Exhibit 10.2
LICENSE AGREEMENT
This License
Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into
as of the 6 th day of February, 2008, by and between
AlphaKat - Global Energy GmbH, a company organized and existing
under the laws of Germany (“Licensor”), and Covanta
Energy Corporation, a corporation organized and existing under the
laws of the State of Delaware (“Covanta”).
WHEREAS, AlphaKat
GmbH, a company organized and existing under the laws of Germany
(as further defined below, “AK”), has granted certain
rights to Licensor with respect to a proprietary technology to
convert waste material that contains hydrocarbons into diesel oil
(as further defined below, the “Technology”) in various
countries, including the United States, China, the United Kingdom
and the Republic of Ireland;
WHEREAS, Covanta
is interested in obtaining license rights from Licensor with
respect to the Technology, all on the terms and conditions set
forth herein; and
WHEREAS, Licensor is willing to grant such
license rights to Covanta, all on the terms and conditions set
forth herein;
NOW, THEREFORE, in light of the mutual premises
set forth herein and other good and valuable consideration, the
receipt and the sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the
parties hereto, intending to be legally bound hereby, agree as
follows.
ARTICLE 1 – DEFINITIONS AND
INTERPRETATION
Section 1.1 Capitalized Terms . Unless
otherwise specified herein, the following capitalized terms shall
have the following meanings:
“
Affiliate ” means, in relation to any Person, any
other Person that controls, is controlled by, or is in common
control with, such Person. For the purpose of this definition,
control means the direct or indirect control of fifty percent (50%)
or more of the voting rights in such Person or the power to direct
the management or policies of such Person, whether by operation of
law, by contract or otherwise. Except as shall otherwise be
expressly provided in this Agreement, and for the avoidance of any
doubt, as of the Effective Date, (i) Licensor and AK are Affiliates
and (ii) Licensor and Global are Affiliates, but AK and Global are
not Affiliates.
“
Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in the first
paragraph hereof.
“ AK
” means AlphaKat GmbH, a company organized and existing under
the laws of Germany, and its successors and permitted assigns.
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“
Commercial Waste ” means all non-hazardous solid waste
that is collected from commercial establishments, including
residential apartment buildings, office buildings, restaurants,
industrial parks, all other business facilities and all recyclable
materials from recycling facilities.
“
Competitor ” means a Competitor of Covanta or a
Competitor of Licensor, as the context requires.
“
Competitor of Covanta ” means a Person, directly or
through Affiliates, engaged primarily in the waste disposal
business, including the energy from waste business.
“
Competitor of Licensor ” means a Person, directly or
through Affiliates, engaged primarily in the business of selling
equipment that converts waste or organic feedstock(s) containing
hydrocarbon materials into diesel fuel or any Person that is
involved primarily in the development of such equipment or the
technology on which it is based.
“
Contracted Waste” means all non-hazardous waste,
regardless of the source of such waste, which is under contract to
be delivered to Covanta or any of its Affiliates for disposal in,
or processing by, one of the facilities owned or operated by
Covanta or any of its Affiliates.
“
Covanta ” has the meaning set forth in the first
paragraph hereof and includes its successors and permitted
assigns.
“
Default ” has the meaning set forth in Section
10.1.
“
Demonstration Plant ” has the meaning set forth in
Section 2.2.
“
Dispute ” has the meaning set forth in Section
9.1.
“
Document Package ” has the meaning set forth in
Section 4.5(b)(iii) .
“
Effective Date ” has the meaning set forth in Section
5.1.
“
Extended Period ” means the period that begins on the
date that the Initial Period ends and terminate on the fifth (5
th ) anniversary thereof, as further provided for in
Section 2.1(b) .
“
Feedstock ” means Household Waste, Contracted Waste,
Commercial Waste or Radial Biomass, as the case may be.
“ Full
Right ” means that the Person being granted the right(s)
described herein shall be the only Person that is entitled to
exercise such right(s) so long as this Agreement is in effect and
that no other Person shall be authorized, by the grantor of such
right(s), to exercise such right(s) or be granted such
right(s).
