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The logo of Shell on an oil storage silo, beyond railway tanker wagons at the company’s Pernis refinery in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022.

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

British oil major Shell on Thursday reported that quarterly profits more than doubled from the same period last year, but lower refining and trading revenues brought an end to its run of record earnings.

Shell posted adjusted earnings of $9.45 billion for the three months through to the end of September, meeting analyst expectations of $9.5 billion according to Refinitiv. The company posted adjusted earnings of $4.1 billion over the same period a year earlier and notched a whopping $11.5 billion for the second quarter of 2022.

The oil giant said it planned to increase its dividend per share by around 15% for the fourth quarter 2022, to be paid out in March 2023. It also announced a new share buyback program, which is set to result in an additional $4 billion of distributions and is expected to be completed by its next earnings release.

Shares of Shell rose 3% during morning deals in London. The firm’s stock price is up over 42% year-to-date.

The London-headquartered oil major reported consecutive quarters of record profits through the first six months of the year, benefitting from surging commodity prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

It has coincided with calls for higher taxes on the bumper profits of Britain’s biggest oil and gas companies, particularly at a time when the country faces a deepening cost-of-living crisis.

Shell warned in an update earlier this month that lower refining and chemicals margins and weaker gas trading were likely to negatively impact third-quarter earnings.

On Thursday, the company said a recovery in global product supply had contributed to lower refining margins in the third quarter, and gas trading earnings had also fallen.

“The trading and optimisation contributions were mainly impacted by a combination of seasonality and supply constraints, coupled with substantial differences between paper and physical realisations in a volatile and dislocated market,” Shell said in its earnings release.

What about renewable investments?

Shell CEO Ben van Beurden said in a statement that the firm’s “robust” results come at a time of ongoing energy market volatility.

“We continue to strengthen Shell’s portfolio through disciplined investment and transform the company for a low-carbon future. At the same time we are working closely with governments and customers to address their short and long-term energy needs,” he added.

In the first nine months of the year, Shell’s investments in its “Renewables & Energy Solutions” sector came to around $2.4 million, roughly 14% of its total cash capital expenditures of $17.5 million.

Notably, Follow This founder Mark van Baal said Shell’s renewables and energy solutions investments include natural gas, a fossil fuel.

“You can’t claim to be in transition if less than 14% of your investments is going to new, renewable energy businesses and at least 86% of your investments remain tied to old, fossil fuel businesses,” van Baal said.

“Without presenting a clear breakdown, it remains unclear how much Shell actually invests in renewable energy.”

Van Baal added, “We still don’t see Shell using this once in a lifetime opportunity to invest in diversification to ensure the long-term future of the company.”

Change in leadership

The group’s results come soon after it was announced CEO Ben van Beurden will step down at the end of the year after nearly a decade at the helm.

Wael Sawan, currently Shell’s director of integrated gas, renewables and energy solutions, will become its next chief executive on Jan. 1.

A dual Lebanese-Canadian national, Sawan has held roles in downstream retail and various commercial projects during his 25-year career at Shell.

“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,” Sawan said in a statement on Sept. 15, adding that it was an honor to follow van Beurden’s leadership.

“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.”

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First autonomous electric loaders in North America get to work

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First autonomous electric loaders in North America get to work

Swedish multinational Sandvik says it’s successfully deployed a pair of fully autonomous Toro LH518iB battery-electric underground loaders at the New Gold Inc. ($NGD) New Afton mine in British Columbia, Canada.

The heavy mining equipment experts at Sandvik say that the revolutionary new 18 ton loaders have been in service since mid-November, working in a designated test area of the mine’s “Lift 1” footwall. The mine’s operators are preparing to move the automated machines to the mine’s “C-Zone” any time now, putting them into regular service by the first of the new year.

“This is a significant milestone for Canadian mining, as these are North America’s first fully automated battery-electric loaders,” Sandvik said in a LinkedIn post. “(The Toro LH518iB’s) introduction highlights the potential of automation and electrification in mining.”

The company says the addition of the new heavy loaders will enable New Afton’s operations to “enhance cycle times and reduce heat, noise and greenhouse gas emissions” at the block cave mine – the only such operation (currently) in Canada.

