ESS Tech, Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Rhea-AI Summary

ESS Tech, Inc. (NYSE: GWH), a leading manufacturer of long-duration energy storage systems, announced its Q2 2024 financial results. Key highlights include:

1. Finalizing a $50 million funding agreement with the Export-Import Bank of the United States
2. Started production of the second Energy Center for Portland General Electric
3. Deployed the first operational long-duration energy storage at Schiphol Airport
4. Ended Q2 with over $74 million in cash and short-term investments, expected to last well into 2025
5. Received a $10 million grant from the California Energy Commission for a project with Sacramento Municipal Utility District
6. Began building the second Energy Center in July
7. Plans to start commercial Energy Center shipments in H2 2024

Positive

• Finalizing $50 million funding agreement with Export-Import Bank of the United States
• Q2 ended with over $74 million in cash and short-term investments
• Received $10 million grant from California Energy Commission for SMUD project
• Started production of second Energy Center for Portland General Electric
• First Energy Warehouse operational at Schiphol Airport
• Expected to grow revenue by 3-4 times in 2024

Negative

• Q2 revenue lower than expected due to delays in Energy Warehouse shipments
• Received NYSE listing notice in March, requiring reverse stock split

Insights

Financial Analyst

ESS Tech's Q2 2024 results reveal a mixed financial picture. While revenue was lower than expected due to shipment delays, the company maintains a strong cash position of over $74 million, expected to sustain operations well into 2025. The potential $50 million funding agreement with EXIM Bank is a significant positive, providing non-dilutive capital for expansion. However, the need for a reverse stock split to maintain NYSE listing compliance is concerning.

The company's growth trajectory remains ambitious, with plans to increase revenue 3-4 times in 2024. This goal seems challenging given the current shipment delays, but the ramp-up of Energy Center production in H2 2024 could provide a substantial boost. The $10 million grant from the California Energy Commission for the SMUD project is another positive, potentially accelerating market adoption.

Investors should closely monitor the resolution of shipment delays and the execution of the manufacturing expansion plan, as these will be critical for achieving the projected revenue growth.

Energy Storage Specialist

ESS Tech's progress in deploying its long-duration energy storage (LDES) systems is noteworthy. The operational Energy Warehouse at Schiphol Airport marks a significant milestone, being the first iron flow battery at a major European airport. This demonstrates the technology's potential in critical infrastructure applications.

The company's partnerships with utilities like Portland General Electric, Tampa Electric and SMUD indicate growing market acceptance of iron flow battery technology. The production of the second Energy Center and plans for commercial deliveries in H2 2024 suggest a scaling up of operations.

The selection of ESS batteries by Indian Energy, the CEC and the Department of Defense for microgrid applications highlights the versatility of the technology. This could open up new market segments, particularly in remote and mission-critical installations.

However, the shipment delays mentioned are a concern and could impact the company's ability to meet its ambitious growth targets. The resolution of these issues will be important for ESS's near-term success.

Market Research Analyst

The long-duration energy storage (LDES) market is showing signs of acceleration, with ESS Tech positioned as a key player. The company's diverse project portfolio, spanning from airports to utility-scale installations and microgrids, demonstrates the broad applicability of iron flow battery technology.

The $10 million grant from the California Energy Commission, coupled with SMUD's $19.5 million commitment, indicates strong governmental and utility support for LDES solutions. This trend could drive increased adoption and market growth.

However, ESS faces challenges in scaling production to meet demand. The planned manufacturing expansion, supported by EXIM Bank funding, is important for capitalizing on market opportunities. The company's ability to execute this expansion efficiently will be a key factor in its market position.

The selection of ESS technology for critical infrastructure and remote applications suggests a growing recognition of LDES's role in grid resilience and renewable energy integration. This could lead to new market segments and increased demand, provided ESS can overcome its current operational hurdles.

08/14/2024 - 04:05 PM

Finalizing Funding Agreement for up to $50 Million with Export-Import Bank of the United States

Began Production of Second Energy Center for Portland General Electric

Energy Warehouse Becomes First Operational Long-Duration Energy Storage at an Airport

Exited Q2 with Cash and Short-Term Investments over $74 Million; Expected to Carry ESS Well Into 2025

WILSONVILLE, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ESS Tech, Inc. (“ESS,” “ESS, Inc.” or the “Company”) (NYSE: GWH), a leading manufacturer of long-duration energy storage systems (LDES) for commercial and utility-scale applications, today announced financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2024.

