Shell is reportedly preparing to cut staff from its offshore wind business as part of a move by chief executive officer Wael Sawan (pictured) to move the oil and gas giant away from the renewable energy sector.
According to Bloomberg Energy, Shell is set to begin the layoffs within months, mainly in Europe, according to sources familiar with the matter who the news service did not identify because the information is private.
The company limit’s on spending has left Shell’s offshore wind team in the Netherlands with less to do than previously expected, it was reported by the news service.
The staff cuts follow departures of a number of key executives in the offshore wind business, including Thomas Brostrom, the head of its European renewable power division and Melissa Read, the head of its UK offshore wind unit.
A spokesperson for Shell told reNEWS: “In line with our previously announced shift to prioritising value over volume in power, we are concentrating on select markets and segments to deliver the most value for our investors and customers through the energy transition.
“As a result of this, Shell is looking how it can continue to compete for offshore wind projects in priority markets while maintaining our focus on performance, discipline and simplification.”