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1. Nature of Activities and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Nature of Activities

These consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Aemetis, Inc. (formerly AE Biofuels, Inc.), a Nevada corporation, and its wholly owned subsidiaries (collectively, “Aemetis” or the “Company”):

● Aemetis Americas, Inc., a Nevada corporation, and its subsidiary AE Biofuels, Inc., a Delaware corporation;

 

● Biofuels Marketing, Inc., a Delaware corporation;

 

● Aemetis International, Inc., a Nevada corporation, and its subsidiary International Biofuels, Ltd., a Mauritius corporation, and its subsidiary Universal Biofuels Private, Ltd., an India company;

 

● Aemetis Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation;

 

● Aemetis Biochemicals, Inc., a Nevada corporation;

 

● Aemetis Biofuels, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiary Energy Enzymes, Inc., a Delaware corporation;

 

● AE Advanced Fuels, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries Aemetis Advanced Fuels Keyes, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and Aemetis Facility Keyes, Inc., a Delaware corporation, Aemetis Property Keyes, Inc., a Delaware corporation;

 

● Aemetis Advanced Fuels, Inc., a Nevada corporation;

 

● Aemetis Advanced Products Keyes, Inc., a Delaware corporation and its subsidiary Aemetis Properties Riverbank, Inc., a Delaware corporation, Aemetis Riverbank, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiary Aemetis Advanced Products Riverbank, Inc., a Delaware corporation;

 

● Aemetis Advanced Biorefinery Keyes, Inc., a Delaware corporation;

 

● Aemetis Biogas LLC, a Delaware limited liability company; and

 

● Goodland Advanced Fuels, Inc., a Nevada corporation.

 

Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Aemetis is an advanced renewable fuels and biochemicals company focused on the acquisition, development and commercialization of innovative technologies that replace traditional petroleum-based products through the conversion of second-generation ethanol and biodiesel plants into advanced biorefineries.  Founded in 2006, we own and operate a 60 million gallon per year ethanol facility (“Keyes Plant”) in the California Central Valley near Modesto where we manufacture and produce ethanol, wet distillers’ grains (“WDG”), condensed distillers solubles (“CDS”), and distillers’ corn oil (“DCO”). We also own and operate a 50 million gallon per year renewable chemical and advanced fuel production facility (“Kakinada Plant”) on the East Coast of India producing high quality distilled biodiesel and refined glycerin for customers in India and Europe. We operate a research and development laboratory to develop efficient conversion technologies using waste feedstocks to produce biofuels and biochemicals. Additionally, we own a partially completed plant in Goodland, Kansas (the “Goodland Plant”) through our subsidiary Goodland Advanced Fuels, Inc., (“GAFI”), which was formed to acquire the Goodland Plant. As of December 31, 2019, we exercised the option to acquire the all of capital stock of GAFI. Before exercising the option on December 31, 2019, GAFI was consolidated into the financial statements as a variable interest entity. We plan to deploy a cellulosic ethanol technology to the Goodland Plant.

 

We also lease a site in Riverbank, California, near the Keyes Plant, where we plan to utilize biomass-to-fuel technology that we have licensed from LanzaTech Technology (“LanzaTech”) and InEnTec Technology (“InEnTec”) to build a cellulosic ethanol production facility (the “Riverbank Cellulosic Ethanol Facility”) capable of converting local California surplus biomass – principally agricultural waste – into ultra-low carbon renewable cellulosic ethanol. By producing ultra-low carbon renewable cellulosic ethanol, we expect to capture higher value D3 cellulosic renewable identification numbers (“RINs”) and California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (“LCFS”) credits.

 

In December 2018, we acquired a 5.2-acre parcel of land for the construction of a facility by Messer to sell carbon dioxide (“CO2”) produced at the Keyes Plant. The Aemetis section of the CO2 project construction was completed in January 2020, and we expect to commence operations and revenue from this project in the second quarter of 2020.

