Shell, Singapore university to work on $3.4 mln decarbonisation study

Reuters: May 14, 2021, 7.29 AM BST

Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) said on Friday it will be working with a university in Singapore in a research project worth S$4.6 million ($3.4 million) over three years to convert carbon dioxide to fuels and petrochemicals.

Researchers from Shell and the National University of Singapore (NUS) will develop processes to produce ethanol and n-propanol from carbon dioxide, a byproduct from industrial processes, the two organizations said in separate statements on their websites. read more

Vote against Shell’s energy transition strategy, Pirc urges investors

Hannah Godfrey: Tuesday 11 May 2021

Shareholder advisory PIRC has recommended investors vote against Shell’s non-binding resolution on its energy transition strategy at its annual meeting next week.

The Pensions & Investment Research Consultants (PIRC), a major proxy advisory, said Royal Dutch Shell’s strategy to cut emissions “does not seem to have a clear plan for the competitive aspects of the energy transition.” read more

Shell raises dividend for second time in six months after first-quarter earnings beat forecasts

Sam Meredith: PUBLISHED THU, APR 29 20212:09 AM EDT

• The Anglo-Dutch company reported adjusted earnings of $3.2 billion for the three months through to the end of March. Analysts had expected $3.1 billion, according to Refinitiv.
• Shell also raised its dividend by around 4%, its second increase in six months.
• It comes as energy majors seek to reassure investors that they have gained a more stable footing in recent months.

LONDON — Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell on Thursday reported slightly better-than-expected first-quarter earnings, amid stronger commodity prices and growing expectations of a fuel demand recovery.

Shell also raised its dividend by around 4%, its second increase in six months, as the oil major seeks to reassure investors it has gained a more stable footing. It comes after Shell slashed its payout for the first time since World War II in April last year. read more

New York City sues Exxon, BP, Shell in state court over climate change

By Reuters Staff: April 22, 2021

(Reuters) – New York City is suing three major oil companies and the top industry trade group in state court after a federal appeals court this month rejected its effort to hold the companies liable to help pay the costs of harm caused by global warming.

The lawsuit filed on Thursday said Exxon Mobil Corp, BP Plc, Royal Dutch Shell and industry group the American Petroleum Institute “have systematically and intentionally misled consumers” about “the central role their products play in causing the climate crisis.” read more

Will Big Oil’s Huge Carbon Capture Bet Pay Off?

By Tsvetana Paraskova – Apr 21, 2021, 1:00 PM CDT

“We’re sending carbon back where it came from,” Norway’s energy giant Equinor says, describing its efforts to make carbon capture and storage (CCS) commercially viable in a future decarbonized energy system. Equinor is a joint venture partner with two other oil majors, Shell and Total, in developing the Northern Lights project in Norway, which is planned to deliver carbon storage as a service to help third-party industries to reduce emissions. read more

Shell’s maiden trial for hydrogen fuel cell in ships to aid Singapore’s clean fuel ambitions

• Author Sambit Mohanty 
• Editor Wendy Wells 
• 21 Apr 2021 | 05:46 UTC
• Singapore

• Shell, SembCorp Marine Ltd, LMG Marin AS, Penguin International to collaborate on the project
• Trial to develop, install auxiliary power unit PEM fuel cell on existing roll-on/roll-off vessel
• Initiative part of Shell Singapore’s plan to cut its CO2 emissions by about a third within a decade.

Singapore — Shell said April 21 it would collaborate on a feasibility study to trial the use of hydrogen fuel cells for ships, the first of its kind for both Shell and in Singapore, paving the way for cleaner and hydrogen-powered shipping.

“This trial is an important step in demonstrating the applicability of hydrogen and fuel cells on ships,” the statement quoted Nick Potter, general manager of Shell Shipping and Maritime, Asia Pacific & Middle East, as saying. read more

Shell to trial use of hydrogen fuel cells for ships in Singapore

Jessica Jaganathan: April 21, 2021

Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) said on Wednesday it was conducting a feasibility study with partners to trial the use of hydrogen fuel cells for ships in Singapore, the first such move for the oil major.