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“
Global ” means Global Energy, Inc., a Nevada
corporation.
“
Governmental Organization ” has the meaning set forth
in Section 2.5.
“
Household Waste ” means all non-hazardous,
post-recycled municipal solid waste which is collected from
residences, which waste is of the type normally accepted for
processing at waste to energy facilities in the United States,
China, the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, as the case
may be.
“ ICC
” means the International Chamber of Commerce.
“ ICC
Rules ” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.1.
“
Improvements ” means all the techniques, enhancements,
modifications, changes, experience, methods, information, data or
knowledge that will be created or acquired in the future relating
to the Technology and/or the manufacturing of such components for
Systems (whether or not patentable, useful or workable) through the
implementation, development, testing and improvement of the
Technology.
“ Initial
Period ” means the period which begins on the date that
the Interim Period ends and terminates on the tenth (10
th ) anniversary thereof.
“
Intellectual Property ” means any intellectual
property and/or proprietary information and materials relating to
the Technology along with all rights therein, whether existing
before or conceived or developed after the Effective Date (except
as otherwise expressly provided), including: (i) patents, patent
applications, patent disclosures and inventions (whether or not
patentable and whether or not reduced to practice), including the
Patents; (ii) trademarks, service marks, trade dress, trade names,
corporate names, logos, slogans and Internet domain names, together
with all goodwill associated with each of the foregoing; (iii)
copyrights and copyrightable works; (iv) trade secrets,
confidential information and know-how (including ideas, formulae,
compositions, manufacturing and production processes and
techniques, research and development information, test data and
results, drawings, specifications, designs, supplier lists and
related information); and (vi) registrations, applications,
divisionals, continuations, continuations-in-part, foreign
counterparts and renewals for any of the foregoing.
“ Interim
Period ” means the period which begins on the Effective
Date and ends twelve (12) months following the date that the
Demonstration Plant has been successfully commissioned and is ready
for commercial operation; provided , however , that
if the Demonstration Plant passes the performance test agreed to by
the Parties as provided for in Section 2.2(c) more than thirty (30)
days prior to the scheduled end of the Interim Period, the Interim
Period shall terminate thirty (30) days following the date that the
Demonstration Plant has passed such performance test.
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“ KDV
500 ” means the system of components, including all of
the structural steel, piping, pumps, vessels, control systems,
wiring, two proprietary “mixing turbine pumps” and the
operations, maintenance and start-up manuals provided by AK, to
convert hydrocarbon feedstock, including any Feedstock, into diesel
oil using the Technology which is capable of producing a minimum of
500 liters of diesel oil per hour.
“
Licensor ” has the meaning set forth in the first
paragraph hereof and includes its successors and permitted
assigns.
“
Parties ” means Licensor and Covanta.
“
Party ” means Licensor or Covanta, as the case may
be.
“
Patents ” means any existing or future patent
applications, patents, registrations, utility models and utility
model applications relating to the Technology which are necessary
or useful to manufacture or to sell, offer for sale, use or
otherwise make available Systems or the components of Systems,
including those set forth in Exhibit 2 attached hereto.
“
Person ” means any natural person, corporation,
company, partnership, business trust, governmental authority or
other entity.
“
Project ” means a project which is owned by Covanta, a
Covanta Affiliate or a Governmental Organization, in whole or in
part, to convert a Feedstock to diesel oil using the Technology in
Territory A or Territory B.
“
Purchase Order ” has the meaning set forth in Section
2.6.
“
Purchaser ” has the meaning set forth in Section
2.6.
“
Qualified Right ” means that the Person being granted
the right(s) described herein shall be entitled to exercise such
right(s) so long as this Agreement is in effect, but the grantor of
such right(s) shall be entitled to grant such right(s) or allow
such right(s) to be exercised by all other Persons except a Person
that is precluded from exercising such right(s) under the express
terms hereof.
