ET Highlights: Shell ditches Rotterdam biofuels, low-priced Indian green ammonia, UK hydrogen gas blending

Energy transition highlights: Our editors and analysts bring together the biggest stories in the industry this week, from renewables to storage to carbon prices.

Top story

Shell abandons Rotterdam biofuels project after cost review

Shell has scrapped plans to complete its biofuels facility in Rotterdam, once billed as one of Europe's largest waste-to-fuel plants, citing high costs and weak competitiveness.

The decision announced on Sept. 3 follows a year-long suspension of construction, which began in 2022 but was paused in mid-2024 amid technical setbacks.

The project, located at Shell's Energy and Chemicals Park, was initially slated to produce up to 820,000 mt/year of advanced biofuels, about half of which would have been sustainable aviation fuel derived from waste oils and fats.

"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," said Machteld de Haan, Shell's president for downstream, renewables and energy solutions.

SPGlobal.com

Low-priced Indian renewable ammonia 'a meaningful signal': H2Global

Low prices unveiled at India’s renewable ammonia auctions could influence the global clean energy market, though they also bring to light the varying local factors that back price discovery, a spokesperson at the hydrogen derivative import scheme, H2Global Foundation said. India concluded 13 auctions for an aggregated 724,000 mt/year of renewable ammonia for domestic fertilizer firms on Aug. 29 at a weighted average price of Rupees 53.27/kg ($605/mt), compared with Eur1,000/mt ($1,088/mt) for the first H2Global ammonia contract for Germany.

California seeks to secure federal tax credits for green energy projects

California's governor has ordered state agencies to facilitate the permitting of clean energy projects in an effort to help developers qualify for federal tax credits that are being phased out in the US tax and spending legislation that President Donald Trump signed into law in July.

UK gas grid blending would derisk hydrogen projects: Statera

Statera Energy is awaiting a UK government decision on hydrogen blending into the natural gas grid that could unlock its 3-GW Kintore electrolysis project in Scotland, as the developer seeks to capitalize on power grid constraints and existing gas infrastructure to bring early hydrogen volumes to market. The company, which is focused on flexible energy generation and storage, views hydrogen blending as critical for de-risking large-scale projects, providing ready offtake for the variable output from renewables-powered electrolyzers, CEO Tom Vernon told Platts in an interview.

Platts Connect

Spanish EU hydrogen bank winner targets first production in 2028

Spanish renewable hydrogen developer DH2 Energy is planning first production from its 35-MW Hysencia plant in early 2028 -- one of the first winners of the EU’s inaugural European Hydrogen Bank subsidy auction. The company is targeting renewable hydrogen prices in the range of Eur5.50/kg ($6.40/kg), DH2 Energy General Director Marco Lopez-Brea told Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, in an email.

Trump offshore wind actions send 'shock waves' through clean energy investment

Even if the $5 billion Revolution Wind project under construction off Rhode Island manages to proceed through a political deal, the Trump administration's actions against offshore wind farms, even those in late stages of development, are injecting growing uncertainty into clean energy investment. Following an Aug. 22 stop-work order for Orsted S and Global Infrastructure Partners’ Revolution Wind project, which is 80% complete, industry experts have suggested any path to completion for the wind farm may require some type of deal with the Trump administration, similar to how a project in New York earned a green light.

Completing technology validation next step for liquid hydrogen: Kawasaki

The next steps for building a low-carbon or renewable liquid hydrogen transport system involve technology validation and demonstration trials prior to the fuel's establishment as a commercial product, a spokesperson at Kawasaki Heavy Industries told Platts. Japan Suiso Energy, a joint venture formed by Kawasaki and other partners, was established to commercialize the liquefied hydrogen supply chain -- including infrastructure for production, storage and transport -- in support of Japan’s vision of becoming a "hydrogen society."