If successful, the trial will pave the way for cleaner, hydrogen-powered shipping, the company said, adding that its analysis points to hydrogen with fuel cells as the zero-emissions technology having the greatest potential to help the shipping sector achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. read more

Activists gear up for a fight over green-washing at AGMs

James Norrington: April 20, 2021

Jillian Ambrose: Thu 15 Apr 2021 13.58 BST

Royal Dutch Shell has urged investors to vote for its strategy to shift the business towards cleaner energy sources, despite warnings that the plan does not go far enough to meet the Paris climate agreement goals.

The oil company set out its energy transition plan before its annual shareholder meeting in May, when investors will be able to take part in an advisory vote on Shell’s climate plans for the first time. The vote will not be binding. read more

Shell Outlines Plans for Reducing Its Own Carbon Footprint

The energy giant has high hopes for sustainable aviation fuel

BY LISA LACY: 7 April 2021

While energy giant Shell may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of sustainability, it’s looking to change that by “reduc[ing] the carbon intensity of all the energy that we sell by 2050.”

That’s according to Dean Aragón, CEO of Shell Brands International AG, who said the company has set milestones toward becoming a net-zero emissions energy business for the years 2023, 2030 and 2035 that are “very clear, measurable and quantifiable targets on the decarbonization journey.” He did not provide specifics. read more

ZeroAvia raises fresh cash for zero-emission hydrogen planes

Other existing investors, including Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures and energy giant Royal Dutch Shell also joined this funding round…

By Nick Carey: 2 MIN READ: MARCH 31, 2021 / 11:19 AM

LONDON (Reuters) – Hydrogen plane startup ZeroAvia said on Wednesday it had secured $24.3 million in a third funding round from investors, including British Airways, which it will use to develop a regional zero-emissions aircraft that can seat more than 50 people. read more

Shell To Tie Executive Bonus Pays With Energy Transition Goals

By Tsvetana Paraskova – Mar 29, 2021, 11:30 AM CDT

Oil and gas supermajor Shell is set to tie the bonuses for its top executive directors more closely to the group’s performance in reaching its net-zero goals, if shareholders approve the plan at the annual general meeting in May, Reuters reported on Monday.

Two years ago, Shell became the first supermajor to set short-term emission reduction targets and link these targets with executive pay, yielding to growing investor pressure about establishing short-term emission goals. read more

Shell Using Battery Power Storage for EV Use in Europe

By Thomas Mulloy | March 8, 2021: Facebook

Shell and Alfen have launched a pilot to trial an on-site battery-powered system to support ultra-fast electric vehicle charging at Shell’s Zaltbommel forecourt in the Netherlands.

A Shell first, the battery-powered system offers an alternative solution to costly and time-consuming public grid upgrades by storing electricity in an on-site battery. The increased supply of energy helps power ultra-fast chargers, allowing drivers to simultaneously use the site’s two 175kW charge points. read more

Shell Canada employing ‘agile teams’ to power energy transition and reduce emissions

CALGARY — The president and country head for Shell Canada says its transition into a provider of cleaner energy is being driven by a network of “agile teams” of employees who are examining between 30 and 40 project ideas at a time.

Michael Crothers says the teams formed from employees brought in from various parts of the company are looking at proposals that include the use of hydrogen, biofuels, and wind and solar energy to help the company reduce its environmental impact. read more

Shell Energy to take part in renewable, gas-based power value chain for grid stability

Shell, one of the largest oil and gas explorer and supplier, sees natural gas as the most suitable alternative to bundle with renewables to meet the grid intermittency challenge during night or when sun is not visible. Bundling natural gas with renewables will allow unhindered power generation for anytime of the day or night.

Ajay Shah, VP, Shell Energy Asia, told FE that Shell through its global pronouncements has expressed its aspirations to participate in the power or electricity value chain and form partnerships on the renewables and gas. read more

Shell plans bio power-to-liquids project at Rheinland refinery

• AuthorAndreas Franke 
• EditorAlisdair Bowles 
• 01 Mar 2021

London — Shell is planning to build the first commercial bio-PTL (power-to-liquid) at its Rheinland refinery in Germany, which will involve expanding its electrolyzer project at the site to 100 MW.

