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Shell Canada employing ‘agile teams’ to power energy transition, reduce emissions

Pedestrians walk past Shell Canada's headquarters before the company announces a new commercial sized oil sands tailings project during a news conference in Calgary, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

The president and country head for Shell Canada says its transition into a provider of cleaner energy is being driven by a network of “agile teams” of employees who are examining between 30 and 40 project ideas at a time.

Michael Crothers says the teams formed from employees brought in from various parts of the company are looking at proposals that include the use of hydrogen, biofuels, and wind and solar energy to help the company reduce its environmental impact.

Speaking during the online National Energy Roundtable Conference, Crothers said Shell Canada continues to reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions but it is also working on solutions to reduce emissions created by its customers when they use its products.

READ MORE: Shell Canada gives customers option to offset their carbon emissions for two cents per litre 

He said the company’s “macro” plan going forward is to use cash flow from existing businesses to find ways to de-risk new technologies.

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Shell, the operator and 40 per cent owner of the LNG Canada export terminal now under construction in B.C., sold most of its oilsands assets in Alberta to Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. in 2017, although it remains the operator of the Quest carbon capture project northeast of Edmonton.

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In November, Shell announced a plan to let motorists buy GHG offset credits when filling up at its 1,400 Shell-branded service stations across Canada and, in January, it announced an investment in a waste-to-low-carbon-fuels project in Quebec.

“You can see our portfolio shifting from heavy oil to gas to renewables within the last few years,” said Crothers.

“As the company then shifts from a mega-project mentality to a de-risking of new technology, we need to be a lot more nimble. So within our company, Shell Canada, we’ve been creating these agile teams.”

In December, Shell announced Crothers will retire this year and be replaced by Susannah Pierce, currently director of corporate affairs for LNG Canada.

Watch below: (From Sept. 21, 2020) Royal Dutch Shell is looking to slash up to 40 per cent off the cost of producing oil and gas in a major drive to save cash so it can overhaul its business and focus more on renewable energy and power markets, according to Reuters. Tom Vernon reports.

Click to play video: 'Shell to cut up to 40% from oil and gas production to prepare for energy transition'
Shell to cut up to 40% from oil and gas production to prepare for energy transition

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