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New Chief to take the helm of Shell

By: Tom Russell 15/09/2022 Shell

General Windfarms

Shell plc (Shell) announced that Ben van Beurden will step down as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the end of 2022, and that his successor will be Wael Sawan. Wael’s appointment is effective January 1, 2023, when he will also join Shell’s Board of Directors. Ben van Beurden will continue working as adviser to the Board until June 30, 2023, after which he will leave the group.

Wael is currently the Director Integrated Gas, Renewables and Energy Solutions, and was previously the Director Upstream. He is based in The Hague and has been a member of Shell’s Executive Committee (EC) for three years. Prior to joining EC, he was the Executive Vice President Deepwater and a member of the Upstream Leadership Team, and Executive Vice President Qatar and a member of the Integrated Gas Leadership Team.

Shell’s Chair, Sir Andrew Mackenzie said: “Wael Sawan is an exceptional leader, with all the qualities needed to drive Shell safely and profitably through its next phase of transition and growth. His track record of commercial, operational and transformational success reflects not only his broad, deep experience and understanding of Shell and the energy sector, but also his strategic clarity. He combines these qualities with a passion for people, which enables him to get the best from those around him. The outcome of the Board’s managed succession process resulted both in the appointment of an outstanding CEO and proved the strength and depth of Shell’s leadership talent. I look forward to working with Wael as we accelerate the delivery of our strategy.”

Wael Sawan said: “It’s been a privilege to work alongside Ben and I’m honoured to take over the leadership of this great company from him. I’m looking forward to channelling the pioneering spirit and passion of our incredible people to rise to the immense challenges, and grasp the opportunities presented by the energy transition. We will be disciplined and value focused, as we work with our customers and partners to deliver the reliable, affordable and cleaner energy the world needs.”

Commenting on Ben van Beurden, Sir Andrew said: “Ben can look back with great pride on an extraordinary 39-year Shell career, culminating in nine years as an exceptional CEO. During the last decade, he has been in the vanguard for the transition of Shell to a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050 and has become a leading industry voice on some of the most important issues affecting society.

“He leaves a financially strong and profitable company with a robust balance sheet, very strong cash generation capability and a compelling set of options for growth. These were all enabled by bold moves he has led, including the 2016 acquisition of BG and the transformational $30 billion divestment of non-core assets that followed. He took firm, decisive action to marshal the company through the global pandemic, seizing the opportunity for a major reset to ensure we emerged fitter, stronger and equipped to succeed in the energy transition. Powering Progress, Shell’s detailed strategy to accelerate our profitable transition to a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050, was unveiled in February 2021 and was quickly followed by moves to simplify both our organisational and share structures. Ben’s legacy will frame Shell’s success for decades to come.”

Ben van Beurden said: “It has been a privilege and an honour to have served Shell for nearly four decades and to lead the company for the past nine years. In my journey from LNG design engineer to CEO, I have been fortunate to work alongside so many talented people from diverse backgrounds – all committed to the company’s goal of providing the world with the essential commodities of modern life. I am very proud of what we have achieved together. I have great confidence in Wael as my successor. He is a smart, principled and dynamic leader, who I know will continue to serve Shell with conviction and dedication. I wish him and his family all the best for the journey ahead.”

Shell is actively involved in the operation and development of several offshore wind farm projects worldwide. It has 15.3 GW of offshore in the funnel of potential projects across North America, Europe, the UK and Asia and is also investing into the development of floating wind technology.

The company is also investing in green hydrogen development. In July Shell Nederland B.V. and Shell Overseas Investments B.V., subsidiaries of Shell plc, tookthe final investment decision to build Holland Hydrogen I, which is poised to be one of Europe’s largest renewable hydrogen plants once operational in 2025. The 200MW electrolyser will be constructed on the Tweede Maasvlakte in the port of Rotterdam and will produce up to 60,000 kilograms of renewable hydrogen per day.

The renewable power for the electrolyser will come from the Hollandse Kust Noord wind farm which is expected to be operational by 2023 with an installed capacity of 759 MW. The wind farm is anticipated to generate at least 3.3 TWh per year. The wind farm will be located 18.5 km off the Dutch coast, near the town of Egmond aan Zee. Is it being developed subsidy-free by the CrossWind consortium, a joint venture between Shell and Eneco. It will consist of 60 Siemens Gamesa SG 11.0-200 DD turbines.

For more information on offshore wind farms worldwide, click here.

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New Chief to take the helm of Shell

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