Construction of the PTL unit, which would produce 100,000 mt/year of synthetic kerosene and raw gasoline (naphtha) using green hydrogen generated in the electrolyzer as well as biomass (waste wood), could start in 2023, with a view to commercial operations beginning in 2025, Shell said in a statement Feb. 26. read more

By Ron Bousso and Shadia Nasralla

LONDON (Reuters) – Energy giant Royal Dutch Shell vowed to eliminate net carbon emissions by 2050, raising its ambition from previous targets, as its oil output declines from a 2019 peak.

The Anglo-Dutch company is in the midst of its largest overhaul yet as it prepares to expand its renewables and low-carbon business in the face of growing investor pressure on the oil and gas sector to battle climate change.

Shell last year laid out a plan to reach net zero by 2050, in line with the Paris climate agreement and European Union ambitions, but it said the goal depended on its customers. read more

Hydrogen Council members – including Royal Dutch Shell Plc, BMW, Microsoft Corp and Sinopec – plan to increase hydrogen investments six-fold through 2025, from 2019 levels.

Europe pulls ahead in race for hydrogen, as global project pipeline grows: report

FILE PHOTO: The new Febus hydrogen bus is seen before a presentation in Pau, France, January 14, 2020. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau/File Photo

By Kate Abnett: FEBRUARY 17, 2021

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Most of the world’s planned hydrogen projects and the biggest chunk of related investments this decade are expected to be in Europe, an industry report said on Wednesday, as the continent races to scale up the low-carbon fuel to meet climate goals. read more

Jillian Ambrose: Thu 11 Feb 2021 09.40 GMT

Shell has set new carbon emissions goals to become a net zero carbon energy company by 2050, but will continue to grow its gas business by more than 20% in the next few years.

Shell’s goal is to be net zero carbon company within 30 years, including the emissions from burning its fossil fuels. But the plans have raised concerns among green campaigners that Shell may still increase its emissions in the coming decade, which is considered a crucial period to avoid a climate catastrophe. read more

Oil major Shell reports sharp drop in full-year profit, raises dividend

• Shell reported adjusted earnings of $4.85 billion for the full-year 2020. That compared with a profit of $16.5 billion for the full-year 2019.
• The company said it would raise its first-quarter dividend to $0.1735 per share, reflecting an increase of 4% from the previous quarter.
• The results come as energy giants seek to reassure investors about their future profitability, following a dreadful year for the global oil and gas industry by virtually every measure.

LONDON — Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell on Thursday reported a sharp drop in full-year profit as the coronavirus pandemic took a heavy toll on the global oil and gas industry.

Shell reported adjusted earnings of $4.85 billion for the full-year 2020. That compared with a profit of $16.5 billion for the full-year 2019, reflecting a drop of 71%. Analysts polled by Refinitiv had expected full-year 2020 net profit to come in $5.15 billion. read more

Shell New Energies is to acquire a 51% stake in Simply Blue Energy’s Kinsale floating wind venture.

Kinsale was set up to develop the Emerald project, a floating wind farm in the Celtic Sea, off the south coast of Ireland.

The new JV will be operated by Simply Blue Energy supported by Shell floating wind experts, with the project office based in the Cork City Docklands rejuvenation area.

The partnership combines Simply Blue’s track-record in developing floating wind projects and local knowledge of the Celtic Sea environment with Shell’s offshore experience, floating wind expertise and ability to develop large complex projects. read more

New York Becomes The First State To Divest From Oil And Gas

09/12/2020 13:10 GMT | Updated 09/12/2020 14:54 GMT

The Empire State’s pension fund is the largest to dump fossil fuel investments ― ever, in the entire world.

New York state announced plans on Wednesday to eject oil and gas stocks from its $226 billion financial portfolio, becoming the first U.S. state and the biggest pension fund anywhere to divest from fossil fuels.

