Shell Acquires Nature Energy to Accelerate Sustainability Drive

By Adedapo Adesanya

As part of efforts to drive its play into the alternative energy space, Shell Petroleum NV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell plc (Shell), has completed the acquisition of 100 per cent of the shares of Nature Energy Biogas A/S (Nature Energy).

By purchasing the shares in Nature Energy, Shell has acquired the largest producer of renewable natural gas (RNG) in Europe.

These include its portfolio of operating plants, associated feedstock supply and infrastructure, its pipeline of growth projects, and its in-house expertise in the design, construction, and operation of innovative and differentiated RNG plant technology.

This acquisition supports Shell’s ambitions to build an integrated RNG value chain at a global scale and to profitably grow its low-carbon offerings to customers across multiple sectors.

Nature Energy is a cash-generative business, and the acquisition is expected to be accretive to Shell’s earnings from completion and to deliver double-digit returns.

Shell will generate additional value in our unsurpassed customer access and global scale in our trading and supply chain positions.

Nature Energy will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shell, initially under its existing brand.

It was founded in 1979 as a natural gas distributor and established its first biogas plant in Denmark in 2015 and now has 14 operating plants with associated infrastructure, feedstock arrangements, and 2022 production of around 6.5 mln MMBtu/yr (3,000 boe/d¹).

Shell has a target to be a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050. This means net-zero carbon emissions from its operations (Scope 1 and 2 emissions) and also net zero from the end use of all the energy products we sell (Scope 3 emissions).

In October 2021, the company set an additional target to reduce Scope 1 and 2 absolute emissions on a net basis under operational control by 50 per cent by 2030, compared to 2016 levels.