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Subsequent Events
12 Months Ended
Oct. 31, 2021
Subsequent Events  
Subsequent Events

Note 24. Subsequent Events

Franklin Park Tax Equity Financing Transaction

The Company closed on a tax equity financing transaction in November 2021 with Franklin Park Infrastructure, LLC (“Franklin Park”) for the 7.4 MW fuel cell project (the “LIPA Yaphank Project”) located in Yaphank Long Island. Franklin Park’s tax equity commitment totals $12.4 million. 

This transaction was structured as a “partnership flip,” which is a structure commonly used by tax equity investors in the financing of renewable energy projects. Under this partnership flip structure, a partnership, in this case YTBFC Holdco, LLC (the “Yaphank Partnership”), was organized to acquire from FuelCell Energy Finance II, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, all outstanding equity interests in Yaphank Fuel Cell Park, LLC (the “Yaphank Project Company”) which in turn owns the LIPA Yaphank Project and is the party to the power purchase agreement and all project agreements. At the closing of the transaction, the Yaphank Partnership is owned by Franklin Park, holding Class A Units, and Fuel Cell Energy Finance Holdco, LLC, a subsidiary of FuelCell Energy Finance, LLC, holding Class B Units. The acquisition of the Yaphank Project Company by the Yaphank Partnership was funded in part by an initial draw from Franklin Park and funds contributed downstream to the Yaphank Partnership by the Company. The initial funding occurred on December 13, 2021, upon the satisfaction of certain conditions precedent (including the receipt of an appraisal and confirmation that the LIPA Yaphank Project would be eligible for the investment tax credit (“ITC”) under Section 48 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended).  In connection with the initial closing, the Company was able to draw down approximately $3.2 million, of which approximately $0.4 million was used to pay closing costs, including title insurance expenses and legal and consulting fees. The Company is eligible to draw the remaining amount of the commitment, approximately $9.2 million, once the LIPA Yaphank Project achieves commercial operation.  When such funds are drawn down, the funds will be distributed upstream to the Company, as a reimbursement of prior construction costs incurred by the Company.

Under a partnership flip structure, tax equity investors agree to receive a minimum target rate of return, typically on an after-tax basis. Prior to receiving a contractual rate of return or a date specified in the contractual arrangements, Franklin Park will receive substantially all of the non-cash value attributable to the LIPA Yaphank Project, which includes accelerated depreciation and Section 48(a) investment tax credits; however, the Company will receive a majority of the cash distributions (based on the operating income of the LIPA Yaphank Project), which are paid quarterly. After Franklin Park receives its contractual rate of return, the Company will receive approximately 95% of the cash and tax allocations. The Company (through a separate wholly owned entity) may enter into a back leverage debt financing transaction and use the cash distributions from the Yaphank Partnership to service the debt.  

Under this partnership flip structure, after the fifth anniversary following commercial operations, we have an option to acquire all of the equity interests that Franklin Park holds in the Yaphank Partnership starting after Franklin Park receives its contractual rate of return (the anticipated “flip” date) after the LIPA Yaphank Project is operational. If we exercise this option, we will be required to pay the greater of the following: (i) the fair market value of Franklin Park's equity interest at the time the option is exercised or (ii) an amount equal 9.6% of Franklin Park’s capital contributions. This option payment is to be grossed up for federal taxes if it exceeds the tax basis of the Yaphank Partnership Class A Units.

Settlement Agreement with POSCO Energy and KFC

In order to resolve the disputes among POSCO Energy, KFC and us described above in Note 22. “Commitments and Contingencies” (other than the book and records dispute which was previously resolved), on December 20, 2021, the Company entered into a Settlement Agreement (the “Settlement Agreement”) with POSCO Energy and KFC (POSCO Energy and KFC may be collectively referred to herein as “PE Group”). The Settlement Agreement provides, among other things, that the parties will cooperate in good faith to effect a market transition to the Company of the molten carbonate fuel cell business in Korea in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Settlement Agreement. To that end, the Settlement Agreement provides that any and all past, current, or potential disputes and claims between the Company, on the one hand, and POSCO Energy and KFC, on the other, of any nature whatsoever, whether known or unknown, asserted or not asserted, based on actions or omissions of any party on or before the date of Settlement Agreement are fully and finally settled, including such disputes and claims, directly or indirectly, in connection with the legal disputes (other than the books and records dispute which was previously resolved) and License Agreements described above in Note 22. “Commitments and Contingencies,” with the exception of (i) an unfiled claim by the Company in the amount of