By 2025, the New York State Common Retirement Fund, which disburses some $1 billion in benefits to retirees each year, will sell off its “riskiest” oil and gas stocks, following a review. The state aims to completely eliminate carbon polluters from its portfolio by 2040. read more

SSE, Equinor sign PPA for UK Dogger Bank offshore wind farm first phases

By Reuters Staff: NOVEMBER 24, 2020

LONDON (Reuters) – SSE and Equinor have agreed 15-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) for the first two phases of the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm they are developing off the coast of Britain, the companies said on Tuesday.

Separate PPA’s totalling 2.4 gigawatts of capacity for power from Dogger Bank A and B have been reached with Orsted, Shell Energy Europe Ltd, Danske Commodities and SSE’s energy supply business, SSE and Equinor said in a statement. read more

“Fossil fuel companies, like tobacco companies before them, have allowed governments to pay for the harms caused by their products“…

5 legal tactics environmentalists are using to fight climate change

Activists are increasingly using litigation as a tool to influence climate action worldwide. Here’s a look at some of the main tactics they’re wielding to force change on fossil fuel firms and weak government policies.

More than 700 climate lawsuits have been filed around the world since 2015, according to the Climate Change Litigation Databases. That’s a huge increase, considering there have only been about 1,700 of these types of cases since the late 1980s, most of them in the US. read more

Shell: Regaining Dividend Respectability And Shifting Toward Green Hydrogen

The Daily Drilling Report: 10 November 2020

• Shell is taking a healthy approach toward energy transition and balancing capital projects in terms of energy source.
• It’s also forging a leadership position in two key fuels that have been identified as being crucial to meeting Paris Climate goals – natural gas and hydrogen.
• Shell is back in our good grades with its recent dividend raise and strong earnings prospects going forward.
• At its recent price in the mid-$20s it represents a nice risk reward profile.

The question is, is the dividend safe? The answer here is yes, as it has just been raised. It seems Uncle Ben has heard the hue and cry of outraged shareholders, and is restoring some of what he took away just last quarter.

Ben Van Beurden, CEO Shell:

So we are announcing an increase of 4% in our dividends this quarter. But we’re also announcing a target milestone for our net debt of $65 billion for the near term. And once we have achieved this milestone, we target to further increase shareholder distribution. So we are not offering the promise of future growth, but also increasing shareholder distributions for the near term. read more

Shell to axe refining plants and focus on dividends and debt reduction

Philip Whiterow: 07:31 Thu 29 Oct 2020

Royal Dutch Shell PLC (LON:RDSB) has unveiled a huge restructuring of its refining and chemical operations as part of a strategic overhaul that places dividends at its centre.

The Anglo-Dutch giant said its fourteen refining sites will be reduced to six integrated chemical parks, with a switch in focus to performance chemicals and recycled feedstocks.

Shell’s marketing arm will also be strengthened with the development of the integrated power business and hydrogen and biofuels. read more

Shell hires Orsted’s Brostrom to lead global renewables unit

By Reuters Staff: October 23, 2020 read more

The Big Oil Side Hustle: Where ‘Renewable’ Money Is Really Going

By Alex Kimani – Oct 20, 2020, 6:00 PM CDT

In 2016, Shell set an ambitious goal to invest $4bn to $6bn in clean energy projects by 2020, though the Guardian recently reported that it was unlikely to meet that target. So, why is Big Oil still dragging its feet…

Every time an oil and gas major announces a major foray into renewable energy, the skeptics come out like clockwork and lambast the sector for merely trying to burnish its green credentials. read more

Oil Majors Stuck Between A Rock And A Hard Place

By Andreas De Vries – Oct 18, 2020, 6:00 PM CDT

Extracts

The past few years have been historic for as far as crude oil forecasts are concerned. Back in 2015 the view that crude oil demand could peak during the 2020s or 2030s was still met with disbelief (and some ridicule…). Economic growth had been pushing crude oil demand up ever year for decades already, so why would things become different, so the reasoning went. Today, however, essentially all major energy forecasters, including BP, Shell, Total, DNV-GL, the IEA and even OPEC, have come round and acknowledge Peak Oil Demand as a realistic possibility. read more

Shell adopts new commercialisation and generation structure in Brazil

October 7 (Renewables Now) – Oil and gas major Royal Dutch Shell Plc (AMS:RDSA) has adopted a new structure in Commercialisation and Electric Generation in Brazil.