 

During 2018, Aemetis Biogas, LLC (“ABGL”) was formed to construct bio-methane digesters at local dairies near the Keyes Plant, many of whom are already customers of the distillers’ grain produced at the Keyes Plant. The digesters are connected by a pipeline to a gas cleanup and compression facility to produce Renewable Natural Gas (“RNG”).  ABGL currently has signed participation agreements with over a dozen local dairies and three fully executed leases with dairies near the Keyes Plant in order to capture their methane, which would otherwise be released into the atmosphere, primarily from manure wastewater lagoons. We plan to capture biogas from multiple dairies and pipe the gas to a centralized location at our Keyes Plant where we will remove the impurities of the methane and clean it into bio-methane for injection into the local utility pipeline or to a renewable compressed natural gas (“RCNG”) truck loading station that will service local trucking fleets to displace diesel fuel.  The biogas can also be used in our Keyes Plant to displace petroleum-based natural gas. The environmental benefits of the ABGL project are potentially significant because dairy biogas has a negative carbon intensity (“CI”) under the California LCFS. The biogas produced by ABGL will also receive D3 RINs under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (“RFS”).

 
Basis of Presentation and Consolidation

These consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Aemetis. Additionally, we consolidate all entities in which we have a controlling financial interest either directly or by option to acquire the interest. A controlling financial interest is usually obtained through ownership of a majority of the voting interests. However, an enterprise must consolidate a variable interest entity (“VIE”) if the enterprise is the primary beneficiary of the VIE, even if the enterprise does not own a majority of the voting interests. The primary beneficiary is the party that has both the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance, and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. Prior to December 31, 2019, GAFI was consolidated into the financial statements as a VIE. On December 31, 2019, we exercised an option to acquire all capital stock of GAFI for $10 and consolidated assets, liabilities, and equity. In addition, the period costs related to non-controlling interest are presented as separately on the Statement of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation including any transactions between GAFI and Aemetis, Inc.

 
Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and revenues and expenses during the reporting period. To the extent there are material differences between these estimates and actual results, the Company’s consolidated financial statements will be affected.

 
Revenue recognition

We derive revenue primarily from sales of ethanol and related co-products in North America, and of biodiesel and refined glycerin in India based on the supply agreements and purchase order contracts. We assessed the following criteria under the ASC 606 guidance: (i) identify the contracts with customer, (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determine the transaction price, (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations, and (v) recognize revenue when the entity satisfies the performance obligations.

 

We have elected to adopt the practical expedient that allows for ignoring the significant financing component of a contract when estimating the transaction price when the transfer of promised goods to the customer and customer payment for such goods are expected to be within one year of contract inception. Further, we have elected to adopt the practical expedient in which incremental costs of obtaining a contract are expensed when the amortization period would otherwise be less than one year.

 

North America:  In North America, we sell the majority of our production to one customer under a supply contract, with individual sales transactions occurring under this contract. Given the similarity of these transactions, we have assessed them as a portfolio of similar contracts. The performance obligation is satisfied by delivery of the physical product to the tank of J.D. Heiskell or to one of their contracted trucking companies. At this point in time, the customer has the ability to direct the use of the product and receive substantially all of its benefits. The transaction price is determined based on daily market prices negotiated by Kinergy for ethanol and by A.L. Gilbert on WDG and DCO. There is no transaction price allocation needed.

 

The below table shows our sales in North America by product category:

 

North America (in thousands)

     For the years ended December 31,  
    2019     2018  
Ethanol sales   $ 114,593     $ 113,855  
Wet distillers' grains sales     34,510       32,362  
Other sales     5,045       3,828  
                 
    $ 154,148     $ 150,045  

 

 

We also assessed principal versus agent criteria as we buy our feedstock from our customers and process and sell finished goods to those customers in some contractual agreements.

 

In North America, we buy corn as feedstock in producing ethanol from our working capital partner J.D. Heiskell and we sell all ethanol, WDG, and corn oil produced in this process to J.D. Heiskell. Our finished goods tank is leased by J.D. Heiskell and they require us to transfer legal title to the product upon transfer of our finished ethanol to this location. We consider the purchase of corn as a cost of goods sold and the sale of ethanol upon transfer to the finished goods tank as revenue on the basis that (i) we control and bear the risk of gain or loss on the processing of corn which is purchased at market prices into ethanol and (ii) we have legal title to the goods during the processing time. The pricing for both corn and ethanol is set independently. Revenues from sales of ethanol and its co-products are billed net of the related transportation and marketing charges. The transportation component is accounted for in cost of goods sold and the marketing component is accounted for in sales, general and administrative expense. Transportation and marketing charges are known within days of the transaction and are recorded at the actual amounts. The Company has elected an accounting policy under which these charges have been treated as fulfillment activities provided after control has transferred. As a result, these charges are recognized in cost of goods sold and selling, general and administrative expenses, respectively, when revenue is recognized. Revenues are recorded at the gross invoiced amount. Hence, we are the principal in North America sales scenarios where our customer and vendor may be the same.