Electrek’s Take

Epiroc announces new approach to underground mining market in North America
Battery-powered Scooptram; image by Epiroc

From drilling and rigging to heavy haul solutions, companies like Sandvik are proving that electric equipment is more than up to the task of moving dirt and pulling stuff out of the ground. At the same time, rising demand for nickel, lithium, and phosphates combined with the natural benefits of electrification are driving the adoption of electric mining machines while a persistent operator shortage is boosting demand for autonomous tech in those machines.

The combined factors listed above are rapidly accelerating the rate at which machines that are already in service are becoming obsolete – and, while some companies are exploring the cost/benefit of converting existing vehicles to electric or, in some cases, hydrogen, the general consensus seems to be that more companies will be be buying more new equipment more often in the years ahead.

What’s more, more of that equipment will be more and more likely to be autonomous as time goes on.

We covered the market outlook for autonomous and electric mining equipment earlier this summer, and I posted an episode exploring the growing demand for electric equipment on an episode of Quick Charge I’ve embedded, below. Check it out, then let us know what you think of the future of electric mining in the comments.

More EVs means more mines, equipment

SOURCE | IMAGES: Sandvik, via LinkedIn.

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Contargo logistics adds 20 Mercedes eActros 600 electric semis to fleet

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Contargo logistics adds 20 Mercedes eActros 600 electric semis to fleet

European logistics firm Contargo is adding twenty of Mercedes’ new, 600 km-capable eActros battery electric semi trucks to its trimodal delivery fleet, bringing zero-emission shipping to Germany’s hinterland.

With over 300 miles of all-electric range, the new Mercedes eActros 600 electric semi truck was designed for (what a European would call) long-haul trucking. Now, after officially entering production at the company’s Wörth plant in Bavaria last month, the eActros 600 is reaching its first customer: Contargo.

With the addition of the twenty new Mercedes, Contargo’s electric truck fleet has grown to 60 BEVs, with plans to increase that total to 90. And, according to Mercedes, Contargo is just the first.

The German truck company says it has plans to deliver fifty (50) of the 600 kWh battery-equipped electric semi trucks to German shipping companies by the close of 2024.

Contargo’s 20 eActros 600 trucks were funded in part by the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport as part of a broader plan to replace a total of 86 diesel-engined commercial vehicles with more climate-friendly alternatives. The funding directive is coordinated by NOW GmbH, and the applications were approved by the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility.

Electrek’s Take

Holcim, a global leader in building materials and solutions, has recently made a significant commitment to sustainability by placing a purchase order for 1,000 Mercedes electric semi trucks.
Mercedes eActros electric semi; via Mercedes.

Electric semi trucks are racking up millions of miles in the US, and abroad. As more and more pilot programs begin to pay off, they’re going to lead to more orders for battery electric trucks and more reductions in both diesel demand and harmful carbon emissions.

We can’t wait to see more.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Contargo, via Electrive.

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Why tech giants such as Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Meta are betting big on nuclear power

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Why tech giants such as Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Meta are betting big on nuclear power

Data centers powering artificial intelligence and cloud computing are pushing energy demand and production to new limits. Global electricity use could rise as much as 75% by 2050, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, with the tech industry’s AI ambitions driving much of the surge.

Data centers powering AI and cloud computing could soon grow so large that they could use more electricity than entire cities.

As leaders in the AI race push for further technological advancements and deployment, many are finding their energy needs increasingly at odds with their sustainability goals.

“A new data center that needs the same amount of electricity as say, Chicago, cannot just build its way out of the problem unless they understand their power needs,” said Mark Nelson, managing director of Radiant Energy Group. “Those power needs. Steady, straight through, 100% power, 24 hours a day, 365,” he added.

After years of focusing on renewables, major tech companies are now turning to nuclear power for its ability to provide massive energy in a more efficient and sustainable fashion.

Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta are among the most recognizable names exploring or investing in nuclear power projects. Driven by the energy demands of their data centers and AI models, their announcements mark the beginning of an industrywide trend.

“What we’re seeing is nuclear power has a lot of benefits,” said Michael Terrell, senior director of energy and climate at Google. “It’s a carbon-free source of electricity. It’s a source of electricity that can be always on and run all the time. And it provides tremendous economic impact.”

After nuclear was largely written off in the past due to widespread fears about meltdowns and safety risks — and misinformation that dramatized those concerns — experts are touting tech’s recent investments as the start of a “nuclear revival” that could accelerate an energy transformation in the U.S. and around the world.

Watch the video above to learn why Big Tech is investing in nuclear power, the opposition they face and when their nuclear ambitions could actually become a reality.

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