Levensduurverlenging van 5 jaar voor eerste offshore windpark in Nederland
Shell NoordzeeWind blijft bijna vijf jaar langer dan aanvankelijk gepland duurzame stroom leveren aan het Nederlandse elektriciteitsnet. Het windpark, dat in 2007 voor de kust van Egmond aan Zee is gebouwd, verkeert in uitstekende technische staat en heeft van de Nederlandse overheid de benodigde vergunningen gekregen om tot en met 2031 door te mogen gaan.
For English, please click here or scroll down
“Na zorgvuldige evaluatie of het windpark technisch en ecologisch voldoet, ben ik blij dat het mogelijk is gebleken om de levensduur met een aantal jaar te verlengen. Daarmee blijft dit windpark langer groene stroom leveren aan het Nederlandse elektriciteitsnet en daarmee bijdragen aan de verduurzaming en energieonafhankelijkheid van Nederland”, zegt Marc Hoenders, directeur Realisatie energietransitie bij het Ministerie van Klimaat en groene groei.
PPA met Google
De operationele levensduur van NoordzeeWind wordt verlengd dankzij de innovatieve aanpak van Shell en een corporate Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) met Google. Voor Shells deel is dat investeren in technische upgrades, vergunningen verlengen en operationele contracten verlengen. Voor Google is dat de overeenkomst om de 108 megawatt groene stroom van het windpark te kopen, de eerste keer dat een corporate PPA de economische levensduurverlenging van een offshore windpark mogelijk maakt.
Will Conkling, directeur Energy Commercial Structuring bij Google: "We hebben een ambitieus doel om elke Google-campus elk uur van de dag op schone elektriciteit te laten werken, inclusief onze activiteiten in Nederland, kantoren en datacenters. We zijn verheugd over deze samenwerking met Shell om onze Nederlandse activiteiten te ondersteunen met betaalbare, schone energie en om de economische impact in Nederland te blijven behouden."
Lessen van het pionieren met wind op zee
"Shell heeft met NoordzeeWind niet alleen laten zien dat windenergie op zee technisch en financieel haalbaar is, we hebben ook veel geleerd. En die lessen passen we toe op onze andere drie windparken in het Nederlandse deel van de Noordzee", zegt president-directeur Frans Everts van Shell Nederland. Daar komt nog meer bij. "Aan het einde van de levensduur van het windpark laten we zien hoe we het materiaal zoveel mogelijk kunnen ontmantelen en hergebruiken."
Shell NoordzeeWind was aanvankelijk een joint venture van Shell en Nuon, later Vattenfall. In maart 2021 nam Shell alle aandelen over en werd daarmee de enige eigenaar van NoordzeeWind. Het windpark, met 36 windturbines verspreid over 27 vierkante kilometer (10,4 vierkante mijl) en ligt 10 tot 18 kilometer (6 tot 11 mijl) uit de kust en is bij helder weer zichtbaar vanaf het strand.
Grondige technische controle en ecologische impact
Om de verlenging van de activiteiten met in totaal vier jaar en acht maanden te ondersteunen, onderging het windpark een grondige technische controle door het onafhankelijke certificeringsbedrijf DNV. Shell zal de komende jaren rekening blijven houden met de ecologische impact van het windpark, waaronder het stilleggen van turbines tijdens de vogeltrek.
Shell en windenergie
Shell heeft op de Noordzee, met partners, drie windparken. De bouw van het vierde is in voorbereiding. Daarnaast heeft Shell op land een gecombineerd wind- en zonnepark bij Emmen.
In 2024 werd een van de drie exportkabels, de kabels die de stroom van het windpark naar land brengen, van NoordzeeWind gerepareerd. In de video van een minuut een korte impressie van deze reparatie en de mensen erachter.
Cautionary note
Cautionary note
The companies in which Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this announcement “Shell”, “Shell Group” and “Group” are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. ‘‘Subsidiaries’’, “Shell subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this announcement refer to entities over which Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. The term “joint venture”, “joint operations”, “joint arrangements”, and “associates” may also be used to refer to a commercial arrangement in which Shell has a direct or indirect ownership interest with one or more parties. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest.
