Shell to delay, cancel China energy projects

Royal Dutch Shell executives said the company will postpone or cancel alternative-energy projects in China, the Wall Street Journal reported. Among the projects to be temporarily shelved is Shell’s coal-to-liquid joint venture with China Shenhua Energy, for which Shell had conducted a feasibility study. The viability of the coal-to-liquid projects had been hit by falling oil prices and water scarcity. Low oil prices also forced Shell to cancel a costly oil shale project in northern China. Shell executives pointed to 20 licensing agreements with domestic companies to use Shell technology in coal gasification projects as a key driver for the company’s growth in China.