'the australian' poses a question, page-12

Scanno, before I start ,I have held this share for 13 months and over the last year have increased my holding considerably ( not that the figure is important, but want to be honest about where I stand before I reply) If you, or anyone for that matter, looks back at CFU’s history, news released, partners they are working with, and what appears to be their business plan, for me you would not at this time question “lack of orders” it has been a long and hard road for CFU so far, probably goes back 17 years, but that 17 years (or so, for the anoraks amongst us, no offence meant, but I am going to rely on memory for a lot of the detail in this post, as life’s too short to revisit passed news to double check dates), has resulted in CFU having the patents on probably the most efficient and compact SOFC in the world today, It is certainly the one that has been on field test the longest.
The deals or partners they are working with in the UK, France, Germany and Japan (though Paloms are also the largest manufactures of heating boilers in the USA funnily enough)are all major players, as in annual turnover reported in billions, they (CFU) have also in each country tied up with a very well established boiler manufacture or similar. ( why, because all CFU will do longer term is manufacture their Gennex fuel cell stack and supply their boiler manufacturing partner, who will then deliver to their major utility partner) All these major partners have signed up over the last three to four years, not last week or earlier this year, why, because they are not major players by luck, but have good foresight and business sense and realise the future in fuel cells and the advantage of working with the current world leaders.
Now to their current quiet German Plant, this is almost the old adage “chicken and egg” when do you build the new plant?? Do you wait for a bulging order book then “set to” and risk not being able to meet the demand, or delivery times or issues with quality control etc, or do you build it slightly early to be ready for the flood.. Truth is CFU purchased the building back in 2006, recruited local employees (project engineers etc) got a local 3.2m euro grant, and kitted out the factory under budget. Now this has taken the best part of three years, the Plant is perfectly located, and in a Country for me that will embrace this “new” technology passionately, strange but true, out of all the Countries offering assistance or “aid” to the introduction of sofc’s, currently Germany has the best deal, agreed feed-in payment and 3,200euro’s capital assistance, none of which was known three years back, luck or good foresight??
To coin a phrase and IMHO, nobody is currently better placed in the world to take advantage of the possible demand for this type of appliance, furthermore no one company has more long term major partners signed up, it’s been a long road, but what foresight to set off 17 years back, this (they) will succeed, of that I have no doubt, just cut them some slack, the migration from development technology to major manufacturing company is never a easy transition, or to put it another way, have you ever turned up early to a party, bit quiet, not much atmosphere, then two hours later it’s wild!! and you hope it never ends, well my friend I suggest we all blow the froth off a couple and enjoy the ride. Regards Lmlom