“ESS made significant headway in the business in the second quarter and we continue to be encouraged by the growing imperative for Long Duration Energy Storage to be coupled to renewables. Importantly, outside funding is expected to play an important role for not only our operational expansion, but also our partnership with Sacramento Municipal Utility District, or SMUD. First, we are close to finalizing an agreement for up to $50 million in funding from the Export-Import Bank of the United States to expand our manufacturing capacity and expect to add about $10 million to our balance sheet in the second half alone for previously installed capacity. Additionally, our long duration storage project with SMUD has been granted $10 million by the California Energy Commission to further our collaboration. Our progress with our projects across numerous customers in the second quarter also reflects the continued importance of our relationships. In Q2, our Energy Warehouses started charging ground power units at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, were integrated into Burbank Water and Power’s EcoCampus and connected to a 265 kW solar array, and was selected by Indian Energy, the California Energy Commission and the Department of Defense for testing to deliver energy security to remote communities like tribal nations and military bases,” said Eric Dresselhuys, CEO of ESS. “Although revenue in the second quarter was lower than expected due to the timing of EW shipments due to delays at a key partner, we expect this to resolve itself in the coming weeks, allowing us to ship our products and recover revenue in the third quarter.”

“On the Energy Center front, we remain on schedule with Portland General Electric and continue to expect to ramp EC shipments in the back half of the year. With the first EC currently cycling, we began production of our second unit in July and expect these to be connected to the grid by late 2024. In parallel, we have positioned our operations to begin building the first ECs for commercial deliveries to Tampa Electric and SMUD later this month. Our plan to transition to volume manufacturing and shipments remains solidly on track and we continue to expect to achieve our goal of growing our revenue by three to four times in 2024.”

Recent Business Highlights

• An Energy Warehouse™ (EW) system at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, the second largest airport in mainland Europe, became the first iron flow battery to be operational at an airport. This EW will be used to help advance Schiphol Airport’s sustainability strategy and has now been tested on Schiphol’s AB platform. The EW system has begun to be used to recharge Electric Ground Power Units (E-GPU), which are intended to replace the diesel ground power units currently used to supply electrical power to aircraft when parked at airport gates.
• The California Energy Commission, or CEC, awarded a $10 million grant to a long-duration battery storage project in partnership with ESS and Sacramento Municipal Utility District, or SMUD. The CEC funding will be used to demonstrate a 3.6 MW, 8-hour iron flow battery project, with SMUD committing an additional $19.5 million to cover additional other costs for the LDES project.
• We are finalizing the details to close agreement with the Export-Import Bank of the United States, or EXIM, for up to $50 million in funding provided by the Make More in America Initiative. This funding is long-term, low interest, and non-dilutive capital to finance expanding manufacturing capacity, enabling ESS to immediately add to our cash position, borrowing about $10 million on a lookback basis for previously installed capacity. Later this year, the funding is planned to be used for the addition of our second manufacturing line, which is expected to triple our production capacity.
• Indian Energy, a Native American-owned microgrid developer and integrator, the CEC, and the Department of Defense together selected ESS’ iron flow batteries to demonstrate the diverse capabilities of LDES technologies for utility-scale, resilient microgrids and their ability to deliver energy security to remote communities like tribal nations and military bases. Over the coming months, our project partners are expecting to demonstrate optimal use cases in the California energy market, including solar peak shifting and grid ancillary services, after which we expect our EW to be placed into commercial operation.
• We began building our second EC in July, which we plan to deploy beside the first EC, both for Portland General Electric. We expect to start building and shipping our first commercial ECs in the second half of 2024 for delivery to Tampa Electric and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, or SMUD.
• We filed our definitive proxy statement with the SEC on August 8, 2024 to execute a reverse split, following a listing notice from the NYSE received in March. We will hold our special shareholders meetings on August 23^rd and, once having effected the split in late August, we expect to be in compliance with the listing requirements and will continue our operations as a publicly-listed company.