approximately $1.8 million with respect to certain royalties the Company believes are owed by POSCO Energy with respect to replacement modules deployed by POSCO Energy at Gyenonggi Green Energy and other sites for which POSCO Energy has not paid royalties, and (ii) an unfiled claim by POSCO Energy in an unknown amount with respect to a series of purchase orders for materials and components which began in 2014 under a supply chain contract, both of which claims remain unsettled. The Company does not believe the claim by POSCO Energy with respect to purchase orders for materials and components under the supply chain contract has merit and the Company retains the right to file a counterclaim for damages it believes it has incurred with respect to such supply chain contract. With respect to the attachments obtained by POSCO Energy from the Seoul Central District Court with respect to certain revenues owed to the Company by KOSPO (which are described in more detail in Note 22. “Commitments and Contingencies”), the Settlement Agreement provides that, within five days of the date of the Settlement Agreement, POSCO Energy will file an application with the Seoul Central District Court to revoke the attachments. Thereafter, the Company expects to promptly receive the outstanding KOSPO accounts receivable of approximately $11.2 million held by the Seoul Central District Court.

Under the Settlement Agreement, the parties have also agreed that, within five days of the date thereof, the Company will withdraw its objection to the spin-off of KFC from POSCO Energy, and that the License Agreements are not terminated, but instead are deemed to be amended such that POSCO Energy and KFC only have the right (i) to provide maintenance and repair services to PE Group’s existing customers on existing molten carbonate power generation and thermal projects under long-term service agreements currently in force as well as long-term service agreements that have expired and are pending renewal as of the settlement date (collectively, “Existing LTSAs”), (ii) to supply replacement modules purchased from the Company only for their existing customers for existing molten carbonate power generation and thermal projects under Existing LTSAs and (iii) to own, operate and maintain all facilities and factories solely for the purposes set forth in (i) and (ii) above (collectively, the “Right to Service License”). POSCO Energy and KFC further agree that, as of the date of the Settlement Agreement, the License Agreements are deemed to be amended such that the Company exclusively enjoys all rights as to its technology in Korea and Asia, other than the Right to Service License. The Settlement Agreement further provides that the License Agreements will terminate automatically upon sixty days prior written notice to PE Group if (i) the Company enters into a business collaboration agreement with a Korean company to construct, assemble, manufacture, market, sell, distribute, import, export, install, commission, service, maintain, or repair products incorporating the Company’s technology, or otherwise conduct the Company’s business, in the Korean market; or (ii) the Company expands the capacity of its existing Korean entity such as to perform such activities itself. In the event of the termination of the License Agreements, the license granted to PE Group under the Right to Service License will continue notwithstanding the termination of the License Agreements, except that PE Group’s right to own, operate, and maintain all facilities and factories for the purpose of servicing any orders or requests made by the Company will terminate. For the avoidance of doubt, pursuant to the terms of the Settlement Agreement, PE Group has no right to manufacture modules or any other product incorporating the Company’s technology under the License Agreements as amended, the Right to Service License or otherwise unless requested and authorized by the Company to do so.  

The Settlement Agreement further provides that, in order to service its existing customers under the Existing LTSAs, KFC will place a firm, non-cancelable order for twelve SureSource 3000 modules within two weeks after the date of the Settlement Agreement and an additional firm, non-cancelable order for eight SureSource 3000 modules on or before June 30, 2022, all at a price of $3.0 million per module. In addition, KFC agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to order fourteen additional SureSource 3000 modules by December 31, 2022, at a price of $3.0 million per module if ordered by such date. If KFC materially breaches the Settlement Agreement by failing to make timely and full payment for the modules for which KFC is required to place orders under the Settlement Agreement and does not cure such material breach within fifteen days of notice of such breach by the Company, the License Agreements and the Right to Service License granted to PE Group will be terminated. If the Company materially breaches the Settlement Agreement by failing to supply the modules for which KFC is required to place orders under the Settlement Agreement, as long as KFC has made the payment for such modules and has otherwise satisfied its contractual obligations for those modules and such material breach is not cured within sixty days after notice from PE Group, PE Group will have the right to terminate the Settlement Agreement. With respect to any other alleged breach, material or otherwise, of the Settlement Agreement, the parties’ exclusive remedy consists solely of general damages.