“ Radial
Biomass ” means biomass, including wood, wood waste and
other types of cellulosic materials which are collected within or
from an area within a 100 mile radius of any biomass facility that
is owned by Covanta or an Affiliate of Covanta in the states of
California or New York as of the Effective Date.
“ Rights
Agreements ” means (i) the “Terms of
Agreement” dated May 2, 2007, (ii) the
“Shareholders’ Agreement” dated July 10, 2007 and
(iii) the Articles of Association of Licensor dated November 14,
2007 and November 22, 2007, a copy of each of which is attached
hereto in Exhibit 1.
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“
System ” means any system of components, whether it is
in existence today or developed hereafter, including all of the
structural steel, piping, pumps, vessels, control systems, wiring,
the proprietary “mixing turbine pump(s),” any new
components of any future system of components and all of the
operations, maintenance and start-up manuals provided by AK, to
convert hydrocarbon feedstock, including any Feedstock, into diesel
oil using the Technology, including, for the avoidance of doubt,
the KDV 500.
“
Technology ” means the proprietary, renewable diesel
technology developed by Dr. Christian Koch (as well as any related
technology licensed to Dr. Christian Koch or to AK) to convert
municipal solid waste, organic materials, sludge and other
hydrocarbon materials, including Feedstock, to diesel oil,
including all Improvements to such technology made or acquired from
time to time, including Intellectual Property, Systems, the
formulation of catalysts used in Systems and all related materials
and information, including the Document Package.
“
Territory A ” means the United States.
“
Territory B ” means China, the United Kingdom and the
Republic of Ireland.
“ Third
Party Purchaser ” has the meaning set forth in Section
2.6.
Section 1.2 Interpretation . In this
Agreement, unless otherwise indicated or required by the
context:
(a) Reference to
and the definition of any document (including this Agreement) or
any applicable law shall be deemed a reference to such document or
applicable law as it may be amended, supplemented, revised or
modified from time to time;
(b) All references
to an “Article,” “Section” or
“Exhibit” are to an Article or Section hereof or to an
Exhibit attached hereto;
(c) Article and
Section headings and other captions are for the purpose of
reference only and do not limit or affect the meaning of the terms
and provisions hereof;
(d) Defined terms
in the singular include the plural and vice versa, and the
masculine, feminine and neuter gender include all genders;
(e) The words
“hereof,” “herein” and
“hereunder” and words of similar import refer to this
Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this
Agreement; and
(f) The words
“include,” “includes” and
“including” mean include, includes, and including
“without limitation” and “without limitation by
specification.”
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ARTICLE 2 – LICENSE RIGHTS
Section 2.1 Grant of License Rights .
Subject to the further terms of this Agreement, Licensor hereby
grants the following license rights to Covanta: Until Covanta has
satisfied the two (2) conditions which are set forth in Section
2.1(a) (relating to the purchase of the Demonstration Plant and an
additional five (5) Systems), Covanta shall have the Qualified
Right in Territory A and Territory B to use, practice and make
Improvements to the Technology in connection with Projects using
any Feedstock. Once Covanta has satisfied the two (2) conditions
which are set forth in Section 2.1(a), Covanta shall have the
following rights during the Initial Period and, if the election
provided for in Section 2.1(b) is timely made by Covanta, during
the Extended Period: (i) the Full Right in Territory A and the
Qualified Right in Territory B to use, practice and make
Improvements to the Technology in connection with Projects using
Household Waste; (ii) the Full Right in Territory A and Territory B
to use, practice and make Improvements to the Technology in
connection with Projects using Contracted Waste; (iii) the Full
Right in the applicable areas of Territory A to use, practice and
make Improvements to the Technology in connection with Projects
using Radial Biomass; and (iv) the Qualified Right in Territory A
