Shell will not restart construction of Rotterdam biofuels plant

Shell Nederland Raffinaderij has announced it will halt construction of its planned biofuels facility at the Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam.
The project, which began three years ago by the subsidiary of Shell plc, was reassessed through a comprehensive commercial and technical review, leading to the decision to discontinue development.
Machteld de Haan, Shell’s president of downstream, renewables and energy solutions, said: “As we evaluated market dynamics and the cost of completion, it became clear that the project would not be sufficiently competitive to meet our customers’ need for affordable, low-carbon products. This was a difficult decision, but the right one, as we focus our capital on projects that deliver both value for shareholders and solutions for our customers. We remain committed to advancing low-carbon molecules, including biofuels, which will be essential to the future energy system.”
Shell continues to play a leading role in the global biofuels sector as one of the largest traders and suppliers of low-carbon fuels, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). In 2024 alone, Shell traded over 10 billion litres of low-carbon fuels — selling ten times more than it produced — and became one of the world’s top suppliers of SAF.
Between 2023 and 2024, Shell invested $8 billion (€6.9 billion) globally in lower-carbon solutions, including power, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and low-carbon fuels.