 

We have a contract liability of $1.0 million as of December 31, 2019, in connection with a contract with a customer to sell CCA credits. However, control of the credits were not transferred to the customer until January 3, 2020 while we received cash in advance.

 

India:  In India where we sell products on purchase orders (written or verbal) or by contract with governmental or international parties, the performance obligation is satisfied by delivery and acceptance of the physical product. Given that the contracts are sufficiently similar in nature, we have assessed these contracts as a portfolio of similar contracts as allowed under the practical expedient. Doing so does not result in a materially different outcome compared to individually accounting for each contract. All domestic and international deliveries are subject to certain specifications as identified in contracts. The transaction price is determined based on reference market prices for biodiesel and refined glycerin every day net of taxes. There is no transaction price allocation needed.

 

The below table shows our sales in India by product category:

 

India (in thousands)            
     For the years ended December 31,  
    2019     2018  
Biodiesel sales   $ 42,464     $ 17,009  
Refined Glycerin sales     2,809       4,467  
Other sales     2,577       5  
    $ 47,850     $ 21,481  

 

We also assessed principal versus agent criteria as we buy our feedstock from our customers and process and sell finished goods to those customers in some contractual agreements.

 

In India, we occasionally enter into contracts where we purchase feedstock from the customer, process the feedstock into biodiesel, and sell to the same customer. In those cases, we receive the legal title to feedstock from our customers once it is on our premises. We control the processing and production of biodiesel based on contract terms and specifications. The pricing for both feedstock and biodiesel is set independently. We hold the title and risk to biodiesel according to agreements we enter into in these situations. Hence, we are the principal in India sales scenarios where our customer and vendor may be the same.
Cost of Goods Sold

Cost of goods sold includes those costs directly associated with the production of revenues, such as raw material consumed, factory overhead and other direct production costs. During periods of idle plant capacity, costs otherwise charged to cost of goods sold are reclassified to selling, general and administrative expense.

 
Shipping and Handling Costs

Shipping and handling costs are classified as a component of cost of goods sold in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

 

 
Research and Development

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred, unless they have alternative future uses to the Company.

 
Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company maintains cash balances at various financial institutions domestically and abroad. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insures domestic cash accounts. The Company’s accounts at these institutions may at times exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts.

 
Accounts Receivable

The Company sells ethanol, WDG, CDS, and DCO through third-party marketing arrangements generally without requiring collateral. The Company sells biodiesel, glycerin, and processed natural oils to a variety of customers and may require advanced payment based on the size and creditworthiness of the customer. Usually, invoices are due within 30 days on net terms. Accounts receivables consist of product sales made to large creditworthy customers. Trade accounts receivable are presented at original invoice amount, net of any allowance for doubtful accounts.

 

The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts for balances that appear to have specific collection issues. The collection process is based on the age of the invoice and it requires attempted contacts with the customer at specified intervals. If, after a specified number of days, the Company has been unsuccessful in its collection efforts, a bad debt allowance is recorded for the balance in question. Delinquent accounts receivable are charged against the allowance for doubtful accounts once un-collectability has been determined. The factors considered in reaching this determination are the apparent financial condition of the customer and the Company’s success in contacting and negotiating with the customer. If the financial conditions of the Company’s customers were to deteriorate, additional allowances may be required. We did not reserve any balance for allowance for doubtful accounts in the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018.

 
Inventories

Finished goods, raw materials, and work-in-process inventories are valued using methods which approximate the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or net realizable value (NRV). Distillers’ grains and related products are stated at NRV. In the valuation of inventories, NRV is determined as estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation.

 
Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are carried at cost less accumulated depreciation after assets are placed in service and are comprised primarily of buildings, furniture, machinery, equipment, land, and the Keyes Plant, Goodland Plant and Kakinada Plant. The Goodland Plant is partially completed and is not ready for operation; The Cellulosic ethanol, CO2 project and Biogas diaries capital projects are being constructed and are not in operation; hence, we are not depreciating these assets yet. Otherwise, it is the Company’s policy to depreciate capital assets over their estimated useful lives using the straight-line method.

