Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11572 – VTTI / SHELL / DRAGON LNG) – Candidate case for simplified procedure
Date: 2024-06-13
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: economic concentration, electrical energy, energy industry, energy production, energy storage, investment company, merger control, petrochemicals, storage of hydrocarbons, wholesale trade








C_202403826EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2024/3826


13.6.2024






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.11572 – VTTI / SHELL / DRAGON LNG)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2024/3826)


1.   
On 4 June 2024, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).
This notification concerns the following undertakings:






—


VTTI B.V. (‘VTTI’, the Netherlands),










—


BG Energy Holdings Ltd (‘BG Energy Holdings’, UK), controlled by Shell Plc (‘Shell’, UK),










—


Dragon LNG Group Ltd (‘Dragon LNG’, UK), which is currently jointly controlled by Shell and Ancala (Scot) LP (UK).




VTTI and BG Energy Holdings will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of Dragon LNG.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are the following:






—


VTTI owns, manages, operates, and develops energy infrastructure assets worldwide, including energy storage terminals for petrochemical and vegoil products at ports and harbours,










—


BG Energy Holdings holds investments in companies of Shell, which is active in the energy and petrochemical sectors,










—


Dragon LNG principally owns and operates an LNG regasification, import and storage terminal in Wales, UK.






3.   
On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.
Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified treatment for certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 on the control of concentrations between undertakings (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.


4.   
The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.
Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:
M.11572 – VTTI / SHELL / DRAGON LNG
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu

Postal address:





European Commission




Directorate-General for Competition




Merger Registry




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË







(1)  
            OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).

(2)  
            OJ C 160, 5.5.2023, p. 1.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/3826/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)