Forward-looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Shell to market risks and statements expressing management’s expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “aim”; “ambition”; ‘‘anticipate’’; ‘‘believe’’; “commit”; “commitment”; ‘‘could’’; ‘‘estimate’’; ‘‘expect’’; ‘‘goals’’; ‘‘intend’’; ‘‘may’’; “milestones”; ‘‘objectives’’; ‘‘outlook’’; ‘‘plan’’; ‘‘probably’’; ‘‘project’’; ‘‘risks’’; “schedule”; ‘‘seek’’; ‘‘should’’; ‘‘target’’; ‘‘will’’; “would” and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this announcement, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell’s products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, judicial, fiscal and regulatory developments including regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; (m) risks associated with the impact of pandemics, such as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, regional conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, and a significant cybersecurity breach; and (n) changes in trading conditions. No assurance is provided that future dividend payments will match or exceed previous dividend payments. All forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Shell plc’s Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 (available at www.shell.com/investors/news-and-filings/sec-filings.html and www.sec.gov). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this announcement and should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this announcement, May 6, 2025. Neither Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement.
Shell’s Net Carbon Intensity
Also, in this announcement we may refer to Shell’s “Net Carbon Intensity” (NCI), which includes Shell’s carbon emissions from the production of our energy products, our suppliers’ carbon emissions in supplying energy for that production and our customers’ carbon emissions associated with their use of the energy products we sell. Shell’s NCI also includes the emissions associated with the production and use of energy products produced by others which Shell purchases for resale. Shell only controls its own emissions. The use of the terms Shell’s “Net Carbon Intensity” or NCI are for convenience only and not intended to suggest these emissions are those of Shell plc or its subsidiaries.
Shell’s net-zero emissions target
Shell’s operating plan, outlook and budgets are forecasted for a ten-year period and are updated every year. They reflect the current economic environment and what we can reasonably expect to see over the next ten years. Accordingly, they reflect our Scope 1, Scope 2 and NCI targets over the next ten years. However, Shell’s operating plans cannot reflect our 2050 net-zero emissions target, as this target is currently outside our planning period. In the future, as society moves towards net-zero emissions, we expect Shell’s operating plans to reflect this movement. However, if society is not net zero in 2050, as of today, there would be significant risk that Shell may not meet this target.
Forward-looking non-GAAP measures
This announcement may contain certain forward-looking non-GAAP measures such as cash capital expenditure and divestments. We are unable to provide a reconciliation of these forward-looking non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures because certain information needed to reconcile those non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures is dependent on future events some of which are outside the control of Shell, such as oil and gas prices, interest rates and exchange rates. Moreover, estimating such GAAP measures with the required precision necessary to provide a meaningful reconciliation is extremely difficult and could not be accomplished without unreasonable effort. Non-GAAP measures in respect of future periods which cannot be reconciled to the most comparable GAAP financial measure are calculated in a manner which is consistent with the accounting policies applied in Shell plc’s consolidated financial statements.
The contents of websites referred to in this announcement do not form part of this announcement.
We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this announcement that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov
Shell’s innovative approach and new agreement with Google enable lifetime extension of the Netherlands' first offshore wind farm
6 May 2025
Shell NoordzeeWind will continue supplying renewable power to the Dutch electricity grid for almost five years longer than initially planned. Built in 2007 off the coast of Egmond aan Zee, the wind farm is in excellent technical condition and has received the permits needed from the Dutch government to operate until 2031. This extension is a testament to Shell's technical and financial expertise.
"After careful evaluation of whether the wind farm is technically and ecologically compliant, I am pleased that it has been possible to extend the service life by a number of years. As a result, this wind farm will continue to supply renewable electricity to the Dutch power grid for a longer period of time and thus contribute to the sustainability and energy independence of the Netherlands," says Marc Hoenders, Director of Energy Transition Realisation at the Dutch Ministry of Climate and Green Growth.
PPA with Google
NoordzeeWind’s operational lifespan will be extended thanks to Shell's innovative approach and a groundbreaking corporate Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Google. Shell's commitment to invest in technical upgrades, renew permits, and extend operational contracts was made possible by a first-of-a-kind agreement with Google purchasing 108 megawatts of green electricity from the wind farm. This marks the first time a corporate PPA has facilitated the life extension of an offshore wind farm.
Will Conkling, Director, Energy Commercial Structuring at Google said: “We have an ambitious goal to operate every Google campus on clean electricity every hour of every day, which includes our operations in The Netherlands, offices and data centers. We’re excited for this collaboration with Shell to support our Dutch operations with affordable, clean energy and drive continued economic impact in The Netherlands.”