Conference Call Details

ESS will hold a conference call on Wednesday, August 14, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. EDT to discuss financial results for its second quarter 2024 ended June 30, 2024. Interested parties may join the conference call beginning at 5:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, August 14, 2024 via telephone by calling (833) 470-1428 in the U.S., or for international callers, by calling +1 (404) 975-4839 and entering conference ID 366142. A telephone replay will be available until August 21, 2024, by dialing (866) 813-9403 in the U.S., or for international callers, +1 (929) 458-6194 with conference ID 167636. A live webcast of the conference call will be available on ESS’ Investor Relations website at http://investors.essinc.com/.

A replay of the call will be available via the web at http://investors.essinc.com/.

About ESS, Inc.

At ESS (NYSE: GWH), our mission is to accelerate global decarbonization by providing safe, sustainable, long-duration energy storage that powers people, communities and businesses with clean, renewable energy anytime and anywhere it’s needed. As more renewable energy is added to the grid, long-duration energy storage is essential to providing the reliability and resiliency we need when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing.

Our technology uses earth-abundant iron, salt and water to deliver environmentally safe solutions capable of providing up to 12 hours of flexible energy capacity for commercial and utility-scale energy storage applications. Established in 2011, ESS, Inc. enables project developers, independent power producers, utilities and other large energy users to deploy reliable, sustainable long-duration energy storage solutions. For more information visit www.essinc.com.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In this press release and the accompanying earnings call, the Company includes Non-GAAP Operating Expenses and Adjusted EBITDA, which are non-GAAP performance measures that the Company uses to supplement its results presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. As required by the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the Company has provided herein a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures contained in this press release and the accompanying earnings call to the most directly comparable measures under GAAP. The Company’s management believes Non-GAAP Operating Expenses and Adjusted EBITDA are useful in evaluating its operating performance and are similar measures reported by publicly-listed U.S. companies, and regularly used by securities analysts, institutional investors, and other interested parties in analyzing operating performance and prospects. By providing these non-GAAP measures, the Company’s management intends to provide investors with a meaningful, consistent comparison of the Company’s profitability for the periods presented. Adjusted EBITDA is not intended to be a substitute for net income/loss or any U.S. GAAP financial measure and, as calculated, may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of performance of other companies in other industries or within the same industry. Further, Non-GAAP Operating Expenses are not intended to be a substitute for GAAP Operating Expenses or any U.S. GAAP financial measure and, as calculated, may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of performance of other companies in other industries or within the same industry.

The Company defines and calculates Non-GAAP Operating Expenses as GAAP Operating Expenses adjusted for stock-based compensation and other special items determined by management as they are not indicative of business operations. The Company defines and calculates Adjusted EBITDA as net loss before interest, other non-operating expense or income, (benefit) provision for income taxes, and depreciation and amortization, and further adjusted for stock-based compensation and other special items determined by management, including, but not limited to, fair value adjustments for certain financial liabilities associated with debt and equity transactions as they are not indicative of business operations.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains certain forward-looking statements, including statements regarding ESS and its management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. The words “anticipate”, “believe”, “continue”, “could”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intends”, “may”, “might”, “plan”, “possible”, “potential”, “predict”, “project”, “should”, “will” and “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements regarding the Company’s manufacturing plans, the Company’s order and sales pipeline, the Company’s ability to execute on orders, the Company’s ability to effectively manage costs, the Company’s partnerships with third parties such as Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Burbank Water and Power, and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District and the finalization of the EXIM loan. These forward-looking statements are based on ESS’ current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on ESS. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this communication. There can be no assurance that the future developments affecting ESS will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond ESS control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, which include, but are not limited to, continuing supply chain issues; delays, disruptions, or quality control problems in the Company’s manufacturing operations; the Company’s ability to hire, train and retain an adequate number of manufacturing employees; issues related to the shipment and installation of the Company’s products; issues related to customer acceptance of the Company’s products; issues related to the Company’s partnerships with third parties; inflationary pressures; risk of loss of government funding for customer projects; and the Company’s need to achieve significant business growth to achieve sustained, long-term profitability. Except as required by law, ESS is not undertaking any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

