03 Sep 2025 —Shell Nederland Raffinaderij B.V., a subsidiary of Shell plc, has decided not to restart construction of its planned biofuels facility at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park in Rotterdam, which began in 2022. Following an in-depth commercial and technical evaluation to reassess the project's competitiveness, Shell will no longer proceed with the project.
Machteld de Haan, Shell’s Downstream, Renewables and Energy Solutions President, said: “As we evaluated market dynamics and the cost of completion, it became clear that the project would be insufficiently competitive to meet our customers’ need for affordable, low carbon products. This was a difficult decision, but the right one, as we prioritise our capital towards those projects that deliver both the needs of our customers and value for our shareholders”
“We continue to believe that low carbon molecules, including biofuels, will underpin the future energy system. Shell is at the forefront of this industry and its development as one of the world's largest traders and suppliers of biofuels, including Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF),” said De Haan.
Shell is taking action to be the investment case and partner of choice through the energy transition. Between 2023 and 2024, Shell has invested U.S.$8 billion in lower carbon options, including power, carbon capture and storage (CCS), hydrogen and low-carbon fuels. In 2024, Shell traded over 10 billion litres of low carbon fuels and sold 10 times more than we produced. In the same year, Shell became one of the world’s leading suppliers of SAF.
The Netherlands remains a key location for Shell, where our businesses span the breadth of its energy system - from upstream production of oil and gas through to our network of retail sites. In recent years, Shell has invested €6.5 billion across a wide range of energy transition projects in the Netherlands. This includes enabling CO2 storage through the Porthos CCS project, developing renewable hydrogen at Holland Hydrogen 1, and installing new furnaces and the electrification of key manufacturing processes at Shell Chemicals Park Moerdijk.
Notes to editors
In 2024, Shell became one of the world’s largest traders and suppliers of sustainable aviation fuel with close to 20 percent of the total sales in North America and Europe.
Shell is partnering with Accenture and American Express GBT to develop the open blockchain-enabled Avelia platform that is helping to support the supply and demand for SAF. As of 31 March 2025, more than 57 corporations and airlines have made transactions through Avelia with over 33 million gallons of SAF injected into the existing fuel network.
Shell is delivering some of the lowest carbon intensity biofuels available today including bioethanol through its Raizen joint venture in Brazil (Shell interest 44%).
In 2022, Shell acquired waste recycling company EcoOils which produces advanced biofuels feedstock at its facilities in Malaysia and Indonesia. EcoOils deploys cutting-edge recycling technology to divert waste away from landfill and produce Spent Bleaching Earth Oil (SBEO) and Refined Palm Oil Mill Effluent (R-POME), both internationally recognised and accredited feedstocks.
Shell acquired Nature Energy in 2023 and today has 14 biogas plants in Europe and a further 3 facilities in U.S.
Outside of the biofuels sector, Shell currently has one renewable hydrogen electrolyser in operation 10MW Refhyne 1 (Germany); and two renewable hydrogen electrolysers under-construction, 100MW Refhyne 2 (Germany) and 200MW Holland Hydrogen 1 (Netherlands) both due to start commissioning in 2026.
Shell also has more than 70,000 public EV charge points globally.
Shell is part of the Northern Lights CCS joint-venture the world’s first cross-border CO2 transport & storage facility in Norway, which completed its first CO2 injection in August.
Source: Shell
