In both our scenarios, wind and solar power grow dramatically once experience and further technical breakthroughs reduce costs. In 2007, we continued our work to help make these breakthroughs possible. Our solar power activities are focused on advancing our proprietary thin-film solar technology. With our joint venture partner, glassmaker Saint-Gobain, we are building a 20-megawatt (MW) thin-film solar plant in Germany. The Showa Shell joint venture (Shell share 35%) is operating a 20 MW thin-film plant in Miyazaki, Japan and building a second thin-film factory with a capacity of 60 MW.
Shell is also a major wind power developer, participating in projects with a capacity of over 1,100 MW (Shell share, approximately 550 MW), enough to power more than half a million homes. This includes the launch of the Mount Storm wind project in the USA (see below "Mount Storm") which the joint venture expects to bring into full operation during 2008.
In 2007, we moved our wind and solar activities from a separate Shell Renewables organisation into our Gas & Power division so that they can benefit from the expertise and market knowledge of one of our mainstream businesses. The remaining part of Shell Renewables – Shell Hydrogen – became part of our Future Fuels and CO2 business unit in our downstream organisation.
Mount Storm
In January 2008, we began start up of the 164 MW NedPower Mount Storm wind project in West Virginia, USA (Shell share 82 MW), which is being developed by Shell WindEnergy and US company Dominion. Construction has already begun to expand capacity at Mount Storm by an additional 100 MW (Shell share 50 MW). Once complete, the venture will produce enough power for nearly 80,000 American homes.
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