 

The Company evaluates the recoverability of long-lived assets with finite lives in accordance with ASC Subtopic 360-10-35 Property Plant and Equipment –Subsequent Measurements, which requires recognition of impairment of long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. When events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable, based on estimated undiscounted cash flows, the impairment loss would be measured as the difference between the carrying amount of the assets and its estimated fair value. In estimating our forecasts, we used significant assumptions with regard to the cost of inputs mainly palm stearin, and outputs mainly biodiesel. These assumptions were commodity market driven but we also considered the government regulations, import and export tariffs, availability of alternate low-cost inputs, and potential customer agreements. We evaluated all assumptions based on conditions which the Company believes will become available to increase production at profitable margins in the future.

 
Intangibles

In December 2018, the Company wrote off $0.9 million of patents associated with the Z-microbeTM and enzymatic processes to facilitate the degradation of certain plant biomass as the Company shifted away from this technology.

 
California Grants

California Energy Commission Technology Demonstration Grant. The Company has been awarded an $825 thousand matching grant from the California Energy Commission (“CEC”) Natural Resources Agency to optimize and demonstrate the effectiveness of technologies to break down biomass to produce cellulosic ethanol. The Company will receive the grant proceeds as a subcontractor to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The project will focus on the deconstruction and conversion of sugars liberated from California-relevant feedstocks and then converting the sugars to ethanol. The Company receives these funds as reimbursement for actual expenses incurred. Due to the uncertainty associated with the expense approval process under the grant program, the Company recognizes the grant as a reduction of the expenses in the period when approval is received.

 

California Department of Food and Agriculture Dairy Digester Research and Development Grant. The Company has been awarded $3.2 million in matching grants from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (“CDFA”) Dairy Digester Research and Development program. The CDFA grant reimburses the Company for costs required to permit and construct two of the Company’s biogas capture systems under contract with central California dairies. The Company receives these funds as reimbursement for actual costs incurred. Due to the uncertainty associated with the cost approval process under the grant program, the Company recognizes the grant as a reduction of the expenses or as a reduction in fixed assets in the period when approval is received.

 

California Energy Commission Low Carbon Advanced Ethanol Grant Program. In May 2019, the Company was awarded the right to receive reimbursements from the CEC in an amount up to $5.0 million (the “CEC Reimbursement Program”) in connection with the Company’s expenditures toward the development of the Aemetis low carbon advanced cellulosic ethanol production plant (the “Riverbank Project”). To comply with the guidelines of the CEC Reimbursement Program, the Company must make a minimum of $7.9 million in matching contributions to the Riverbank Project. The Company receives the CEC funds under the CEC Reimbursement Program for actual expenses incurred up to $5.0 million as long as the Company makes the minimum matching contribution. Given that the Company has not made the minimum matching contribution, the grant of $1.36 million received for capital expenditures during the third quarter of 2019 was recorded in the other long term liabilities as of December 31, 2019.
Income Taxes

The Company recognizes income taxes in accordance with ASC 740 Income Taxes using an asset and liability approach. This approach requires the recognition of taxes payable or refundable for the current year and deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the Company’s consolidated financial statements or tax returns. The measurement of current and deferred taxes is based on provisions of enacted tax law.

 

ASC 740 provides for recognition of deferred tax assets if the realization of such assets is more likely than not to occur. Otherwise, a valuation allowance is established for the deferred tax assets, which may not be realized. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company recorded a full valuation allowance against its net deferred tax assets due to operating losses incurred since inception. Realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon future earnings, if any, the timing and amount of which are uncertain. Accordingly, the net deferred tax assets were fully offset by a valuation allowance.

 

 

The Company is subject to income tax audits by the respective tax authorities in all of the jurisdictions in which it operates. The determination of tax liabilities in each of these jurisdictions requires the interpretation and application of complex and sometimes uncertain tax laws and regulations. The recognition and measurement of current taxes payable or refundable and deferred tax assets and liabilities requires that the Company make certain estimates and judgments. Changes to these estimates or a change in judgment may have a material impact on the Company’s tax provision in a future period.        