and Territory B to use, practice and make Improvements to the
Technology in connection with Projects using Commercial Waste. As
further provided for in Sections 2.5 and 2.6, Covanta shall have
the right to arrange for the sale of Systems to Governmental
Organizations pursuant to a Purchase Order with AK. Furthermore,
nothing which is contained herein shall restrict the sale of any
Project by Covanta at any time to any Person other than a
Competitor of Licensor. For the avoidance of doubt, Covanta shall
be entitled to exercise any or all of the license rights that are
granted to it hereunder itself or through any of its Affiliates,
but Covanta shall not have the right to issue sublicenses to any
Person other than an Affiliate. The Parties further agree as
follows:
(a) To secure its
rights hereunder, Covanta shall satisfy the following two (2)
conditions: (i) issue a Purchase Order for the Demonstration Plant
by the date that is specified in Section 4.5 and make the payments
required pursuant to such Purchase Order as and when due
thereunder; and (ii) place one or more additional Purchase Order(s)
for a total of five (5) Systems (excluding the Purchase Order for
the Demonstration Plant) no later than one year after the start of
the Initial Period and make a down payment equal to ten percent
(10%) of the Purchase Price to Licensor at the time that such
Purchase Order(s) are placed for Licensor to hold in escrow pending
finalization of the Purchase Order(s) between AK and Covanta, it
being agreed that Licensor can release the sum of [*****] to AK for
preliminary engineering work associated with the Purchase Order(s)
and the balance of the deposit shall be released to AK as is
provided for in the Purchase Order(s) once it is finalized by AK
and Covanta. If Covanta decides, for any reason, to terminate this
Agreement and to give up its license rights hereunder after placing
such Purchase Order(s) and making the required down payment to
Licensor, the Licensor shall refund such deposit to Covanta.
(b) Covanta shall
have the right to elect, in its sole discretion, to extend the term
of the Initial Period for an additional five (5) years, (such
extended term defined in
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Section 1.1 as the “Extended
Period”), Covanta to notify Licensor in writing at least
ninety (90) days prior to the end of the Initial Period if it wants
to extend the Initial Period for an additional five (5) years.
(c) During the
period that starts on the Effective Date and ends on the earlier to
occur of (i) the termination hereof and (ii) the date that Covanta
has satisfied the two (2) conditions which are set forth in Section
2.1(a), Licensor shall not (i) grant any rights to any Person
(other than Global) with respect to the Technology in Territory A
in connection with any projects using Household Waste or any
projects using Radial Biomass or (ii) sell Systems to any Person
for delivery to or use in Territory A if such Systems are to be
used to process Household Waste or Radial Biomass unless each of
the requirements that are specified in Section 2.1(d) are complied
with.
(d) If any Person
contacts Licensor at any time during the period specified in
Section 2.1(c) to purchase one or more Systems for any purpose
specified in clause (ii) of Section 2.1(c), Licensor shall (i)
provide a written notice of such contact to Covanta and (ii) notify
such Person in writing (with a copy of such notice to Covanta) that
no Systems can be sold for such purpose unless Covanta is given a
“right of first offer” with respect to such Systems.
The term “right of first offer” means that such Person
offers Covanta, in writing, the right to invest 50 percent of the
cost of the project to be developed with such Systems and to own 50
percent of such project (on an equal basis and terms with such
Person) and the right to operate such project or such other
arrangement acceptable to such Person and Covanta. Covanta shall
notify such Person and Licensor, in writing, whether Covanta wants
to be involved in such project as a 50 percent owner and operator
or waive its right to do so. AK shall not enter into a Purchase
Order with such Person unless Licensor has satisfied the notice
requirements of this Section 2.1(d) and Covanta elects to not
participate in the project.
