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Note 8 - Property, Plant and Equipment and Construction-in-process
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Notes to Financial Statements  
Property, Plant and Equipment Disclosure [Text Block]
NOTE
8
— PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION-IN-PROCESS
 
Property, plant and equipment
 
Property, plant and equipment, net, consist of the following:
 
   
December 31
,
 
   
2017
   
2016
 
   
(Dollars in thousands
)
 
Land owned by the Company where the geothermal resource is located
  $
32,178
    $
31,904
 
Leasehold improvements
   
3,984
     
3,848
 
Machinery and equipment
   
182,121
     
152,821
 
Land, buildings and office equipment
   
31,128
     
28,634
 
Automobiles
   
12,596
     
11,161
 
Geothermal and recovered energy generation power plants, including geothermal wells and exploration and resource development costs:
               
United States of America, net of cash grants and impairment charges
   
1,744,728
     
1,658,195
 
Foreign countries
   
700,498
     
541,626
 
Asset retirement cost
   
10,563
     
8,669
 
     
2,717,797
     
2,436,858
 
Less accumulated depreciation
   
(983,106
)    
(880,480
)
                 
Property, plant and equipment, net
  $
1,734,691
    $
1,556,378
 
 
Depreciation expense for the years ended
December 31, 2017,
2016,
and
2015
amounted to
$98.8
million,
$94.8
million and
$95.2
million, respectively. Depreciation expense for the years ended
December 31, 2017,
2016
and
2015
is net of the impact of the cash grant in the amount of
$5.5
million for each of those years.
 
U.S. Operations
 
The net book value of the property, plant and equipment, including construction-in-process, located in the U.S. was approximately
$1,447.4
million and
$1,376.1
million as of
December 31, 2017
and
2016,
respectively. These amounts as of
December 31, 2017
and
2016
are net of cash grants in the amount of
$133.2
million and
$138.7
million, respectively.
 
Foreign Operations
 
The net book value of property, plant and equipment, including construction-in-process, located outside of the U.S. was approximately
$580.8
million and
$487.0
million as of
December 31, 2017
and
2016,
respectively.
 
The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, OrPower
4,
Inc. (“OrPower
4”
), owns and operates geothermal power plants in Kenya. The net book value of assets associated with the power plants was
$326.1
million and
$315.0
million as of
December 31, 2017
and
2016,
respectively. The Company sells the electricity produced by the power plants to Kenya Power and Lighting Co. Ltd. (“KPLC”) under a
20
-year PPA.
 
The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Orzunil I de Electricidad, Limitada (“Orzunil”), owns a power plant in Guatemala. On
January 22, 2014,
Orzunil signed an amendment to the PPA with Instituto Nacional de Electrificacion (“INDE”), a Guatemalan power company, for its Zunil geothermal power plant in Guatemala. The amendment extends the term of the PPA from
2019
to
2034.
The PPA amendment also transfers operation and management responsibilities of the Zunil geothermal field from INDE to the Company for the term of the amended PPA in exchange for a tariff increase. Additionally, INDE exercised its right under the PPA to become a partner in the Zunil power plant with
a
3%
equity interest. The net book value of the assets related to the power plant was
$9.9
million and
$12.2
million at
December 31, 2017
and
2016,
respectively.
 
The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Ortitlan, Limitada (“Ortitlan”), owns a power plant in Guatemala. The net book value of the assets related to the power plant was
$40.7
million and
$40.3
million at
December 31, 2017
and
2016,
respectively.
 
The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, GeoPlatanares, signed a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) contract for the Platanares geothermal project in Honduras with ELCOSA, a privately owned Honduran energy company, for
15
years from the commercial operation date.
Platanares sells the electricity produced by the power plants to ENEE, the national utility of Honduras under a
30
-year PPA. The net book value of the assets related to the power plant was
$140.3
million and
$67.5
million at
December 31, 2017
and
2016,
respectively.
 
The Company, through its subsidiary, GB, owns a power plant in Guadeloupe. The net book value of the assets related to the power plant was
$24.9
million and
$20.3
million at
December 31, 2017
and
2016,
respectively.
GB sells the electricity produced by the power plants to EDF, the French electric utility, under a
15
-year PPA.
 
 
Construction-in-process
 
Construction-in-process consists of the following:
 
   
December 31,
 
   
2017
   
2016
 
   
(Dollars in thousands)
 
Projects under exploration and development:
               
Up-front bonus lease costs
  $
17,018
    $
17,385
 
Exploration and development costs
   
46,154
     
36,359
 
Interest capitalized
   
703
     
703
 
     
63,875
     
54,447
 
Projects under construction:
               
Up-front bonus lease costs
   
27,473
     
37,713
 
Drilling and construction costs
   
198,943
     
202,211
 
Interest capitalized
   
3,251
     
12,338
 
     
229,667
     
252,262
 
Total
  $
293,542
    $
306,709
 
 
 
   
Projects under Exploration and Development
 
   
Up-front
Bonus Lease
Costs
   
Exploration
and
Development
Costs
   
Interest Capitalized
   
Total
 
   
(Dollars in thousands)
 
Balance at December 31, 2014
  $
26,618
    $
45,977
    $
836
    $
73,431
 
Cost incurred during the year
   
37
     
10,104
     
869
     
11,010
 
Write off of unsuccessful exploration costs
   
(164
)    
(1,415
)    
     
(1,579
)
Transfer of projects under exploration and development to projects under construction
   
     
(18,940
)    
(1,002
)    
(19,942
)
Balance at December 31, 2015
   
26,491
     
35,726
     
703
     
62,920
 
Cost incurred during the year
   
1,514
     
25,165
     
     
26,679
 
Write off of unsuccessful exploration costs
   
(380
)    
(2,637
)    
     
(3,017
)
Transfer of projects under exploration and development to projects under construction
   
(10,240
)    
(21,895
)    
     
(32,135
)
Balance at December 31, 2016
   
17,385
     
36,359
     
703
     
54,447
 
Cost incurred during the year
   
     
11,224
     
     
11,224
 
Write off of unsuccessful exploration costs
   
(367
)    
(1,429
)    
     
(1,796
)
Balance at December 31, 2017
  $
17,018
    $
46,154
    $
703
    $
63,875
 
 
   
Projects under Construction
 
   
Up-front
Bonus Lease
Costs
   
Drilling and Construction Costs
   
Interest Capitalized
   
Total
 
   
(Dollars in thousands)
 
Balance at December 31, 2014
  $
27,473
    $
187,545
    $
8,273
    $
223,291
 
Cost incurred during the year
   
     
140,977
     
3,556
     
144,533
 
Transfer of projects under exploration and development to projects under construction
   
     
18,940
     
1,002
     
19,942
 
Transfer of completed projects to property, plant and equipment
   
     
(196,995
)    
(4,856
)    
(201,851
)
                                 
Balance at December 31, 2015
   
27,473
     
150,467
     
7,975
     
185,915
 
Cost incurred during the year
   
     
116,247
     
6,510
     
122,757
 
Transfer of exploration and development projects to projects under construction
   
10,240
     
21,895
     
     
32,135
 
Transfer of completed projects to property, plant and equipment
   
     
(86,398
)    
(2,147
)    
(88,545
)
Balance at December 31, 2016
   
37,713
     
202,211
     
12,338
     
252,262
 
Cost incurred during the year
   
     
231,926
     
7,300
     
239,226
 
Transfer of completed projects to property, plant and equipment
   
(10,240
)    
(235,194
)    
(16,387
)    
(261,821
)
                                 
Balance at December 31, 2017
  $
27,473
    $
198,943
    $
3,251
    $
229,667