Shell to Acquire Energy Storage Firm Sonnen

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Shell has agreed to acquire 100% of Sonnen, a German-based smart-energy storage systems and energy-services firm for households. This agreement follows an investment by Shell in May 2018, as per PowerPulse.

After regulatory approval and completion of the transaction, Sonnen will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shell.

"Sonnen is one of the global leaders in smart, distributed energy storage systems and has a track record of customer-focused innovation. Full ownership of Sonnen will allow us to offer more choice to customers seeking reliable, affordable and cleaner energy," Mark Gainsborough, Executive Vice President New Energies at Shell, said. "Together, we can accelerate the building of a customer-focused energy system in support of Shell’s strategy to offer more and cleaner energy solutions to customers."

Christoph Ostermann, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Sonnen, said, "Shell New Energies is the perfect partner for helping us grow in a market that is expanding rapidly. With this investment, we’re excited to help more households to become energy independent and benefit from new opportunities in the energy market. Shell will help drive the growth of Sonnen to a new level and help speed up the transformation of the energy system."

Sonnen offers smart energy storage to customers and offers digital energy services via its sonnenCommunity platform. For example, the sonnenBatterie optimizes the use of solar power in a household and supplies energy at night using stored solar power generated in the daytime. Sonnen has been a pioneer in the energy market by combining its technology with new business models for a decentralized energy system.

Sonnen Battery Community allows customers that pay a monthly fee to have access to battery power from a pool of batteries. This service is only available in Germany so far.

Recently, Sonnen put Germany’s biggest virtual battery into operation. It is based on a network of home electricity storage systems across the country to help balance power supply and demand on the power grid. So, in addition to offering energy storage technology (the sonnenBatterie), its German customers can pay a monthly fee to be a member of a pool of energy storage batteries. In this way, users with solar or wind power can power their own homes and also sell power to others in the battery pool. So far, this service is only available in Germany.

The agreement is expected to accelerate the ability of the two companies to deliver innovative integrated energy services and electric vehicle charging solutions, and the provision of grid services that are based on Sonnen’s virtual battery pool.

The Shell-owned Sonnen subsidiary will work with the Shell New Energies division that the company established in 2016. The Shell New Energies division focuses on new fuels for transportation such as hydrogen and biofuels and power. In the power sector, Shell New Energies is involved in almost every stage of the process of generating, buying and selling, and supplying electricity to customers.

As MRC informed before, in May 2018, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) and Shell Nanhai B.V. (Shell) announced the official start-up of the second ethylene cracker at their Nanhai petrochemicals complex in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, China. Several linked derivative units have also started up and the remaining units will start up progressively over the next few weeks. These new units were constructed by CNOOC and are owned and operated by the existing CNOOC and Shell Petrochemical Company (CSPC) joint venture.

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), the largest offshore oil & gas producer in China. CNOOC businesses cover the main segments of oil & gas exploration and development, engineering & technical services, refining and marketing, natural gas and power generation, and financial services.

Royal Dutch Shell plc is an Anglo-Dutch multinational oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the biggest company in the world in terms of revenue and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors". Shell is vertically integrated and is active in every area of the oil and gas industry, including exploration and production, refining, distribution and marketing, petrochemicals, power generation and trading.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Predictive digital pioneer, Askelos, has secured funding from technology accelerator, the Oil and Gas Technology Centre (The OGTC), to advance research and development into digital twin technology for the oil and gas industry, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Developed for the operation of any large-scale asset, Akselos’ software will generate digital twins of pressure vessels in order to produce more accurate predictions for maintenance and inspection - including where and when repairs will be needed.

By combining this with robotics inspections, it will allow accurate validation of the structural integrity and fitness for service, making the repair process more efficient. Akselos estimates that the digital twin software could support a reduction in inspection and maintenance costs, as well as a 25% reduction in equipment downtime.