Section 2.2 Obligations During Interim
Period . During the Interim Period, Covanta shall:
(a) Purchase and
install, at its sole cost and expense, a demonstration plant (the
“Demonstration Plant”) using Household Waste and/or
Contracted Waste which shall be comprised of a single KDV 500 (it
being agreed that Covanta shall determine, in its sole discretion,
whether to order the KDV 500 with a single proprietary mixing
turbine pump or two such pumps) at a site designated by Covanta in
Territory A;
(b) Use
commercially reasonable efforts to permit and complete installation
of the Demonstration Plant to enable it to achieve commercial
operation on or before October 1, 2008, subject to the commitment
of AK to deliver the KDV 500 (with one or two proprietary mixing
turbine pumps as is ordered by Covanta) on or before such date and
such other factors that are outside of the control of Covanta;
(c) Working
together in good faith with Licensor, within thirty (30) days of
the Effective Date, develop a plan which will define the
requirements for a performance test for the Demonstration Plant,
including the duration of the test, the availability,
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reliability, conversion efficiency and other
relevant factors and such other parameters as the Parties and AK
may agree, consistent with prudent engineering practices;
(d) Use
commercially reasonable efforts to conduct the performance test
during the first six (6) months following the commissioning of the
Demonstration Plant or as soon as thereafter possible;
(e) Operate and
maintain the KDV 500 (with one or two proprietary mixing turbine
pumps as is ordered by Covanta); and
(f) Notify
Licensor in writing whether it wants to proceed to the Initial
Period at least sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of the
Interim Period, unless the Interim Period is being terminated
earlier in accordance with the proviso in the definition of the
term “Interim Period,” in which case such notice shall
be given at least fifteen (15) days prior to the end of the Interim
Period.
Section 2.3 Retention of Full Rights . In
order for Covanta to retain the Full Rights in Territory A that are
being granted to it by Licensor pursuant to Section 2.1, following
the satisfaction of the two (2) conditions set forth in Section
2.1(a), during the Initial Period and the Extended Period, the
following shall apply:
(a) During the
Initial Period, Covanta shall be required to place Purchase Orders
for a number of KDV 500s, on a cumulative basis, measured at the
end of each calendar year (such number to be pro-rated to account
for any partial years) as follows:
| Year 1 |
Total of 5 KDV
500s; |
| Year 2 |
Total of 20 KDV 500s; |
| Year 3 |
Total of 40 KDV
500s; |
| Year 4 |
Total of 70 KDV 500s; |
| Year 5 |
Total of 110 KDV
500s; |
| Year 6 |
Total of 170 KDV 500s; |
| Year 7 |
Total of 250 KDV
500s; |
| Year 8 |
Total of 350 KDV 500s; |
| Year 9 |
Total of 475 KDV
500s; and |
| Year 10 |
Total of 600 KDV 500s. |
During the Extended Period, Covanta shall be
required to place Purchase Orders for a number of KDV 500s, on a
cumulative basis, measured at the end of each calendar year (such
number to be pro-rated to account for any partial years) as
follows:
| Year 1 |
Total of 150 KDV
500s; |
| Year 2 |
Total of 300 KDV 500s; |
| Year 3 |
Total of 450 KDV
500s; |
| Year 4 |
Total of 600 KDV 500s; and |
| Year 5 |
Total of 750 KDV
500s; |
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(b) For purpose of
meeting any of the minimum order thresholds for KDV 500s which are
set forth in Section 2.3(a), if a System is developed by AK (such
as the “KDV 2000” which is currently under development
by AK) that is capable of producing a higher amount of diesel oil
per hour than a KDV 500 (expected to be 2,000 liters per hour in
the case of a “KDV 2000” as compared to 500 liters per
hour for a KDV 500), then such System will count as more than one
KDV 500 based on the amount of diesel oil per hour capable of being
provided (expected to be four KDV 500s in the case of a “KDV
2000”).
(c) If the
Feedstock for any Project installed by Covanta requires Covanta to
secure more than 25 tons per day of Feedstock per KDV 500 to
produce 500 liters per hour of diesel oil output, then the number
of KDV 500s credited towards meeting the minimum order threshold
for KDV 500s set forth in Section 2.3(s) in connection with such
Project shall be adjusted upwards to account for the incremental
Feedstock that has to be secured by Covanta. For example, if
Covanta purchases five KDV 500s for a Project that will use
Household Waste and Covanta has to secure 150 tons of Household
Waste per day instead of 125 tons of Household Waste per day to
produce 2,500 liters of diesel oil per hour from such Project, then
Covanta will be credited as having ordered six KDV 500s for such
Project instead of five KDV 500s.
