| Shell wants to manage energy needs of Asia |
| By Suraj Raj KUALA LUMPUR: Shell global Solutions aims to position itself as the preferred partner for businesses in Asia to manage and develop their energy needs. According to the Energy Information Administration's (EIA) International Energy Outlook 2006 report, world consumption is projected to increase by 71% from 2003 to 2030. It said the demand would come from non-Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development nations in Asia, particularly China and India. “Based on EIA's projections, a lot of investments will be required to meet Asia's increasing demand for energy. This is going to be a huge business opportunity,” Shell Global Solutions Asia Pacific vice-president Lee Tzu Yang told StarBiz. Shell Global Solutions provides business and operational consultancy, technical and research and development expertise to the energy and processing industries worldwide. Its solutions are targeted at a diverse range of applications including exploration and production, refining, gas and liquefied natural gas as well as industries such as chemicals, metals, pulp and paper, power, mining and automotive. Lee believes local industries are looking to improve the energy consumption, efficiency and reliability of their plants. “It is in the interest of all industries to be energy efficient. We have the capabilities and we want to help customers improve margins, extract more value from assets, protect people and the environment and identify opportunities for them to gain competitive advantage,” he said. Lee said the Malaysian unit had “huge plans to grow exponentially over the next few years.” “We started with 30 people in 2002 and now we have 400. Very few companies grow at this rate. The challenge for us now is to be quick enough to recruit and develop new talent,” he said, adding that the company planned to grow its workforce to 600 by end-2007. Shell Global Solutions has more than 4,900 employees worldwide and 11 hubs in cities, including Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Beijing and Dubai. http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/11/23/business/16082493&sec=business |