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CFU - Ceramic Fuel Cells

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Yes, great news. Let's hope this is the begining of a new era for CFU.
All CFU need now is a good order in the UK and Europe to boost things along.
 
I'm honestly surprised the first bulk order came from Australia. When you consider the lack of rebates and feed in tariffs in Australia for the BlueGen unit when compared to all the other countries it's quite a statement.

Surely now the Victorian Government are getting behind CFU we may see a change in the BlueGen units exclusion status from the Australian Governments renewable energy rebates and tariffs scheme.

Remember the first trial unit was installed with the VicUrban project just 4 months ago and, assuming there is a connection to the Vic Govt(surely they've been watching the trial), now they've showed the success of the trial with a bulk order.

Given that in the last 4 months there have been 17 BlueGen units sold to 12 customers in 6 countries, we may very well see orders piling in over the coming months. This may also be the catalyst that spurs other potential customers who have been watching from the sidelines to make a move.

Exciting time for CFU

cheers
 
Totally agree, I think there is a bit of concern that the company may need to do a capital rasing so alot of money maybe on the sidelines...

Current status:
Money in bank aprrox 16mil
Last financial report:
cash burn approx 4.5mil
revenue approx .5mil
(overly simplistic I know)

Brendan has mentioned he wants to be cash flow positive by the end of this year which is good signs.

If they raise enough of these orders the speculation they need to raise capital will be gone and I think the share price will open up.
 
A signifigant upgrade for CFCL from the Australian Energy Report

Here's the story

http://www.energyreport.com.au/

They have been upgraded from spec buy to BUY

Anyone know how much cred they have with the market? ..perhaps we will find out soon
 
Thanks for that Boyou, we are all hoping CFCL gets the recognition it deserves.
thus-far however no good news is enough, though.
so those watching this stock, and there are many, obviously think they have it worked out and are biding their time.
lets hope they miss out.
 
The "Inside Trader", within their free Stock Alert, have recommended CFU as follows:


To give the Inside Trader a free plug, (I am not a paid subscriber), their research and service maybe worth having a look at. You can trial it for 2 weeks free (from memory).
 
Hi All,
I am a newbie to the share market, currently doing my finance degree, and extremely keen on investing into this company. I have been doing a bit of research on the company and mainly turning to forums (mostly this one) to see what other people think. I was wondering if now (at an offer of .18) is the most opportune time to get into CFCL seems as though i already missed the low of .17 Friday morning or does anyone have prediction of a further decline in the sp??
 
Jonathon,

No-one can ever predict if the SP of a particular share has bottomed out. Forums like ASF are great for hearing a variety of peoples' points of view but they are not for giving specific investment advice and it's dangerous to make investment decisions this way. You should always do your own research.

Re CFU, I've been watching them for a while too and I think their product looks very interesting. As far as knowing when to enter, that depends on so many things including market forces outside of CFU's control. I'm going to keep watching them but will wait and see how the world's economy pulls through the current crisis before many any decisions.

Good luck to you ....
 
Not a lot going on with this stock.

Couple of questions:

How long can it last with the current cash burn before a fundraise?
Surely this stock has a chance of revisiting under 10c if fundraising takes place?
CFU needs to sell how many units before they cover costs (2350ish)?

Potential is great, but some short term concerns are making this stock look a little doggy. Of course a surprise partnership may suddenly appear and boost the cash flow.

I don't know any number crunchers out there.
 
I'm not a number cruncher ,moXJO,but I have found something useful to those interested in green energy's progress in the world.CFCL could benefit from the change of government in Britain.

From the Conservative Party's platform.

Climate Change and Energy

With urgent action needed to combat climate change, and with our energy supplies increasingly insecure and dependent on imports, it’s time to rethink the way we supply and consume energy in Britain.

A Conservative government will take immediate action to give Britain leadership in a low carbon world. We will cut carbon emissions and promote low carbon energy production. We will safeguard our energy security and make it easier for families to go green.

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the world, but it provides us with opportunities too. To cut emissions and encourage new low carbon energy production, we will:

* Introduce an Emissions Performance Standard to set a legal limit on the emissions from power stations;
* Deliver a 10 per cent cut in central government carbon emissions within 12 months of coming to office;
* Create four carbon capture and storage equipped power plants;
* Deliver an offshore electricity grid and establish at least two Marine Energy Parks;
* Allow communities that host renewable energy projects like wind farms to keep the additional business rates they generate for six years; and,
* Provide incentives for smaller-scale energy generation.

Britain needs a clear, consistent and stable energy policy that safeguards our energy security. We will take immediate action to secure the UK’s energy supplies, including:

* Putting in place supply guarantees in the gas and electricity markets – ensuring that sufficient electricity generating capacity is maintained and setting an obligation on gas suppliers to ensure that supplies are in place throughout the year;
* Reforming the Climate Change Levy to provide a floor price for carbon, delivering the right climate for investment;
* Transforming electricity networks with 'smart grid' and 'smart meter' technology; and,
* Clearing the way for new nuclear power stations – provided they receive no public subsidy.