Shell Brasil will follow a business strategy that focuses on the generation and storage of renewable energies and natural gas, as well as on the commercialisation and optimisation, and sales to end consumers of company-branded integrated energy solutions. The director of New Energies of Shell Brasil, Guilherme Perdigao Nascimento, will lead this business. read more

Shell Energy has launched a new Solar Storage tariff as part of its partnership with German battery storage system manufacturer sonnen.

Customers with solar panels installed on their homes will be able to earn solar credits in the summer, when they are generating excess power that can be exported to the grid. These credits can then be used come winter to save money on bills.

In the UK, a home will typically use about 30% of the electricity produced by their solar panels, but by combining it with a sonnenBatterie this can grow to 75% of their annual energy produced. Adding Shell’s new tariff increases this even further the company stated. read more

Big Oil’s Long Bet on Hydrogen Offers a Climate Lifeline

(Bloomberg) — On particularly cold winter days, the vast majority of the U.K.’s energy comes from burning natural gas. That arrangement will have to change radically–and soon–if the country is to hit its legally mandated target of net-zero emissions by 2050. As other countries adopt similar targets to align with the Paris climate agreement, they too will have to find an alternative to natural gas. That leaves fossil fuel companies with a ticking clock.

Hydrogen burns cleanly, leaving only water behind. That’s made it an attractive alternative fuel source–not just for governments looking to satisfy climate mandates, but also for oil companies trying to ensure their continued relevance. Oil-and-gas majors such as Shell, Equinor, and BP have spent tens of millions of dollars on pilot projects. Now in the face of record-low oil prices, frozen international travel, and growing shareholder unease over greenhouse gas emissions, investing in hydrogen has taken on a new urgency. read more

Wells Fargo and Shell join in solar deal

By Steven Mufson: June 23, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. GMT+1

Wells Fargo will buy 150 megawatts of solar power from Shell Energy, a move that demonstrates widening corporate interest in renewable energy even among some of the strongest supporters of fossil fuels.

The deal is modest: Wells Fargo says the 150 megawatts, purchased from three locations in Virginia and one in California, would meet about 8 percent of its global energy needs.

But it carries symbolic value. Wells Fargo, the second-biggest lender to fossil fuel companies over the past four years, is buying carbon-free electricity from Shell, a company that’s been in the oil business since the 1880s. The deal also shows the appeal of solar projects even in the midst of the punishing economic downturn brought on by the novel coronavirus pandemic. read more

Electric Car Charging Stations Are Finally About to Take Off

(Bloomberg) — The electric vehicle sector has been stuck for years with a chicken-and-egg problem. Until there were extensive networks of public charging stations, a critical mass of people would never feel comfortable driving EVs–but until a critical mass of people were driving EVs, there was no sense in investing in extensive networks of public charging stations.

It may be the coronavirus pandemic that finally breaks the stalemate. BloombergNEF’s latest Long-Term Electric Vehicle Outlook predicts that EVs sales will experience a smaller dip than traditional auto sales as a result of the broader economic squeeze, and that they’ll bounce back more quickly once the market recovers. EVs and the infrastructure needed to charge them have also been a part of many of the stimulus packages announced by European and Asian governments. Just in the past few weeks, Germany included chargers in its €2.5 billion proposed economic package, and the European Union announced that it’s aiming to have 1 million public chargers by 2025, from fewer than 200,000 today. read more

Shell and Total join UK floating offshore wind syndicate

By David McPhee: 22/06/2020

North Sea oil giants Shell and Total have joined a UK floating offshore wind consortium created to drive forward the technology.

