British oil giant Shell announced on Wednesday that it has abandoned construction of one of Europe’s largest biofuel plants in the Netherlands, as it focuses on its fossil fuel business.

Faced with weak market conditions, the company suspended construction of the renewable biofuel factory in Rotterdam last year, which was intended to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and diesel from waste.

“As we evaluated market dynamics and the cost of completion, it became clear that the project would be insufficiently competitive,” Machteld de Haan, Shell’s downstream, renewables and energy solutions president, said in a statement.

The project was first announced in 2021 as part of plans to help Europe meet internationally binding emissions reduction targets.

Shell and rival UK energy giant BP have been walking back various climate objectives and focusing more on oil and gas to raise their profits, which has drawn criticism from environmental activists.

More than half of the facility’s capacity was intended to produce SAF — a biofuel made from plant and animal materials like cooking oil and fat, which produces lower carbon emissions than traditional jet fuel.

Under plans to tackle climate change, the EU requires airlines to gradually increase the amount of SAF they use to power planes.

Airlines, however, complain that SAF is not widely available and too expensive.

Shell warned investors last year that its second-quarter results had suffered a significant write-down owing to the shelved project.

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Amid long queues and insufficient refilling stations, the cost of one standard cubic metre of Compressed Natural Gas has jumped from N230 to N450. It was gathered from retailers that the government reviewed the price recently to N450, reducing its subsidies.

However, while trucks pay N450/SCM, car drivers and commercial drivers still enjoy some subsidies, as they pay N380 for one standard cubic metre of what the government calls a cheaper alternative to petrol and diesel.

The Programme Director of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, Michael Oluwagbemi, did not answer calls to his phone on Tuesday. However, an official of the PCNGI, who did not want to be mentioned because he was not authorised to speak with the press, confirmed the new development.

The source explained that commercial drivers pay less to ensure the cost of transportation does not go up. “The refuelling stations now sell at different prices for cars and trucks. So, the price depends on the type of vehicle, whether it is a commercial bus, a truck or a private car,” he said.

Asked if the type of vehicle should determine the price of CNG, he said there is a subsidy on commercial vehicles. “The price is subsidised for commercial vehicles. Trucks transporting goods pay higher prices, while private cars and buses that convey passengers buy at a reduced rate. There’s supposed to be a subsidy across the board, but this is the current situation,” the source stated.

Aside from the price, he said the major focus of the PCNGI is to ensure that there are more refilling stations across the country to reduce the long queues.

“Our main focus is to increase the availability of gas. We want to build more refuelling stations so that no converted vehicle owner will complain that it doesn’t have a place to buy CNG. Some have converted their vehicles, but when gas is not available, they will be running on petrol. So, our major drive right now is to increase the number of CNG stations nationwide,” he said.

Speaking with our correspondent, a major retailer of CNG confirmed that NNPC Gas Marketing Limited reviewed the prices. According to the retailer, who requested anonymity, the Federal Government had capped the price of CNG below its cost since 2023, when it removed petrol subsidies.

He added that the price may rise to N500 or N600/SCM soon, stating that this could be to attract investors. “I can confirm that the price for CNG was reviewed upward by NGML. Truck drivers are to pay N450/SCM, while commercial drivers will pay N380/SCM. We know that the price may go to N500 or N600 soon. The government subsidised it to attract users and it sold it to marketers at a subsidised rate,” he said.

Meanwhile, there are concerns that vehicle owners may abandon CNG if the queues persist and prices continue to rise. “Some spent up to N1.5m or more to convert their petrol-powered vehicles to CNG. Now with the price increase and the long queues, many may have to return to petrol. The government has been trying to convince the people that there is cheaper fuel. The government sold it to marketers at a reduced price. In reality, the difference between CNG and petrol is not significant.

“When you see some refuelling stations, the queues are as long as 1.5km. This is not encouraging,” Adeyemi Paul, a ride-hailing driver, told our correspondent.

Contacted, Louis Ibah, the spokesman for the Minister of Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said he was at a function with the minister and could not talk. The NNPC could not be reached, as it only announced a new spokesperson on Tuesday.

Recalls that when President Bola Tinubu announced in 2023 that the fuel subsidy was removed, the price of petrol rose from N175 per litre to N870. To cushion the effect, the Federal Government promoted CNG as a cheaper alternative fuel to petrol, incentivising Nigerians to convert their vehicles to CNG.

In June, the Federal Government said over 100,000 petrol-powered vehicles had been converted to CNG in one year, stressing that it had recorded significant progress in advancing the use of alternative fuel across the country. Oluwagbemi said that as the Federal Government ramped up efforts to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal, the initiative had recorded major success in the last year.

According to him, the number of CNG-powered vehicles in the country had risen from fewer than 4,000 to nearly 100,000 in just over a year. “From just seven conversion centres last year, we now have 265 centres nationwide. We’ve also created over 10,000 direct jobs and grown from 20 to 60 operational refuelling stations, with 175 more underway. So far, we have 60 CNG stations up and running—up from just 20 in late 2023. Over the next three months, we plan to commission an additional 100,” he added.

Defending the pace of implementation, Oluwagbemi stated, “Rome wasn’t built in a day. Those who led Nigeria into the fuel subsidy crisis cannot fairly criticise the speed at which we’re addressing it.” However, there are concerns that the latest rise in the price of CNG may discourage its users.

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has announced the appointment of two senior executives, Mr Andy Odeh and Mrs Morenike Adewunmi, to lead its corporate communications and stakeholder relations arms.

Odeh was named Chief Corporate Communications Officer, while Adewunmi was appointed Chief Relations Officer, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

Describing both appointees as “seasoned executives,” the national oil firm stated that the move shows its commitment to strengthening stakeholder engagement and public communication across its operations.

Odeh, a veteran communications professional, brings more than 30 years of experience spanning the oil and gas, advertising, and broadcast industries.

The statement noted that he spent 26 years at Nigeria LNG Limited, where he held several leadership positions in community relations, logistics, IT, corporate communications, public affairs, and regulatory compliance.

“At NLNG, he successfully managed the company’s rebranding and implemented one of Nigeria’s best-run micro-credit schemes for host communities,” NNPC said.

He was also credited with playing a key role in instituting the NLNG Prize for Energy Reporting.

A graduate of the University of Jos and the University of Lagos, Odeh is also an alumnus of INSEAD Business School and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru.

Adewunmi, a legal practitioner with over 25 years of experience in the oil and gas sector, joins NNPCL from the Shell Companies in Nigeria.

Her background is in stakeholder management and regulatory affairs, and she previously served as Regulatory Affairs Manager and later Government Relations Manager at Shell.

“Mrs. Adewunmi is known for her strong leadership skills, emotional intelligence, and ability to build robust stakeholder networks,” the company said. “She is a subject matter expert on non-technical risks.”

She holds a law degree from Olabisi Onabanjo University and was called to the Nigerian Bar after completing her training at the Nigerian Law School.

The company said the appointments of Odeh and Adewunmi are strategic and timely as it continues to reposition for improved public trust and effective engagement with its host communities, regulators, and international partners.

“The appointment of Mr Odeh and Mrs Adewunmi reflects NNPC Limited’s commitment to enhancing communication and engagement with stakeholders,” the statement added.

Their appointment comes a little over two months after Olufemi Soneye resigned from his position as Chief Corporate Communications Officer on June 21, 2025.

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