Pursuant to the Settlement Agreement, with respect to new modules to be supplied by the Company and deployed by PE Group to its existing customers, the Company will provide its standard warranty against module defects until the earlier of eighteen months from the date of shipment or twelve months from the date of installation. As part of the global settlement of the disputes among the parties and subject to the qualifications set forth in the Settlement Agreement, the Company will reimburse PE Group for any annual output penalty amount paid by PE Group to its customers pursuant to Existing LTSAs (whether such Existing LTSA is extended or renewed), caused by a shortfall or defect in the new modules for a period of up to seven years. The maximum annual reimbursement obligation with regard to any PE Group customer for any new module provided by the Company will not exceed an amount equal to 7.5% per year of the module purchase

price. The Company will not be required to reimburse PE Group for any penalty paid by PE Group under the Existing LTSAs that is not caused by a shortfall or defect in the modules to be supplied by the Company including, without limitation, any shortfall or defect caused by a site-related problem, a problem with the balance of plant, or other components of the project.

Although the Company has the exclusive and unrestricted right under the Settlement Agreement to perform, pursue, and otherwise conduct its business in relation to new fuel cell projects (including new projects with PE Group’s existing customers) in Korea and Asia, the parties have agreed that, except as further provided in the Settlement Agreement with respect to PE Group’s existing customers Noeul Green Energy and Godeok Green Energy, the Company will not engage in discussions with PE Group’s existing customers regarding Existing LTSAs without PE Group’s consent. The parties have further agreed that if PE Group cannot enter into an agreement with its existing customers to extend or renew Existing LTSAs by December 31, 2022, PE Group will cooperate with the Company so that the Company may discuss and, at the Company’s sole discretion, enter into an extension of an Existing LTSA, a new long-term service agreement to replace an Existing LTSA, or a module sales agreement with PE Group’s existing customers; provided that (i) should the Company enter into such an arrangement with a PE Group existing customer, and (ii) the Company is required to provide replacement modules to such existing customer under such arrangement, and (iii) PE Group has not already deployed all or some the modules that PE Group ordered under Settlement Agreement, the Company will purchase the number of required replacement modules from PE Group at a price of $3.0 million per module (to the extent such modules are available and have not yet been deployed). The purchase of such replacement modules by the Company is contingent upon the modules being in proper condition as determined by inspection process to be agreed by the parties. Any modules purchased by the Company from PE Group under these terms will be included as part of the firm orders KFC is required to make pursuant to the Settlement Agreement.

With respect to operations and maintenance agreements, the Settlement Agreement provides that KFC will have the right of first refusal on providing operation and maintenance services on commercially reasonable terms for new long-term service agreements entered into by the Company in Korea for a period of the first to occur of either twenty-four months after the date of the Settlement Agreement or until such time as the Company engages a third party capable of providing such services in Korea. If KFC and the Company agree that KFC should provide operation and maintenance services pursuant to the right of first refusal, KFC and the Company will enter into one or more operation and maintenance agreements that reflect commercially reasonable terms and conditions as agreed by KFC and the Company at that time.

 

With respect to balance of plant (“BOP”), KFC currently has eight units of BOP available, and the Settlement Agreement provides that the Company has the option to purchase such units of BOP for any new molten carbonate fuel cell projects within Korea at a price of KRW 2,550,000,000 per unit. The Company will also have a non-exclusive, non-transferrable, non-sublicensable license to use the intellectual property imbedded in the BOP units in Korea in consideration for a reasonable license fee to be separately agreed by the parties. Detailed terms and conditions of BOP and related software and firmware supply will be discussed and agreed in good faith in separate BOP supply agreements in the event the Company exercises its option to purchase any of such BOP.

 

The Company retained outside counsel on a contingency basis to pursue its claims against POSCO Energy and KFC, and outside counsel entered into an agreement with a litigation finance provider to fund the legal fees and expenses of the arbitration proceedings brought by the Company against POSCO Energy and KFC. As the Company has entered into the Settlement Agreement, it is required to remit fees to its counsel, Wiley Rein, LLP (“Wiley”), subject to the terms of its engagement letter with Wiley. On December 23, 2021, the Company agreed that it will pay Wiley a total of $24.0 million to satisfy all obligations to Wiley under the Company’s engagement letter, of which $14.0 million will be paid on or before December 30, 2021, $5.0 million will be paid on or before March 30, 2022, and $5.0 million will be paid on or before June 30, 2022.