(d) If Covanta
fails to order the minimum number of KDV 500s (or equivalent
Systems) in any given year to satisfy the cumulative requirements
for such year set forth in Section 2.3(a), then Covanta shall be
given one year (the “Recovery Year”) to regain its Full
Rights in Territory A by achieving the cumulative threshold
requirement that is applicable as of the end of such Recovery Year.
During the Recovery Year, Covanta’s license rights in
Territory A shall be Qualified Rights with respect to Licensor.
However, Licensor shall not be entitled to grant Full Rights to any
other Person with respect to those rights that were formerly Full
Rights of Covanta hereunder. During the Recovery Year, Licensor
shall have the right to sell Systems to Persons other than a
Competitor of Covanta. If Covanta satisfies the cumulative
requirement at the end of the Recovery Year (or Licensor accepts
that the cumulative requirement has been satisfied), Covanta shall
regain it Full Rights in Territory A. If Covanta fails to regain
its Full Rights during the Recovery Year, its license rights in
Territory A thereafter shall be Qualified Rights thereafter.
(e)
Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, Covanta
shall not lose its Full Rights in Territory A if Covanta fails to
meet the cumulative order requirements in Section 2.3(a) if (i) AK
is not able to produce enough Systems to meet Covanta’s
Purchase Orders or (ii) any problems experienced with the
Technology in the Systems installed by AK make it commercially
unreasonable for Covanta to order any additional Systems until such
problems are resolved, in which case the Parties shall agree to an
equitable adjustment, in good faith, to the cumulative requirements
provisions of Section 2.3(a) .
Section 2.4 Other Projects . Covanta is
not authorized hereunder to develop a project using the Technology
for a feedstock that is not included in the definition of Feedstock
in
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Territory A or Territory B or in a location
(regardless of feedstock) outside of Territory A or Territory B. If
Covanta wants to develop any such project, Covanta shall first be
required to contact Licensor for its prior approval. Licensor shall
determine whether the proposed project would violate any rights
that have been granted by Licensor to any Person and, if not,
whether Licensor is willing to agree to have Covanta pursue such
project, any such approval to be provided in writing.
Notwithstanding anything which is contained herein to the contrary,
Covanta shall have the right to purchase up to ten (10) KDV 500s to
install at any of Covanta’s waste to energy facilities.
Section 2.5 Sale of Systems to Certain
Governmental Organization . Licensor is aware that Covanta
often deals with municipalities and governmental organizations
(collectively referred to as “Governmental
Organizations”) which have the responsibility to dispose of
waste in their jurisdiction and that such Governmental
Organizations sometimes insist on owning the systems and facilities
that process or dispose of such waste. In such cases, Covanta will
seek to arrange for the procurement and installation of such
systems and facilities and operate them under a long-term contract.
If Covanta has an opportunity to sell one or more Systems to a
Governmental Organization that insists on owning such Systems,
Covanta shall be entitled to arrange for the sale of such Systems
pursuant to a Purchase Order as provided for in Section 2.6, but
only if Covanta or one of its Affiliates has entered into an
agreement with the Governmental Organization providing that the
Systems will be operated by Covanta for a minimum period of ten
(10) years.
Section 2.6 Purchase Orders . All
purchase orders for System(s) (“Purchase Orders”) shall
be entered into by and between AK (or its designee) and the
ultimate purchaser of such System(s) (the “Purchaser”),
although all Purchase Orders shall be placed through Licensor. Each
Purchase Order shall include a set of representations and
warranties made by AK to the Purchaser which are consistent with
those provided by Licensor to Licensee in Article 8 and a
non-exclusive, irrevocable and perpetual license (a “Use
License”) for the Purchaser to (i) use, practice, operate,
maintain, repair and make Improvements to the System(s), (ii)
purchase the catalyst that is required for the operation of the
System(s) from AK and/or any Person that is authorized to
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