SUNYA Energy

BP to sell its US onshore wind business - Reuters

September 19, 2024
SUNYA Summary
- BP plans to sell its U.S. onshore wind energy business as the assets are not aligned with its growth plans. - The sale process for the wind assets, known as bp Wind Energy, will begin shortly. - BP Wind Energy has interests in 10 operating onshore wind energy assets across seven U.S. states. - BP's executive vice president William Lin stated that the business could hold greater value for another owner. - Several offshore wind companies have recently canceled or renegotiated power contracts for U.S. projects due to rising material costs, high interest rates, and supply chain disruptions. - bp Wind Energy's assets have a total net generating capacity of 1.3 gigawatts. - BP intends to integrate its onshore renewable power development into Lightsource bp. - In November, BP announced it would acquire full ownership of Lightsource bp, Europe's largest solar energy developer. - This integration aligns with BP's strategy to expand its renewable energy capacity by the end of the year. - BP's new CEO Murray Auchincloss has implemented a hiring freeze and paused new offshore wind projects, focusing more on oil and gas due to investor concerns over the energy transition strategy. - This shift marks a significant change from previous CEO Bernard Looney's strategy of moving away from fossil fuels. - BP's shares have been impacted as returns from renewable energy have diminished while profits from oil and gas have increased. - Danish renewable energy group Orsted reported significant impairment losses partly due to delays in a U.S. offshore wind project.
PRESS RELEASE
BP to sell its US onshore wind business - Reuters

September 16, 2024

BP to integrate onshore renewable power into Lightsource bp
Says sale process to start shortly

Sept 16 (Reuters) - BP (BP.L) plans to sell its U.S. onshore wind energy business, it announced on Monday, saying the assets were not aligned with its growth plans.
BP said it will launch the sale process shortly for the wind assets, bp Wind Energy, which has interests in 10 operating onshore wind energy assets across seven U.S. states.
"We believe the business is likely to be of greater value for another owner," William Lin, BP's executive vice president for gas and low carbon energy said in a statement.
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Several offshore wind companies have cancelled or sought to renegotiate power contracts for planned U.S. projects in the past year, citing soaring materials costs, high interest rates, and supply chain disruptions.
bp Wind Energy's assets, which have net total generating capacity of 1.3 gigawatts, are not aligned with BP's plans for growth in Lightsource bp, the London-listed company said.
BP announced in November it would take full ownership of Lightsource bp, Europe's largest solar energy developer. The deal to build up its renewable energy capacity is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

It said on Monday it would integrate its onshore renewable power development into Lightsource bp.
The move also comes as BP's new CEO Murray Auchincloss has imposed a hiring freeze and paused new offshore wind projects as he places a renewed emphasis on oil and gas amid investor discontent over its energy transition strategy, sources at the company told Reuters in June.
It marks a stark reversal from the direction the CEO's predecessor Bernard Looney took to rapidly move away from fossil fuels. This has weighed on BP's shares as returns from renewables shrank, while profits from oil and gas soared in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Last month, Danish renewable energy group Orsted (ORSTED.CO), opens new tab reported 3.9 billion Danish crowns ($581.59 million) in impairment losses for the second quarter, partly due to delays in a major U.S. offshore wind project.

($1 = 6.7058 Danish crowns)