The oil firms will work alongside offshore wind developers EDF Renewables, EDP Renewables, Equinor, ESB, Mainstream Renewable Power, ScottishPower Renewables and SSE Renewables as part of Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s national Floating Offshore Wind Centre of Excellence (FOWCoE). read more

Shell looks to Brazil solar power sales from farms that are due online in 2023

Luciano Costa: JUNE 9, 2020

BRASILIA (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell PLC is ready to start negotiating with potential clients the sale of future solar power on Brazil’s free energy market from its first farms due to start operating in 2023, Shell’s solar business development manager for Latin America said.

In a telephone interview on Monday, Maria Gabriela da Rocha said the startup date would depend on the negotiations and was part of Shell’s strategy to move into renewable energy, betting on industries’ increasingly wanting to sign long-term clean energy contracts. read more

Shell boss ‘bothered’ by depiction of firm as ‘unwelcome player’ in energy transition

Royal Dutch Shell Plc had been turning out about 2.7 million barrels of oil each day until the novel coronavirus took hold of the world.

By Bloomberg: 09/06/2020

Demand for oil, the company’s core product, dropped almost a third in April, and the price of West Texas Intermediate briefly dipped into negative numbers for the first time.

It’s not easy to run an oil major when people suddenly stop needing oil.

Chief Executive Officer Ben van Beurden responded by slashing spending and cutting Shell’s dividend for the first time since World War II. read more

Nature based solutions: Shell Energy debuts new ‘carbon neutral’ tariffs

Energy giant launches new carbon offset tariffs, as polling shows majority of public think lockdown has made them more aware of climate impacts

James S Murray: 03 June 2020

Shell Energy Retail has this week launched two new ‘carbon neutral’ energy tariffs for British households, combining its existing 100 per cent renewable power offer with a promise to offset emissions from heating and cooking through investment in nature-based projects. read more

AMSTERDAM, May 7 (Reuters) – Shell Netherlands said on Thursday it bid in a tender last week to build a 760 MW wind farm off the Dutch coast, and it hopes to couple it with a large new hydrogen plant it would build in Rotterdam.

The Dutch subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell said it had entered a bid in the Hollandse Kust Noord tender, together with a subsidiary of Japan’s Mitsubishi.

Other known bidders in the tender, the latest in a series of such auctions by the Dutch government, include Orsted of Denmark. read more

Shadia Nasralla

LONDON, April 30 (Reuters) – The ongoing transition to low-carbon energy sources may accelerate as economies recover from the impact of the coronavirus crisis, the head of oil and gas company Royal Dutch Shell said on Thursday.

Chief Executive Ben van Beurden said while Shell was not ringfencing its low-carbon Integrated Gas and New Energies division from spending cuts to weather the crisis, those businesses would be shielded from the worst of the reductions.

“Where possible, we try to spare (New Energies) a little bit and that is basically because we still believe that there is an energy transition underway which may even pick up speed in the recovery phase of this crisis and we want to be well positioned for it,” he said after Shell announced first-quarter results. read more

Royal Dutch Shell Plc plans to eliminate all net emissions from its own operations and the bulk of greenhouse gases from fuel it sells to customers by 2050.

The energy giant is following in the footsteps of its peers BP Plc and Repsol SA, which have already set similar targets. Shell’s move indicates that, despite the turmoil caused in the industry by the coronavirus, major oil and gas companies aren’t abandoning the transition to cleaner energy. read more

LONDON: Shell Energy Europe Limited, the energy marketing and trading division of Royal Dutch Shell has agreed a multi-year supply deal for power from a battery storage project in southwest England, the company said on Monday.

The 100-megawatt (MW) powerstorage project is backed by China Huaneng Group and Chinese sovereign wealth fund CNIC, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.

The two 50-MW batteries will enable Shell Energy Europe and its subsidiary Limejump to use renewable power in the area, the firm said. read more

by Allister Thomas: 04/03/2020, 6:00 am

Bringing about the energy transition needs to make “economic sense” and be socially and environmentally sustainable, according to Shell’s chief technology officer.

