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All-in: Chevron Invests $3 Billion in Alternative Fuels
04/12/2022
With the purchase of Renewable Energy Group Inc. for $3.15 billion, Chevron makes its largest investment in alternative fuels.
In a statement on Feb. 28, the second-largest U.S. oil and gas company said it would pay $61.5 for each share of Renewable Energy, higher than its February 25 closing price by nearly 40%. In premarket trading, renewable energy shares rose more than 37% on the backdrop of this staunch.
This turn in investments highlights the shift in the world’s attitude toward climate change. Since oil companies contribute heavily to global emissions, governments and investors are increasingly urging them to reduce their carbon footprints and join the fight against emissions.
As state and federal subsidies to decarbonize fuels increase, U.S. refineries have likewise increased the production of renewable diesel.
In line with this, by 2050, Chevron aims to cut gas emissions to zero and in September committed to investing $10 billion to reduce its carbon emissions through 2028, with about $3 billion dedicated to renewable fuels.
In the biofuel industry, agricultural waste and traditional food crops are grown specifically for use as fuel. The feedstock for biodiesel and renewable diesel is similar, however renewable diesel goes through a separate refining process so that its chemical composition is the same as ultra-low-sulfur diesel.
At the moment, various markets are being explored by Chevron as potential sources for blending biodiesel into renewable diesel.
The executive vice president of downstream products and chemicals, Mark Nelson, believes that biodiesel is viewed by business people as a blendstock to achieve optimal margins since it is less expensive than renewable diesel.
As a result, the EIA estimates that renewable diesel capacity in the U.S. may grow more than fivefold by 2024, from a current capacity of 1 billion gallons to over 5 billion gallons.
It is intended that this deal will accelerate Chevron's goal of increasing the production of renewable fuels to 100,000 barrels/day by 2030, and it will provide additional feedstock supplies and pre-treatment facilities.
According to Reuters, Chevron is not likely to break out its renewables business' financials separately immediately. But the possibility of such an outcome will grow with each year.
After the start-up of Renewable Energy Group's Geismar expansion plant in Louisiana, the transaction is expected to add earnings to Chevron in its first year and cash flow to its free cash flow. While the deal itself is expected to close in the second half of the year.
Guggenheim Securities advised Renewable Energy on the deal, while Goldman Sachs provided financial advice to Chevron.
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