Reuters: Shell withdraws from two wind farm projects in Ireland

LONDON, Sep 26 – PRIME. British company Shell pulled out of two wind farm projects operated by Simply Blue Group in the west of Ireland a year after it acquired stakes in them, Reuters reported.

Shell and Simply Blue, in a joint statement on Saturday, indicated that Shell’s withdrawal from the Western Star and Emerald projects is a “portfolio decision”, while Shell added that wind farms remain a key growth area in its plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and building a renewable energy business.

Simply Blue said it is looking forward to a new partnership and remains “entirely committed” to the two projects off the coast of Cork and Clare. Their total capacity is 2.65 gigawatts.

The wind power capacity that Shell currently manages, develops or owns in the form of potential projects, including a 50% share of 5 gigawatts in floating wind projects in Scotland, exceeds 13 gigawatts.

In 2021, Shell agreed to acquire a 51% stake in the Western Star and Emerald projects.