. Completes acquisition of Nigeria’s Daystar Power
. Acquires Green Tie Capital in Spain
Shell and Eneco have won the tender to build an offshore wind farm at Hollandse Kust (west) lot VI. The project will have an installed capacity of approximately 760 MW and will be located approximately 53 kilometres off the Dutch coast from the town of IJmuiden.
The new wind farm will be delivered through a joint venture called Ecowende, and is due to be operational in 2026. Shell and Eneco have already taken the final investment decision for the wind farm.
The Director, Integrated Gas, Renewables and Energy Solutions at Shell, Wael Sawan, said: “With Ecowende, we will take a huge step in growing our offshore wind portfolio while making a positive contribution to biodiversity.
“Through this project, we can profitably accelerate the large-scale roll-out of offshore wind in the Netherlands and beyond. This fits well with Shell’s Powering Progress strategy to deliver more and cleaner energy to our customers, at home, on the road and at work.”
Chief Strategic Growth Officer at Eneco, Kees-Jan Rameau, said: “Together with Shell, we were at the forefront of the development of offshore wind in the Netherlands. We gained a lot of knowledge, also in the area of ecology, and reported on this. This has contributed to the further development of offshore wind in recent years.
“It is great that we are now moving into a new phase with Ecowende, with nature as the starting point. This is entirely in line with our ambition to live and act within the natural limits of the planet.”
Ecowende aims to set a new ecological benchmark for the development and construction of wind farms in the North Sea and to enable offshore wind farms to have a net positive impact on nature in the future.
The design of the wind farm takes account of the natural environment through measures such as: placing wind turbines a greater distance apart to create a corridor for birds to fly through; using innovative foundation techniques that keep the impact on marine mammals and marine life to a minimum; and placing natural reef structures on the seabed to boost biodiversity.
More details on the investments, innovations and research programmes will be announced at a later stage.
This fits well with Shell’s Powering Progress strategy to deliver more and cleaner energy to our customers, at home, on the road and at work.
Daystar Power acquisition
Meanwhile, Shell Overseas International B.V. (SOI B.V.), a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell Plc (Shell), has completed the acquisition of Daystar Power Group (Daystar).
As a provider of integrated solar power solutions, Daystar brings reliable energy to businesses in West Africa, helping customers reduce power costs and pollution.
Sub-Saharan Africa has abundant potential as a solar market, and the customer base Shell acquires through this deal will provide a firm foundation for potential growth.
Green Tie Capital
In a related development, Shell New Energies Holding Europe BV, also announced it has acquired Green Tie Capital’s (GTC) platform of 10 medium mature solar energy projects across Spain, with potential for two gigawatts of solar power generation capacity.
Shell Spain Country Chair, Óscar Fernández, said: “Shell’s Group strategy is to be a leading player in the energy transition, in the markets in which it operates. With this acquisition we seek not only to increase the portfolio of renewable energy generation assets in the short term, but establish the capability to grow our renewable business in Spain further.”
“We are very happy to complete this important transaction, and hand over the stewardship to Shell,” CEO of GTC, Alvaro Garcia Borbolla, said: “We will continue investing in opportunities based on technology and the environment to add value to our society.”
Spain is one of Europe’s biggest solar power markets, and solar is the fastest growing and lowest cost renewable electricity source available today.