Posts under ‘Bloomberg’

Bloomberg

Shell’s UK Unit Got £1.2 Billion This Year to Weather Energy Crisis

William Mathis, Bloomberg News: 8 Dec 2022

(Bloomberg) — Shell Plc gave its British retail energy arm roughly £1.2 billion ($1.5 billion) of financial backing this year to survive wild swings in natural gas and power prices.

UK energy retailers have been under extreme stress for more than a year as a supply crunch drove wholesale prices to record highs. Dozens failed in 2021 as costs soared and regulations prevented them from raising tariffs. Those that survived incurred hefty expenses taking on the customers of collapsed rivals. read more

Shell Buys Nature Energy in $2 Billion Push Into Biogas

Shell Plc will buy Nature Energy Biogas A/S from hedge fund Davidson Kempner Capital Management for nearly $2 billion as the oil major expands its transition from fossil fuels.

Bloomberg News: William Mathis:

Publishing date: Nov 28, 2022

(Bloomberg) — Shell Plc will buy Nature Energy Biogas A/S from hedge fund Davidson Kempner Capital Management for nearly $2 billion as the oil major expands its transition from fossil fuels.

Biogas is chemically the same as conventional natural gas, but is made from decomposing organic material like agricultural waste. It’s a platform primed for growth, with the US, through the Inflation Reduction Act, and the European Union both identifying the renewable fuel as a way to boost energy supplies and cut emissions in the coming years. read more

Bloomberg

Shell Seeks Acquisitions to Bolster Australia Power Presence

James Fernyhough: Thu, November 3, 2022 at 1:21 AM

(Bloomberg) — Shell Plc is targeting acquisitions in Australia in its bid to become an integrated energy provider.

The London-based oil major is looking for a “step change” in its Australian presence from electricity generation to retail, including building up “significant battery positions,” Greg Joiner, chief executive officer of Shell Energy Australia, said in an interview.

Shell, which last week reported its second-highest earnings on record, is one of Australia’s biggest liquefied natural gas exporters, but is seeking to diversify away from fossil fuels and become the world’s biggest power company. The company has already made a string of acquisitions in Australia in recent years, including generation company ERM Power Ltd., retailer Powershop, and a stake in windfarm developer WestWind Energy Development Pty. 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

Royal Dutch Shell Plc, which invested in Makani, said it’s exploring options to use Makani’s technology.

(Bloomberg) — Alphabet Inc. is shutting down Makani, a subsidiary working on wind energy, as Google’s parent company pares back its experimental technology in favor of its main internet business.

Makani was formed in 2006 to make flying kites that would harness wind power and, eventually, replace more expensive turbines. Google acquired the startup in 2013, placing the group inside its X lab with other “moonshots” like self-driving cars. Makani later became its own Alphabet unit. But the initiative suffered personnel problems and waning support from its parent company, which has pulled back on several green energy projects. read more