Lessons learned from pioneering offshore wind farm
"With NoordzeeWind, Shell has not only demonstrated that offshore wind power is technically and financially feasible, we have also learned a lot. And we are applying those lessons learned to our other three wind farms in the Dutch part of the North Sea," says Shell Netherlands’ President Director Frans Everts. And there is more to come: "At the end of the wind farm’s life, we will show how to decommission and reuse the material as much as possible."
Shell NoordzeeWind was initially a joint venture of Shell and Nuon, later Vattenfall. In March 2021, Shell acquired all shares, becoming the sole owner of NoordzeeWind. The wind farm, with 36 wind turbines spread over 27 square kilometers (10.4 sq mi) and is located 10 to 18 kilometers (6 to 11 miles) off the coast and is visible from the beach in clear weather.
Thorough technical check and ecological impact
To support the extension of operations for a total of four years and eight months, the wind farm underwent a thorough technical check by the independent certification company DNV. During the additional years, Shell will continue to consider the ecological impact of the wind farm, including shutting down turbines during bird migration.
In 2024, one of NoordzeeWind's three export cables, the cables that transport electricity from the wind farm to land, was repaired. In the one-minute video a short impression of this repair and the people behind it.
Cautionary note
Cautionary note
The companies in which Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this announcement “Shell”, “Shell Group” and “Group” are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. ‘‘Subsidiaries’’, “Shell subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this announcement refer to entities over which Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. The term “joint venture”, “joint operations”, “joint arrangements”, and “associates” may also be used to refer to a commercial arrangement in which Shell has a direct or indirect ownership interest with one or more parties. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest.
Forward-looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Shell to market risks and statements expressing management’s expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “aim”; “ambition”; ‘‘anticipate’’; ‘‘believe’’; “commit”; “commitment”; ‘‘could’’; ‘‘estimate’’; ‘‘expect’’; ‘‘goals’’; ‘‘intend’’; ‘‘may’’; “milestones”; ‘‘objectives’’; ‘‘outlook’’; ‘‘plan’’; ‘‘probably’’; ‘‘project’’; ‘‘risks’’; “schedule”; ‘‘seek’’; ‘‘should’’; ‘‘target’’; ‘‘will’’; “would” and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this announcement, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell’s products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, judicial, fiscal and regulatory developments including regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; (m) risks associated with the impact of pandemics, such as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, regional conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, and a significant cybersecurity breach; and (n) changes in trading conditions. No assurance is provided that future dividend payments will match or exceed previous dividend payments. All forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Shell plc’s Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 (available at www.shell.com/investors/news-and-filings/sec-filings.html and www.sec.gov). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this announcement and should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this announcement, May 6, 2025. Neither Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement.
Shell’s Net Carbon Intensity
Also, in this announcement we may refer to Shell’s “Net Carbon Intensity” (NCI), which includes Shell’s carbon emissions from the production of our energy products, our suppliers’ carbon emissions in supplying energy for that production and our customers’ carbon emissions associated with their use of the energy products we sell. Shell’s NCI also includes the emissions associated with the production and use of energy products produced by others which Shell purchases for resale. Shell only controls its own emissions. The use of the terms Shell’s “Net Carbon Intensity” or NCI are for convenience only and not intended to suggest these emissions are those of Shell plc or its subsidiaries.
Shell’s net-zero emissions target
Shell’s operating plan, outlook and budgets are forecasted for a ten-year period and are updated every year. They reflect the current economic environment and what we can reasonably expect to see over the next ten years. Accordingly, they reflect our Scope 1, Scope 2 and NCI targets over the next ten years. However, Shell’s operating plans cannot reflect our 2050 net-zero emissions target, as this target is currently outside our planning period. In the future, as society moves towards net-zero emissions, we expect Shell’s operating plans to reflect this movement. However, if society is not net zero in 2050, as of today, there would be significant risk that Shell may not meet this target.
Forward-looking non-GAAP measures
This announcement may contain certain forward-looking non-GAAP measures such as cash capital expenditure and divestments. We are unable to provide a reconciliation of these forward-looking non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures because certain information needed to reconcile those non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures is dependent on future events some of which are outside the control of Shell, such as oil and gas prices, interest rates and exchange rates. Moreover, estimating such GAAP measures with the required precision necessary to provide a meaningful reconciliation is extremely difficult and could not be accomplished without unreasonable effort. Non-GAAP measures in respect of future periods which cannot be reconciled to the most comparable GAAP financial measure are calculated in a manner which is consistent with the accounting policies applied in Shell plc’s consolidated financial statements.
The contents of websites referred to in this announcement do not form part of this announcement.
We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this announcement that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov