI™ Dissolved Gas Infusion Systems which utilize a patented nozzle to deliver supersaturated oxygen solutions and other gas-water combinations to target process applications or environmental issues. This infusion process has a variety of applications in the water and wastewater industries, including remediation, aeration, biological treatment, and wastewater odor management. Many of Fuel Tech’s products and services rely heavily on the Company’s Computational Fluid Dynamics modeling capabilities, which are enhanced by internally developed, high-end visualization software. Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X of the Exchange Act. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, the financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for the fair statement of Fuel Tech's financial position, cash flows, and results of operations for the periods presented. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2022 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year ending December 31, 2022. For further information, refer to the audited consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in Fuel Tech’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. COVID-19 Pandemic and Geopolitical Events The effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic have presented significant risks to the Company, not all of which the Company is able to fully evaluate or even foresee at the current time. Although the impact of the pandemic is difficult to quantify, the Company has experienced, and may continue to experience, reductions in demand for certain of our products due to the delay or abandonment of ongoing or anticipated projects due to our customers’, suppliers’ and other third parties’ financial distress or concern regarding the volatility of global markets. Geopolitical events and global economic sanctions resulting from the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine may impact new or existing projects and the prices and availability of raw materials, energy and other materials. These events may also impact energy and regulatory policy nationally or regionally for the impacted regions. Management cannot predict the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical events on the Company’s sales and marketing channels and supply chain, and as a result, the ultimate extent of the effects on the Company is highly uncertain and will depend on future developments. Such effects could exist for an extended period of time. The Company continues to monitor the potential impacts on the business.

Note 1 - General

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2022

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]

1. General

Organization

Fuel Tech, Inc. and subsidiaries ("Fuel Tech", the "Company", "we", "us" or "our") develops and provides proprietary technologies for air pollution control, process optimization, water treatment, and advanced engineering services. These technologies enable customers to operate in a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable manner.

The Company’s nitrogen oxide (NOx) reduction technologies reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from boilers, furnaces, and other stationary combustion sources. To reduce NOx emissions, our technologies utilize advanced combustion modification techniques and post-combustion NOx control approaches including non-catalytic, catalytic, and combined systems. The Company also provides solutions for the mitigation of particulate matter, including particulate control with electrostatic precipitator products and services, and using flue gas conditioning systems which modify the ash properties of particulate for improved collection efficiency. The Company’s FUEL CHEM® technology improves the efficiency, reliability, fuel flexibility, boiler heat rate, and environmental status of combustion units by controlling slagging, fouling, corrosion, and opacity. Water treatment technologies include DGI™ Dissolved Gas Infusion Systems which utilize a patented nozzle to deliver supersaturated oxygen solutions and other gas-water combinations to target process applications or environmental issues. This infusion process has a variety of applications in the water and wastewater industries, including remediation, aeration, biological treatment, and wastewater odor management.

Many of Fuel Tech’s products and services rely heavily on the Company’s Computational Fluid Dynamics modeling capabilities, which are enhanced by internally developed, high-end visualization software.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X of the Exchange Act. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, the financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for the fair statement of Fuel Tech's financial position, cash flows, and results of operations for the periods presented. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2022 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year ending December 31, 2022. For further information, refer to the audited consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in Fuel Tech’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

COVID-19 Pandemic and Geopolitical Events

The effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic have presented significant risks to the Company, not all of which the Company is able to fully evaluate or even foresee at the current time. Although the impact of the pandemic is difficult to quantify, the Company has experienced, and may continue to experience, reductions in demand for certain of our products due to the delay or abandonment of ongoing or anticipated projects due to our customers’, suppliers’ and other third parties’ financial distress or concern regarding the volatility of global markets.

Geopolitical events and global economic sanctions resulting from the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine may impact new or existing projects and the prices and availability of raw materials, energy and other materials. These events may also impact energy and regulatory policy nationally or regionally for the impacted regions.

Management cannot predict the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical events on the Company’s sales and marketing channels and supply chain, and as a result, the ultimate extent of the effects on the Company is highly uncertain and will depend on future developments. Such effects could exist for an extended period of time. The Company continues to monitor the potential impacts on the business.