- Increases the Company’s generation portfolio to 26.1 megawatts
- Fuel cell park is one of the largest producers of renewable energy credits in CT
- Financing provided by Liberty Bank, Fifth Third Bank and the Connecticut Green Bank
DANBURY, Conn.— FuelCell Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: FCEL), a global leader in delivering clean, innovative and affordable fuel cell solutions for the supply, recovery and storage of energy, today announced that it has closed on the acquisition of the 14.9 megawatt fuel cell park in Bridgeport, CT with Dominion Energy. FuelCell Energy developed, constructed and commissioned the Bridgeport fuel cell park in December of 2013. Since its commissioning, FuelCell Energy has operated and maintained the plant under a service agreement with Dominion Energy.
FuelCell Energy will own and operate the plant as part of its generation portfolio. The transaction includes:
- Added annual revenue in excess of $15 million per year;
- Delivering EBITDA margins in excess of 50%, and
- Progressive step for FuelCell Energy’s earnings per share.
Under the terms of the agreement, FuelCell Energy acquired 100% of the equity interest in Dominion Bridgeport Fuel Cell, LLC, from Dominion Generation, Inc., the original owner of the 14.9 MW project asset.
“The addition of this project asset to our generation portfolio is a major step towards our long-term strategy to diversify our generation portfolio, transitioning FuelCell Energy into a services focused business that delivers recurring revenue with strong EBITDA margins for our stockholders,” said Chip Bottone, President and Chief Executive Officer, FuelCell Energy, Inc. “We certainly extend our appreciation to Liberty Bank, Fifth Third Bank, and the Connecticut Green Bank for their support and recognition of the social and economic benefits our fuel cell solutions deliver.”
Total cash consideration paid was $35.4 million. FuelCell Energy funded the acquisition with a combination of third party financing and $15 million of restricted cash on hand that was tied to the project and released at closing. Liberty Bank and Fifth Third Bank jointly provided the senior project-level debt facility of $25 million, while the Connecticut Green Bank provided additional subordinated capital.
“We are pleased to assist FuelCell Energy in securing competitive bank acquisition funding for the Bridgeport project,” said Bert Hunter, Chief Investment Officer, Connecticut Green Bank. “This financing demonstrates once again FuelCell Energy’s ability to attract traditional project finance capital from commercial banks long available to solar, wind and hydro.”
About FuelCell Energy
FuelCell Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCEL) delivers efficient, affordable and clean solutions for the supply, recovery and storage of energy. We design, manufacture, undertake project development of, install, operate and maintain megawatt-scale fuel cell systems, serving utilities and industrial and large municipal power users with solutions that include both utility-scale and on-site power generation, carbon capture, local hydrogen production for transportation and industry, and long duration energy storage. With SureSource™ installations on three continents and millions of megawatt hours of ultra-clean power produced, FuelCell Energy is a global leader in designing, manufacturing, installing, operating and maintaining environmentally responsible fuel cell power solutions. Visit us online at www.fuelcellenergy.com and follow us on Twitter @FuelCell_Energy.
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