Shell ventures back into the solar sector

London

ROYAL Dutch Shell agreed on Monday to acquire a stake in a US solar company, a decade after exiting the sector, in the latest in a series of deals to grow beyond its core oil and gas business.

The Anglo-Dutch company also gave the green light for its first major new project in the North Sea in six years, signalling a cautious return to spending following three years of belt tightening in the face of lower oil prices.