Shell Shelves Rotterdam Biofuels Plant, Prioritizes Competitive Edge

Shell plc’s SHEL subsidiary, Shell Nederland Raffinaderij B.V., has scrapped its plan to restart construction of a biofuels facility at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park in Rotterdam.

Balancing Customers’ Needs & Shareholder Value

The company representatives stated that the decision was based on a detailed evaluation of market dynamics and project costs, and ultimately concluded that the project was not commercially viable as it would not supply affordable, low-carbon products to customers. Shell further emphasized the importance of channelling its capital into ventures that balance customer needs for affordable, low-carbon products that can provide adequate shareholder returns.

An Insight Into Shell’s Rotterdam Biofuels Project

Shell’s Rotterdam biofuels project achieved its final investment decision in September 2021 to produce 820,000 metric tons of biofuels per year, with construction scheduled to begin in the following year. The biorefinery was initially slated to start operations in 2024. However, the company announced a pause in construction to reassess delivery and competitiveness amid challenging market conditions.

Shell’s Broader Low-Carbon Strategy

Despite shelving the Rotterdam project, Shell remains committed to low-carbon energy and continues to play a leading role in this sector by positioning itself as one of the world’s largest traders and suppliers of biofuels, including Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Between 2023 and 2024, the company invested $8 billion in power, carbon capture and storage (CCS), hydrogen and low-carbon fuels. In 2024 alone, it traded over 10 billion liters of low-carbon fuels and expanded its role as a leading supplier of SAF.

Most recently, Shell announced the successful injection and storage of the first volumes of CO2 under the Northern Lights CCS project in Norway.

The Netherlands Remains Central to Shell’s Transition

Despite the project’s cancellation, the Netherlands continues to play a pivotal role in Shell’s energy transition strategy. Investments of €6.5 billion have gone into initiatives such as the Porthos CCS project, Holland Hydrogen 1 and electrification at Shell Chemicals Park Moerdijk. These efforts highlight Shell’s intent to remain a key player in advancing both traditional and renewable energy systems.

SHEL’s Zacks Rank & Key Picks

London-based Shell is one of the primary oil supermajors, a group of U.S. and Europe-based big energy multinationals with operations that span almost every corner of the globe. Currently, SHEL has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Investors interested in the energy sector might look at some better-ranked stocks like Repsol, S.A. REPYY, Antero Midstream Corporation AM and Enbridge Inc. ENB. While Repsol sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present, Antero Midstream and Enbridge carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) each. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Repsol explores, develops and produces crude oil products and natural gas, transports petroleum products and liquified petroleum gas and refines petroleum. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for REPYY’s current quarter earnings indicates 47.9% year-over-year growth.

Denver, CO-based Antero Midstream is a leading provider of integrated and customized midstream services. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AM’s 2025 earnings indicates 20.5% year-over-year growth.

Calgary, Alberta-based Enbridge is a leading energy infrastructure company engaged in the transportation of energy through the most extensive and advanced crude and liquids pipeline system. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ENB’s 2025 earnings indicates 9.5% year-over-year growth.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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