Voluntary redundancy process underway at Sullom Voe Terminal as around 30 jobs could go

ENQUEST has begun a consultation process with its staff at Sullom Voe Terminal about voluntary redundancies in a bid to create a “sustainable” future for the facility.

It is understood that the terminal operator is looking to reduce full-time positions at the site by around 25 per cent, or around 30 jobs.

EnQuest said the process is aligned with the “ongoing transformation” at Sullom Voe Terminal in the shift away from fossil fuels.

Over the years oil throughput at the terminal has declined, with EnQuest now looking to projects such as e-fuels and carbon capture/storage at the site.

Back in 2023 EnQuest also said it was planning to rework its processing facilities to make the infrastructure footprint smaller and reflect “substantially” reduced production rates.

A spokesperson said: “EnQuest confirms that it has begun a consultation process at the Sullom Voe Terminal (‘SVT’), with the aim of achieving the required workforce reduction through a voluntary process.

Advertisement1 of 10

“This process is aligned with the ongoing transformation of SVT, which has been designed to secure a long-term and sustainable future for the terminal, enabling continued operations until at least 2036.”

Research from the University of Strathclyde’s Centre for Energy Policy warned about the risk to jobs if a transition to projects like low-carbon fuels at the terminal was not achieved.

It was back in 1978 when the first barrel of oil came ashore at Sullom Voe Terminal from the Dunlin field via the Brent pipeline.

At its peak in the 1980s, the terminal was processing more than 1.5 million barrels of oil a day.

But today the throughput is much less; in 2024 for example the average number of barrels per day was 76,658.