A Conservative government will make it easier for families to go green, whilst taking action to reduce energy bills. We will:

* Create a ‘Green Deal’, giving every home up to £6,500 worth of energy improvement measures – paid for out of the savings made on fuel bills;
* Ensure that every energy bill provides information on how to move to the cheapest tariff offered by their supplier and how their energy usage compares to similar households; and,
* Reform the Post Office Card Account to give up to 4 million people access to lower tariffs.
 
A wider look at the whole electricity scenario,This from the Business Spectator

CFCL must have opportunities here.

Ripping Profits From Power Lines Giles Parkinson

There’s a pretty big reason why most energy utilities don’t want to provide their consumers with greater access to energy usage data: they don’t want to lose their business.

The global energy sector – a dull, regulated, protected and predictable industry – is facing its greatest upheaval, not from the threat of an emissions trading scheme or a carbon price, but from information hungry technology companies that want to turn the industry on its head by offering electricity to consumers for free, bundled in a package that could include home entertainment systems, household appliances or software management systems.

It has been estimated by management consulting firm McKinsey that an investment of $US520 billion over the next 10 years could reduce national energy demand in the US by 23 per cent and result in $US1.2 trillion in savings. Little wonder that the utilities sector – which has based its business model in selling as many electrons as it can – is stonewalling. International Power’s rear-guard action to resist any government energy efficiency measures – it argues that any regulation that requires its heavy emitting Hazelwood and Loy Yang B power stations would destroy their value – reflects the fear in the sector.

But they are under attack, not just from environmentalists or government climate change policy, but other businesses that see an opportunity presenting itself as smart grid technology matures and the industry grapples with a potential lack of capacity. Last month, a group of 45 major US companies and organisations – including Google, Intel, GE, Whirlpool, and AT&T – asked President Obama in an open letter to promote greater consumer access to energy usage data. "By giving people the ability to monitor and manage their energy consumption, for instance, via their computers, phones or other devices, we can unleash the forces of innovation in homes and businesses," they said. And what they didn’t say was that these companies could emerge to dominate the energy industry in ways that the utilities sector could never have imagined.

A report by Ernst & Young this week entitled Seeing Energy Differently underlines what’s at stake for the utilities sector. It says about $US200 billion will be spent world-wide on smart grids in the next five years in response to the need to incorporate renewable energy sources, meet increased demand and improve efficiency and replace outdated infrastructure.

How they manage that transformation could decide their future and how much third party corporates such as Google, Intel and others come to dominate the industry. EY defines the options as one of evolution or revolution.

In the former, EY sees the simple business of energy supply evolving into a new, sophisticated form of energy service, in which utilities form partnerships with third parties help consumers manage their energy use and react to prices to find the best deals. That way, they (the utilities) retain the power, so to speak.

Under the revolution scenario, the power and utilities companies come under competitive attack all along the value chain. New interactive customer relationships and new competitive models will allow third parties to enter the market. “This creates a revolution,” EY notes. “Market rationalities and business strategies change completely.”

It could be exciting for the consumer, if less so for the utility. Which is why the likes of Google, GE, Intel, AT&T and Whirlpool are so keen on bypassing the utilities to get access to more information about energy usage.

By packaging offerings such as appliances, home entertainment and communications systems with an energy service, the likes of these companies don’t lose business if the customer uses less energy, as they will be encouraged to do. Power utilities, however, have a business model that means less energy consumption equals less profit. That will have to change, and may need to do so quickly.

“The power utilities industry has no interest in revolution,” says Helmut Edelmann, the German-based head of the global power and utilities smart program at Ernst & Young. But if a Microsoft, Apple or a Google can come up with a 'killer application' then there will certainly be a revolution. "They have got strong brands and could emerge as dominant players, at least on the consumer end of the business,” Edelmann says.

Indeed, the EY report identifies exactly where the utilities are vulnerable. In home services, they are under threat from automotive, real estate, consumer product, media, entertainment companies that can provide home automation, electric vehicles and energy management services.

In billing and information, the threat comes from telecommunication, technology and retail companies specialising in monthly billing and energy consumption information, specialist metering companies will muscle in to the utilities market, telecommunication and technology companies will grab the communication and IT side of the business, industrial service companies will emerge to deliver electricity to the consumer, and clean-tech automotive and retail groups will provide decentralised and or renewable generation.

And then there is the prospect that the likes of Google, which has investment all along the value chain, will celebrate in the creation of a new 'energy internet' and try to put it all back together again under a single brand name. Their own, of course.
 
Some good PR for CFCL.From the website.Interestingly they have announced that Blue Gen and the installation is available for inspection by the public,by appointment.

