石油巨頭荷蘭皇家殼牌的子公司殼牌能源澳大利亞公司周四表示，將以6.17億澳元(約合4.172億美元)的價格收購澳大利亞電力零售商ERM的全部股票，此價格為減去股息調整后的價格。

此舉突顯出全球油氣公司對電力和替代能源市場的投資日益增長，這符合它們從石油業務向多元化發展的長期戰略。殼牌此前曾表示，計劃在未來10年成為全球最大的電力公司。

殼牌在一份聲明中稱，ERM是澳洲負荷量第二大的能源零售商，并在昆士蘭州Oakey和西澳洲Neerabup這兩家燃氣發電廠發電。“燃氣發電將在澳大利亞向可再生能源的轉型中發揮重要作用，”報告補充道。

殼牌是澳大利亞重要的天然氣生產商，最近啟動了其Prelude FLNG海上工廠，該工廠是全球最受期望的液化天然氣出口項目之一，也是最大的浮動容器。

對燃氣發電的投資為這家能源公司的天然氣生產提供了一個下游出口。

尤諾維奇表示，ERM將成為公司核心電力和能源解決方案的平臺，此次收購對殼牌在澳大利亞不斷增長的綜合電力業務至關重要。

殼牌表示:“此次收購已獲得外國投資審查委員會和澳大利亞競爭與消費者委員會的批準，殼牌的報價還需得到法庭批準以及ERM股東的批準?！?

該公司預計在2019年底前完成收購。

殼牌表示，澳大利亞是其可再生能源等“新興能源”投資的核心市場之一。其他市場包括歐洲西北部和美國。

沈韓曄 摘譯自 普氏能源資訊

原文如下：

Shell offers to buy Australian power retailer ERM for $417.2 mil

Shell Energy Australia, a subsidiary of oil major Royal Dutch Shell, Thursday said it made an offer to purchase all the shares of Australian electricity retailer ERM Power for A$617 million ($417.2 million), minus dividend adjustments.

The move underscores growing investments by global oil and gas companies into power and alternative energy markets in line with long-term strategy to diversify from the oil business. Shell previously said it plans to become the world's largest electricity company by the next decade.

ERM is the second-largest energy retailer by load in Australia, and also produces electricity at two gas-fired power plants in Oakey, Queensland, and Neerabup, Western Australia, Shell said in a statement. "Gas-fired generation will play an important role in Australia's transition to renewables," it added.

Shell is a key natural gas producer in Australia, and it recently started up its Prelude FLNG offshore plant that was one of the world's most anticipated LNG exporting projects and the largest floating vessel.

Investments in gas-fired electricity give the energy company a downstream outlet for its gas production.

Yujnovich said ERM will become the company's core power and energy solutions platform and its acquisition was key to growing Shell's integrated power business in Australia.

"The acquisition has received Foreign Investment Review Board and Australian Competition and Consumer Commission approvals and Shell's offer is subject to court approval as well as ERM shareholder approval," Shell said.

It expects to complete the acquisition before the end of 2019.

Shell said Australia is one of the core identified markets for its "Emerging Power" investments like renewables. The other markets are Northwest Europe and the US