BP to buy TravelCenters for $1.3 billion in U.S. fuel retail drive

(Reuters) -BP will buy truck fueling provider TravelCenters of America Inc for about $1.3 billion, the companies said on Thursday, as the British energy giant seeks to expand its retail network in a bet on biofuels and electric vehicle charging.

（路透社）——英国石油公司周四表示，将以约 13 亿美元的价格收购卡车加油供应商 travelcenters of america inc，这家英国能源巨头寻求扩大其零售网络，押注生物燃料和电动汽车充电。

Shares of the U.S. truck stop operator surged about 70% to $84.3 in morning trading, hovering near BPs per share cash offer of $86. BP shares closed 1.4% higher in London trading.

美国卡车停靠站运营商的股价在早盘交易中飙升约 70% 至 84.3 美元，徘徊在 bp 每股 86 美元的现金报价附近。 bp 股价在伦敦交易时段收高 1.4%。

TravelCenters owns a network of about 281 highway sites across 44 states and offers services beyond fueling, including truck maintenance, restaurants, travel stores, and parking, which account for 70% of the businesss profit margin, BP said.

travelcenters 在 44 个州拥有约 281 个高速公路站点，提供加油以外的服务，包括卡车维修、餐厅、旅游商店和停车场，这些服务占公司利润率的 70%，bp 表示。

It sells around 150,000 barrels of oil per day, 90% of which is diesel, BP said.

英国石油公司表示，它每天销售约 150,000 桶石油，其中 90% 是柴油。

The services complement BPs existing convenience and mobility business and will help in expanding its offers including electric vehicle charging, biofuels, renewable natural gas (RNG) and later hydrogen, the company said.

该公司表示，这些服务补充了 bp 现有的便利和移动业务，并将有助于扩大其产品范围，包括电动汽车充电、生物燃料、可再生天然气 (rng) 和后来的氢气。

BP has been pushing to boost its investments in convenience, bioenergy and EV charging. In 2022, it acquired U.S. biogas producer Archaea for $4.1 billion in a bet on the expansion of low-carbon fuels and recently announced plans to invest $1 billion in EV charging across the U.S. by 2030.

bp 一直在努力增加其在便利、生物能源和电动汽车充电方面的投资。 2022 年，它以 41 亿美元的价格收购了美国沼气生产商 archaea，押注低碳燃料的扩张，最近还宣布计划到 2030 年在全美投资 10 亿美元用于电动汽车充电。

“While we expect that traditional fuels demand will remain a material part of the energy mix through the decade, demand for lower carbon mobility solutions is growing rapidly,” BP Chief Executive Bernard Looney told analysts.

“虽然我们预计传统燃料需求在未来十年仍将是能源结构的重要组成部分，但对低碳交通解决方案的需求正在迅速增长，”bp 首席执行官伯纳德鲁尼告诉分析师。

Electric vehicles are rapidly ramping up around the world, but battery technology to power trucks remains limited. BP plans to offer hydrogen as a truck fuel in the longer-term, Looney said.

电动汽车在世界范围内迅速普及，但为卡车提供动力的电池技术仍然有限。 looney 表示，bp 计划长期提供氢气作为卡车燃料。

Convenience is one of BPs five strategic transition growth engines. By 2030, the London-listed company aims for around half its annual investment to go into these growth areas.

便利是 bp 五个战略转型增长引擎之一。到 2030 年，这家伦敦上市公司的目标是将其年度投资的一半左右用于这些增长领域。

The acquisition of TravelCenters is expected to add to BPs earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization immediately, growing to around $800 million in 2025, the company said.

该公司表示，收购 travelcenters 预计将立即增加 bp 的息税折旧摊销前利润，到 2025 年增长至约 8 亿美元。

BP expects the deal to offer a return on investment of over 15%, Looney said.

bp 预计这笔交易将提供超过 15% 的投资回报率，looney 说。

(Reporting by Arunima Kumar and Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru, Ron Bousso in London; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Bernadette Baum)

（arunima kumar 和 mrinalika roy 在班加罗尔的报道，ron bousso 在伦敦的报道；sriraj kalluvila 和 bernadette baum 的编辑）