 

In 2018, the Company adopted certain tax accounting policies related to the new global intangible low-taxed income (“GILTI”) provisions under the Tax Act such that the Company will: (1) account for all GILTI related book-tax differences as period costs and (2) use the Incremental Cash Tax Savings approach in evaluating its valuation allowance assessment related to the GILTI inclusion.

 
Basic and Diluted Net Income (Loss) per Share

Basic net income (loss) per share is computed by dividing net income or loss attributable to common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted net income (loss) per share reflects the dilution of common stock equivalents such as options, convertible preferred stock, debt and warrants to the extent the impact is dilutive. As the Company incurred a net loss for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, potentially dilutive securities have been excluded from the diluted net loss per share computations as their effect would be anti-dilutive.

 

The following table shows the number of potentially dilutive shares excluded from the diluted net loss per share calculation as of December 31, 2019 and 2018:

 

    As of      
    December 31, 2019     December 31, 2018  
             
Series B preferred (post split basis)     132       132  
Common stock options and warrants     3,840       2,984  
Debt with conversion feature at $30 per share of common stock     1,262       1,236  
SARs conversion if stock issued at $0.71 per share to cover $2.1 million     -       2,964  
Total number of potentially dilutive shares excluded from the diluted net loss per share calculation     5,234       7,316  

 
Comprehensive Loss

ASC 220 Comprehensive Income requires that an enterprise report, by major components and as a single total, the change in its net assets from non-owner sources. The Company’s other comprehensive loss and accumulated other comprehensive loss consists solely of cumulative currency translation adjustments resulting from the translation of the financial statements of its foreign subsidiary. The investment in this subsidiary is considered indefinitely invested overseas, and as a result, deferred income taxes are not recorded related to the currency translation adjustments.

 
Foreign Currency Translation/Transactions

Assets and liabilities of the Company’s non-U.S. subsidiary that operates in a local currency environment, where that local currency is the functional currency, are translated into U.S. dollars at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date and the resulting translation adjustments directly recorded to a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive loss. Income and expense accounts are translated at average exchange rates during the year. Transactional gains and losses from foreign currency transactions are recorded in other (income) loss, net.

 
Operating Segments

Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise about which separate financial information is available that is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker, or decision-making group, in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. Aemetis recognized two reportable geographic segments: “North America” and “India.”

 

The “North America” operating segment includes the Company’s 60 million gallons per year capacity Keyes Plant in California, the cellulosic ethanol facility in Riverbank, the cluster of biogas digesters on dairies near Keyes, California, the Goodland Plant, Kansas and the research and development facility in Minnesota.

 

The “India” operating segment encompasses the Company’s 50 million gallon per year capacity Kakinada Plant in India, the administrative offices in Hyderabad, India, and the holding companies in Nevada and Mauritius.

 
Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Financial instruments include accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued liabilities, current and non-current portion of subordinated debt, SARs liability, notes payable, and long-term debt.  Due to the unique terms of our notes payable and long-term debt and the financial condition of the Company, the fair value of the debt is not readily determinable.  The fair value, determined using level 3 inputs, of all other current financial instruments is estimated to approximate carrying value due to the short-term nature of these instruments.

 
Share-Based Compensation

The Company recognizes share based compensation expense in accordance with ASC 718 Stock Compensation requiring the Company to recognize expenses related to the estimated fair value of the Company’s share-based compensation awards at the time the awards are granted, adjusted to reflect only those shares that are expected to vest.

 
Commitments and Contingencies

The Company records and/or discloses commitments and contingencies in accordance with ASC 450 Contingencies. ASC 450 applies to an existing condition, situation, or set of circumstances involving uncertainty as to possible loss that will ultimately be resolved when one or more future events occur or fail to occur.

 
Convertible Instruments

The Company evaluates the impacts of convertible instruments based on the underlying conversion features. Convertible Instruments are evaluated for treatment as derivatives that could be bifurcated and recorded separately. Any beneficial conversion feature is recorded based on the intrinsic value difference at the commitment date.

 
Debt Modification Accounting

The Company evaluates amendments to its debt in accordance with ASC 540-50 Debt – Modification and Extinguishments for modification and extinguishment accounting. This evaluation includes comparing the net present value of cash flows of the new debt to the old debt to determine if changes greater than 10 percent occurred. In instances where the net present value of future cash flows changed more than 10 percent, the Company applies extinguishment accounting and determines the fair value of its debt based on factors available to the Company.

 
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

None.