That might generate some good press coverage

BLUEGEN GAS-TO-ELECTRICITY UNIT OPERATING
AT AURORA, ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited (AIM/ASX: CFU) – a leading developer of high efficiency and low emission electricity generation units for homes and other buildings – has begun generating low emission electricity from its BlueGen unit installed at Aurora, in Epping North, Victoria, developed by VicUrban, the Victoria Government’s sustainable urban land development agency.
The BlueGen unit at Aurora was powered up on 29 April and is performing as expected:

Current electrical efficiency of 58%, compared to about 25% efficiency for coal-derived electricity.

Constant output of 1.5 kilowatts of electricity.

Cumulative power exported to the grid of 876 kilowatt hours of electricity – equivalent to approximately 12,500 kilowatt hours of electricity over the course of a year, which is about twice the amount used by the average home in Melbourne.

Cumulative carbon dioxide savings compared to the Victorian grid of 823 kilograms – equivalent to 12 tonnes over the course of a year.1 This is equal to 240,000 “black balloons”. These carbon savings would effectively make the average Victorian home ‘carbon neutral’: the average Victorian household produces around 10.7 tonnes (213,000 black balloons) of greenhouse gas emissions each year from energy used in t2

Creating enough heat for 200 litres of hot water each day.

Origin Energy is buying the power that BlueGen is exporting to the grid.


* Ceramic Fuel Cells is arranging group visits to the Aurora site to view the BlueGen unit in operation. To register for a scheduled site visit please contact CFCL at receptionist@cfcl.com.au or phone 03 9554 2300. The BlueGen unit is not open to the public for unscheduled visits.
 
re: Boyou, I was extremely excited when the 3 announcements were posted on Wednesday morning, but semi-disappointed when there was barely any movement in sp that day.
Let me preface by saying my knowledge in CFCL and shareholding/trading is extremely minimal, but I was wondering if the reason we aren't seeing any movement in sp when price sensitive news is released can be narrowed down to the fact that people aren't aware of this stock?? OR is it because people are waiting for something real (e.g. operating cash flow increase through contracts) to occur??
I have been told that when news is released we can assume that within minutes, if not seconds, that will be factored into the sp, is this not the case for CFCL?
 

The news releases are positive and show the potential of the company's future, but news releases alone don't necessarily increase the value of the company.

Until CFU show that they have positive cash flow from orders then there is still a risk the company is not viable - even with the progress of their demonstration installations.

CFU still doesn't have a mass market product. All the units sold so far are demo and trial units. There is going to be a fine line between product acceptability cash reserves and investors to keep the company going.
 
Exactly as roland says ,JonathonF

CFCL needs volume sales to boost its SP.Some brokers have been recommending it as a safe buy..which is a turnaround from Spec Buy.

BUT ,in many investors eyes, it is still a highly speculative proposition.What we have to remember is this technology is so new.It will take time to become acceptable to the market.

I think the management team are first class, they continue to agressively drive their products worldwide and the steady flow of news keeps the close watchers of CFCL well informed.

As prices for distributed electricity rise ( They are about to go up by 13% here in Queensland) this tech becomes more and more affordable.I see it as the inevitable future of power generation..along with a whole mix of renewable/green tech
 
Thank you very much 'roland' and 'Boyou'; very helpful
I was also wondering what type of Government legislation would fast-track CFU's growth; I was having a look through current bills of State and Commonwealth Parliament, didn't find much other than:

in South Australia
Statutes Amendment (Electricity and Gas - Price Determination Periods) which was adjourned on the 12/05/2010.. soo I gather they intend to get back to it.. at some stage.

Commonwealth
Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme 2010 but that was adjourned at the introduction to the senate on the 22/2/2010.

Will the proclamation of such bills have little impact because of what you ('roland') said with respect to management not having a mass market product ready yet? OR would bills like these be likely to trigger a definite increase in the demand for more efficient energy and hence, force CFU to produce that market friendly product in a timely manner?

[P.S. sorry about the lack of links to the Bills, I've only done 3 posts and you apparently need 5 in order to do that]
 

Here's a novel idea,
1. how about a price for carbon? a carbon tax or ETS. that would get things moving.
2. how about a level playing field where power companies must pay a fair price for the excess electricity the Bluegen produces?
CFCL have a market ready product its called the Bluegen, ready to be mass produced, it works and has the EC stamp of approval. The only thing missing is for CFCL to get the orders/SALES in the thousands, see point 1 and 2.
 
I haven't checked the other states, but it seems in NSW the feed in tariff is only available for PV and Wind:


from: http://www.industry.nsw.gov.au/ener...ble-to-participate-in-the-Solar-Bonus-Scheme?

I know that this relates to "Solar", but I haven't found anything yet on other forms of feed in tariffs.
 

Thanks to MACCA we can read about the problem, its only a matter of time before its all fixed. .
 
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