ESS Tech, Inc. Condensed Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss (unaudited) (in thousands, except share and per share data)
		Three Months Ended June 30,								Six Months Ended June 30,
			2024				2023				2024				2023
Revenue:
Revenue		$	342			$	2,826			$	2,556			$	3,197
Revenue - related parties			6				1				530			$	2
Total revenue			348				2,827				3,086			$	3,199
Cost of revenue			11,748				—				22,874				—
Gross profit (loss)			(11,400	)			2,827				(19,788	)			3,199
Operating expenses:
Research and development			2,836				19,450				6,382				37,181
Sales and marketing			2,711				1,739				4,745				3,592
General and administrative			6,178				5,845				11,704				11,132
Total operating expenses			11,725				27,034				22,831				51,905
Loss from operations			(23,125	)			(24,207	)			(42,619	)			(48,706	)
Other income (expenses), net:
Interest income, net			1,052				1,330				2,291				2,582
Gain (loss) on revaluation of common stock warrant liabilities			115				(115	)			115				573
Other income (expense), net			18				63				(37	)			721
Total other income, net			1,185				1,278				2,369				3,876
Net loss and comprehensive loss to common stockholders		$	(21,940	)		$	(22,929	)		$	(40,250	)		$	(44,830	)
Net loss per share - basic and diluted		$	(0.12	)		$	(0.15	)		$	(0.23	)		$	(0.29	)
Weighted-average shares used in per share calculation - basic and diluted			175,758,584				154,900,330				175,136,561				154,514,265

ESS Tech, Inc. Condensed Balance Sheets (unaudited) (in thousands, except share data)
	June 30, 2024				December 31, 2023
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	36,744			$	20,165
Restricted cash, current		906				1,373
Accounts receivable, net		981				1,990
Short-term investments		37,695				87,899
Inventory		4,425				3,366
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		3,908				3,305
Total current assets		84,659				118,098
Property and equipment, net		17,758				16,266
Intangible assets, net		4,790				4,923
Operating lease right-of-use assets		2,195				2,167
Restricted cash, non-current		946				945
Other non-current assets		785				833
Total assets	$	111,133			$	143,232
Liabilities and stockholders' equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	5,833			$	2,755
Accrued and other current liabilities		9,669				10,755
Accrued product warranties		3,240				2,129
Operating lease liabilities, current		1,572				1,581
Deferred revenue, current		5,689				2,546
Total current liabilities		26,003				19,766
Operating lease liabilities, non-current		884				957
Deferred revenue, non-current		—				3,835
Deferred revenue, non-current - related parties		14,400				14,400
Common stock warrant liabilities		802				917
Other non-current liabilities		—				—
Total liabilities		42,089				39,875
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock ($0.0001 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized, none issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023)		—				—
Common stock ($0.0001 par value; 2,000,000,000 shares authorized, 176,822,039 and 174,211,911 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively)		18				18
Additional paid-in capital		805,433				799,496
Accumulated deficit		(736,407	)			(696,157	)
Total stockholders' equity		69,044				103,357
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$	111,133			$	143,232

ESS Tech, Inc. Condensed Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited) (in thousands)
	Six Months Ended June 30,
	2024		2023
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss	$ (40,250)		$ (44,830)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	2,521		2,105
Non-cash interest income	(1,573)		(1,487)
Non-cash lease expense	658		604
Stock-based compensation expense	5,880		4,784
Inventory write-down and losses on noncancellable purchase commitments	1,530		—
Change in fair value of common stock warrant liabilities	(115)		(573)
Other non-cash (income) expenses, net	25		(33)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	1,526		4,653
Inventory	(2,875)		—
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(555)		2,561
Accounts payable	1,925		(664)
Accrued and other current liabilities	(1,962)		(4,234)
Accrued product warranties	1,111		3,460
Deferred revenue	(1,209)		(3,189)
Operating lease liabilities	(768)		(689)
Net cash used in operating activities	(34,131)		(37,532)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	(1,565)		(3,440)
Maturities and purchases of short-term investments, net	51,752		37,363
Net cash provided by investing activities	50,187		33,923
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payments on notes payable	—		(800)
Proceeds from stock options exercised	21		122
Repurchase of shares from employees for income tax withholding purposes	(178)		(82)
Proceeds from contributions to Employee Stock Purchase Plan	214		332
Other, net	—		(14)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	57		(442)
Net change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	16,113		(4,051)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	22,483		36,655
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	$ 38,596		$ 32,604