Combining this solution with robotic inspections could result in a 45% maintenance cost reduction and 25% reduction in equipment downtime. The project aligns with the OGTC’s Asset Integrity Solutions Centre, which is focused on accelerating technology solutions for improving process vessel inspection, increasing production by up to ?157million per year (at USD50/bbl oil price).

"The OGTC is of crucial importance to the future of the UKCS. This partnership will consolidate our efforts to bring value to the UK oil and gas industry with world-class emerging digital technology. We look forward to collaborating with the asset integrity team at the OGTC to address these significant challenges for operators," John Bell, VP of Akselos said.

"We are delighted to support Akselos with the development of this technology. Digital twin software will speed up data analysis, testing “what if” scenarios to optimize future inspection programmes and allow for improved shut down planning. Rebecca Allison, Asset Integrity Solution Centre Manager, the Oil & Gas Technology Centre added. “This approach ties in perfectly with the focus on robotics and automation, harnessing the power of data and technology to improve overall asset efficiency."

The project is due to commence immediately, and with data and outcomes made available when the project finishes in June.
MRC

MOSCW (MRC) -- In the Netherlands, a consortium of world-leading companies comprising Air Liquide, Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals), Enerkem and the Port of Rotterdam – has announced that Shell will join as a partner in Europe’s first advanced waste-to-chemicals facility in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, as per Biofuelsdigest.

Shell, Air Liquide, Nouryon, Enerkem– well, perhaps SANE is the right acronym, and there’s something right in that.

Shell will become an equal equity partner in the proposed commercial-scale waste-to-chemicals project, which will be the first of its kind in Europe to make valuable chemicals and biofuels out of non-recyclable waste materials.

The consortium, which has set up a dedicated joint venture company, has already undertaken extensive preparatory work, covering detailed engineering and the permitting process. It aims to take the final investment decision later in 2019 as it pursues the development work and finalizes the selection of an engineering and procurement contractor (EPC).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Hellenic Petroleum, Greece’s biggest oil refiner, said it is preparing its operations to adjust to tougher global marine fuel rules due in 2020, said Reuters.

UN agency the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will prohibit ships from using fuels with sulphur content above 0.5 percent from Jan. 1, 2020, compared with 3.5 percent today, unless they are equipped with exhaust gas cleaning systems.

Hellenic, which exports more than half of its output, said it had successfully tested U.S. crude oil at one of its three Greek refineries, but gave no further details of its plans.

It reported earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) adjusted for oil inventory holdings at 156 million euros (USD178 million) for the fourth quarter, an eight percent year-on-year drop but in line with analysts average forecast of 158 million euros in a Reuters poll.

Refining sales volumes rose 6 percent in October to December to 4 million tonnes.

Hellenic last year raised 284 million euros from the sale of a stake in Greek gas grid DESFA. The proceeds helped it reduce net debt by 19 percent last year to 1.5 billion euros.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Linde Group has signed a contract with Praxair Inc., to supply a hydrogen (H2) plant. The plant will be part of Praxair’s hydrogen system in Louisiana, said Gasworld.

The H2 plant will have a production capacity of over 190,000 Nm3/hr of high-purity hydrogen and will also generate steam.

"We are very pleased with this second major order from Praxair to supply a large hydrogen plant within a few months,” said Dr Chrisitan Bruch, Member of the Executive Board of Linde AG and responsible for the company’s plant engineering business.

Linde receives major order from Praxair to supply a hydrogen plant in the US. "Our well-founded and customer-oriented engineering solutions are the basis of this success," Bruch continued.

The order included the steam-methane reformer, designed and supplied by Linde subsidiary Selas Linde in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, the pressure swing adsorption unit, and the balance of the core plant.

Linde’s Engineering Division is responsible for the design and supply of the equipment for the core components of the hydrogen plant.

The new plant will be highly modularised with reliability and energy efficiency and is scheduled to come on stream in 2021.
MRC