| Progress
in Technology Development, Production, and Market Engagement
CLEVELAND--The following letter from
CEO John Freeh is being released by HydroGen Corporation (Nasdaq:HYDG)
to its shareholders:
To Our Fellow Shareholders,
I am pleased to report that my first
month at the helm of HydroGen has been informative and intense. Operating
mainly from our Versailles, Pennsylvania manufacturing facility, I have
undertaken in-depth reviews of our current status with regard to technology
development, production, and market engagement. In conjunction with my
staff and our Board of Directors, I have also taken the opportunity to
review and refine our short- and long-term business plans and align the
organization with those plans. I have been especially focused on technical
and commercial discussions that are underway with a significant potential
customer and on our first module production status at Versailles, where
we have strengthened our production planning, scheduling, and control discipline
significantly over the last several weeks.
In addition, I have taken several
opportunities to reach out to and get feedback from a number of our shareholders.
From those discussions, it is clear that we need to increase our communications
and this letter is the start. I can report that the organization has a
strong foundation in place for the year 2008 with a dedicated and talented
staff working closely to advance our business' technical and commercial
objectives. I am excited by the opportunity that the future holds for us.
Let me elaborate on a number of items and the progress that we have made
over the recent past:
Production of First Module Now on
Track - ASHTA Module Scheduled for Early March Delivery:
I am pleased to report that fuel
cell production and assembly in Versailles is running smoothly. We have
now successfully completed assembly of the first of four stacks for our
first module and assembly of the second stack is well underway. We have
also incorporated a number of design improvements over the original Westinghouse
design.
During the past year, the team has
encountered and resolved a number of manufacturing difficulties associated
with first article production which have delayed module completion. Production
is in full swing, with some production areas operating at double shift
capacity to optimize process flow. With regard to production schedule,
we have a full, integrated production schedule which establishes daily
production requirements and drives all activities related to component
production for our stacks. It is updated daily by the responsible production
supervisors and process engineers. We are now operating as a factory, not
a technology recapture laboratory. I have a firm commitment date-not a
target date-of March 7, 2008 from Mr. Scott Wilshire, our Chief Operating
Officer, for shipment of the module to our commercial demonstration power
plant at the chlor-alkali facility owned and operated by ASHTA Chemicals,
Inc. I have personally reviewed this schedule in detail and I am getting
daily updates on progress.
ASHTA Site Ready to Receive Module:
With regard to ASHTA, our demonstration
plant is ready to receive the module. Our engineering team has not been
idle. They have completed operational checkout of the facility using a
fuel cell module simulation unit. They have also completed several improvements
to the plant's instrumentation and control system, and have developed new
procedures to improve logistics and safety of module shipment and handling
and single stack transport and installation. Our plant operations staff
is in place, trained and qualified for safe plant operations and testing.
We expect to be up and operating for test and procedure checkout one month
after receipt of the module at ASHTA.
Progress in Negotiations with Prospective
Customer - Completed Conceptual Design of First Natural Gas Fuel Cell Power
Plant:
I am also pleased to report that
as a result of detailed discussions with a prospective customer, our Systems
Engineering group has completed conceptual design of our first natural
gas fuel cell power plant, and has upgraded the technical specifications
of our hydrogen-based fuel cell power plant for higher electric efficiency.
As you know, our initial market focus has been the hydrogen available market,
but the strong interest of this prospective customer for both natural gas
and hydrogen-available markets has convinced us that we should accelerate
this step in our strategic plan. I am impressed with the strength of our
engineering team that is evidenced by the quality and timeliness of this
design work. I will share more on this work in the coming months.
Progress Update on Advanced Technology
Development Projects:
I would also like to provide an update
on a couple of our advanced technology development projects:
* As you may know, phosphoric
acid fuel cells (PAFCs) use
platinum
catalysts, which represent a significant part of
the cost
of our fuel cell. We recently announced a grant
award from
the Pennsylvania NanoMaterials Commercialization
Center
to support collaborative work with the University of
Pittsburgh
to develop a first generation nano-based electrode
system
that we project could improve performance and reduce
platinum
cost significantly over the current design. We now
have our
first samples of these materials operating in our
subscale
test cells and initial data look promising. We look
forward
to sharing more about this exciting technology in
the near
future.
* We are also making
strides to reduce production costs through
manufacturing
process development and automation, as we prepare
to develop
our Ohio advanced manufacturing facility. We have
begun to
test automated production equipment for electrode
production
and cell assembly, and initial results appear
promising
as well. We will share updates on these and other
developments
as we prepare our detailed plans for the new
facility
in the coming months.
* Another major cost
element in our fuel cell is the machining
of our
graphite plates. Our technology development plan
includes
a development project that will change the plate
manufacturing
process from machined plates to molded plates.
We have
now identified four new materials that are in
qualification
tests and we are expecting initial results
within
the next quarter.
These represent only three of our
priority technology and manufacturing development projects and I look forward
to sharing the results from these as well as telling you more about the
others during our next update.
New Board Member Elected:
As we announced on December 11, we
have seated on our Board Dr. Alton D. Romig, Jr., Deputy Laboratories Director
for Integrated Technologies and Systems at Sandia National Laboratories.
Dr. Romig brings considerable technical and management know-how to the
Board and his materials science expertise will be especially relevant as
we continue to enhance our existing design and as we implement new technology
in our fuel cell design. As a result of Dr. Romig's appointment to the
Board, HydroGen is now fully compliant with Nasdaq's rules for having a
majority of independent directors. Al attended our recent Board meeting
and provided positive feedback on our production capability, fuel cell
technology, and business plans. I know he will add real value to HydroGen.
Financial Strategy 2008:
Finally, I would like to address
our financial strategy. We are forecasting that we have sufficient capital
to support operations through the first quarter of 2008. Our executive
team, Board, and investment bankers have been evaluating the Company's
financial needs given our projected growth, and have developed plans to
ensure that the Company has adequate funds to meet these needs.
Closing:
I would like to close by giving you
my personal assurance that we will continue to improve in providing to
our stakeholders in-depth, on-going communications on our progress. Our
prospects are very exciting, and I am proud of the work we have accomplished
this year. I am looking forward to an even better year in 2008. Happy Holidays
to you and your families.
Sincerely,
John J. Freeh
Chief Executive Officer
About HydroGen Corporation
HydroGen Corporation, through its
wholly-owned subsidiary, HydroGen, LLC, is a developer of multi-megawatt
fuel cell systems utilizing its proprietary 400 kW phosphoric acid fuel
cell (PAFC) technology. Advancing fuel cell technology originally developed
by Westinghouse Corporation, the Company targets market applications where
hydrogen is currently available and other drivers favoring the adoption
of fuel cells are present. |