ESS Tech, Inc. Condensed Statements of Cash Flows (continued) (unaudited) (in thousands)
	Six Months Ended June 30,
		2024			2023
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:
Cash paid for operating leases included in cash used in operating activities	$	874		$	827
Non-cash investing and financing transactions:
Purchase of property and equipment included in accounts payable and accrued and other current liabilities		1,970			931
Transfers between inventory and property and equipment, net		1,051			—
Cash and cash equivalents	$	36,744		$	30,287
Restricted cash, current		906			1,373
Restricted cash, non-current		946			944
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash shown in the condensed statements of cash flows	$	38,596		$	32,604

ESS Tech, Inc. Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Operating Expenses (unaudited) (in thousands)
		Three Months Ended June 30,								Six Months Ended June 30,
			2024				2023				2024				2023
Research and development		$	2,836			$	19,450			$	6,382			$	37,181
Less: stock-based compensation			(908	)			(1,130	)			(1,309	)			(2,123	)
Non-GAAP research and development		$	1,928			$	18,320			$	5,073			$	35,058
Sales and marketing		$	2,711				1,739			$	4,745			$	3,592
Less: stock-based compensation			(163	)			(165	)			(258	)			(315	)
Non-GAAP sales and marketing		$	2,548			$	1,574			$	4,487			$	3,277
General and administrative		$	6,178			$	5,845			$	11,704			$	11,132
Less: stock-based compensation			(1,540	)			(1,430	)			(2,974	)			(2,346	)
Non-GAAP general and administrative		$	4,638			$	4,415			$	8,730			$	8,786
Total operating expenses		$	11,725			$	27,034			$	22,831			$	51,905
Less: stock-based compensation			(2,611	)			(2,725	)			(4,541	)			(4,784	)
Non-GAAP total operating expenses		$	9,114			$	24,309			$	18,290			$	47,121

ESS Tech, Inc. Reconciliation of GAAP Net Loss to Adjusted EBITDA (unaudited) (in thousands)
		Three Months Ended June 30,								Six Months Ended June 30,
			2024				2023				2024				2023
Net loss		$	(21,940	)		$	(22,929	)		$	(40,250	)		$	(44,830	)
Interest income, net			(1,052	)			(1,330	)			(2,291	)			(2,582	)
Stock-based compensation			3,026				2,725				5,880				4,784
Depreciation and amortization			1,302				1,028				2,521				2,105
Gain (loss) on revaluation of common stock warrant liabilities			(115	)			115				(115	)			(573	)
Other income (expense), net			(18	)			(63	)			37				(721	)
Adjusted EBITDA		$	(18,797	)		$	(20,454	)		$	(34,218	)		$	(41,817	)

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240814379924/en/

Investors:

Erik Bylin

investors@essinc.com

Media:

Morgan Pitts

503.568.0755

Morgan.Pitts@essinc.com

Source: ESS, Inc

FAQ

What was ESS Tech's (GWH) cash position at the end of Q2 2024?

ESS Tech (GWH) ended Q2 2024 with over $74 million in cash and short-term investments, which is expected to carry the company well into 2025.

How much funding is ESS Tech (GWH) finalizing with the Export-Import Bank of the United States?

ESS Tech (GWH) is finalizing a funding agreement for up to $50 million with the Export-Import Bank of the United States through the Make More in America Initiative.

What is ESS Tech's (GWH) revenue growth expectation for 2024?

ESS Tech (GWH) expects to grow its revenue by three to four times in 2024 compared to the previous year.

Where did ESS Tech (GWH) deploy its first operational long-duration energy storage system at an airport?

ESS Tech (GWH) deployed its first operational long-duration energy storage system, an Energy Warehouse, at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.

When does ESS Tech (GWH) plan to start commercial Energy Center shipments?

ESS Tech (GWH) plans to start building and shipping its first commercial Energy Centers in the second half of 2024 for delivery to Tampa Electric and Sacramento Municipal Utility District.