Shell recently confirmed its plans to transform the closed Convent, Louisiana, facility into an alternative fuels complex.
“Since closing Covent, we have regularly reviewed options that would deliver the best value for shareholders,” Curtis Smith, media manager for Shell — North America, said in 2021. "Given increasing customer demand for low-carbon fuels, we now view Convent as well-positioned to support Shell’s plans for growth in this area while delivering value to shareholders (pending final investment decisions).”
The Convent site closed in late 2020 after it became unprofitable during the COVID-19 pandemic, laying off 700 workers and 400 contractors. The announcement came on Nov. 5, 2020, that the company would be shuttering the refinery after attempts to sell the plant between July and October were unsuccessful.
Shell Senior Vice President Rhoman Hardy told the state Board of Commerce and Industry last week, “We now see the Convent site as a place that we’re going to reinvest in.”
Shell signed a memorandum of understanding with St. James Parish government, school board and sheriff’s office to continue making payments on the property and its inventory. St. James Assessor Glenn Waguespack said Shell has agreed to pay $17.4 million in property taxes for the 2021 tax year, $10 million for 2022 and $4.5 million in 2023.
There is currently no date for the opening of the alternative fuels complex.