Yuri Sebregts, the top scientist for the energy giant, said long-term solutions need to be “investible” and the move to a lower-carbon energy system “cannot happen based entirely on goodwill-funded developments”.

The Shell boss, speaking to EV at the Baker Hughes conference in Florence last month, said Shell’s near-term goals are to invest $2-3 billion annually on development of low-carbon technologies which could make an 8-12% return on investment and later be scaled up. read more

Monday February 17 2020, The Times

Royal Dutch Shell has thrown its weight behind a Chinese-backed energy storage venture building what is claimed to be Europe’s largest battery in Wiltshire.

The Anglo-Dutch energy group will use a 100-megawatt battery near the village of Minety to provide back-up electricity to the National Grid when supplies of wind and solar power dip. The battery can be charged when electricity is cheap and then discharged at peak times when prices are high.

The project has been bankrolled by CNIC, the Chinese investment fund, and China Huaneng Group, a state utility company that is also constructing the battery. read more

• Shell Australia describes the facility as its “first large-scale solar farm”.
• Queensland chosen as the project’s location because of reliable sunshine.

Shell Australia is set to construct and operate a solar farm made up of around 400,000 photovoltaic panels in the state of Queensland.

In an announcement Friday, Shell Australia described the facility as its “first large-scale solar farm” and said it would have a capacity of 120 megawatts.

Work on the project is set to finish in 2021, with Shell Australia saying up to 200 new jobs will be created during the construction phase.

Queensland was chosen as the project’s location because it had “some of the most reliable sunshine in the world”, the company added. The solar farm will help to power operations at the QGC onshore natural gas project and cut carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 300,000 tonnes a year. read more

Royal Dutch Shell Plc will build its first large-scale solar farm as part of its plan to expand into power generation.

Shell, which has set itself a goal to become the world’s top electricity producer by 2030, expects to complete the plant in Queensland, Australia, early next year. The facility will indirectly supply the company’s QGC liquefied natural gas export facility, reducing that project’s carbon footprint.

“Solar is one of the building blocks of Shell’s power strategy,” said Greg Joiner, Vice-President for Shell Energy in Australia. “We are increasingly incorporating renewable energy into customer offers, as we have done here for QGC.” read more

ROYAL Dutch Shell boss Ben van Beurden has said he sees no reason for the oil giant to curb investment in the North Sea amid concern about climate change insisting it has a key role to play in tackling the problem.

The Anglo-Dutch firm has come under attack from climate change campaigners who have disrupted operations off Scotland and blockaded the company’s North Sea headquarters in Aberdeen.

The company reckons it can support the development of clean energy systems while helping reduce emissions associated with the production and consumption of oil and gas that will be required to meet the needs of consumers and industry. read more

Research into the geothermal port of Rotterdam is entering the next phase, as reported by the Port of Rotterdam Authority.

Shell Geothermal BV and the Port of Rotterdam Authority are jointly investigating the options for geothermal energy in the western part of the port of Rotterdam. The two companies have received an exploration permit from the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

In recent years, the subsurface has been well mapped out, partly as part of the UDG green deal. Obtaining the exploration permit means that Shell and the Port Authority will have time in the coming years to further develop their plan with the aim of developing geothermal heat projects in the western part of the port. Over the next two years, the emphasis will be on making agreements with potential geothermal energy buyers, working out the costs, determining a possible location for a test drilling and figuring out what the infrastructure can look like. It is also essential that geothermal heat can compete with energy from other sources. For the time being, doing a (test) drilling is not yet an issue. read more

At a service station just outside Gatwick, Royal Dutch Shell is experimenting with an alternative vision of the green motoring future. Beyond the main forecourt, where cars queue for petrol and diesel, lies another, smaller canopy that houses one of Britain’s first hydrogen refuelling pumps. While electric vehicles dominate the discussion about decarbonising transport, the term has become synonymous with batteries that must be plugged in and recharged.

Yet a significant number of heavyweight players — from carmakers such as Toyota, oil giants such as Shell and miners including Anglo American — are continuing to make a case for another type of electric vehicle, powered not by batteries but hydrogen. read more