Over 100 jobs could be at risk in Aberdeen due to proposed cuts to the feed-in tariff for solar energy projects, a trade body has warned.
The Solar Trade Association warned the jobs of up to 27,000 people employed in the solar energy sector and its supply chain are under threat around the UK, with as many as 2,400 of the 3,000 solar jobs in Scotland at risk.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) proposed at the end of August to cut the tariff paid for electricity generated by solar rooftop panels by 87% - from 12.4p to 1.6p.
Repsol plans to reduce its headcount by 1,500 position over the next three years in a bid to streamline costs.
The move comes in the same week oil major Shell said it would be cutting 1,300 jobs over the next two years in Malaysia.
At St Margaret’s School for Girls we read the article which showed a quarter of girls in Scotland aged between 11 and 16 do not think they are clever enough to become a scientist with great interest.
In girls’ schools across the country it has long been acknowledged that building confidence and self-esteem in girls is key to their success in the classroom, particularly with regard to the uptake of science and maths.
The number of our girls pursuing STEM subjects at university continues to be high and is in stark contrast with the figures released by EDF Energy today.
The chairman of the Energy Institute said those facing potential redundancy should remain positive about finding alternative work.
Nigel Bradburn had just begun forging his own career in oil and gas after working in the military when he found himself looking for work in 1997.
The former commissioned officer in the Royal Air Force sat down with Energy Voice after the Energy Institute was invited to take part in the recently held PACE (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment) event.
A taskforce set up after it was revealed the coal-fired Longannet power station was set to close has met for a second time in a bid to help those who face job losses.
It is expected Scottish Power will know by the end of October how many Longannet employees wish to take redundancy, seek redployment within the company or find new employment.
The Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said detailed work had been taking place by Scottish Power, local councils and the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise to help with an economic recovery plan.
Hundreds of jobs are at risk across six member companies of the Caterers Offshore Trade Association (COTA).
The estimated figure was revealed as another union said it would ballot members over whether to take industrial action over a pay dispute.
In a letter seen by Energy Voice the chairman of COTA and chief executive of Entier, one of the member companies, warns around 500 positions are being consulted on.
Shell Malaysia is set to reduce its headcount by 1300 members of staff in its upstream division over the next two years.
The oil major said the move was as a result of a continued focus on improving efficiency and reducing complexity which would allow it to become a more “agile and competitive” firm.
The announcement comes just a day after Shell revealed it was pulling out its Arctic drilling programme.
Hydrasun has confirmed plans to reduce its headcount by up to 97 employees.
The move comes in the same week as both Technip and Dolphin Drilling revealed they were also in consultation over jobs.
Hydrasun, which employs 338 people in the city, said it had entered into talks with staff.
The firm has also proposed a potential pay reduction of 12% to some staff across all of its UK operations.
North Sea oil and gas workers are feeling impact of the low oil price which has hit wages and left many chasing jobs, according to recruitment specialists in Aberdeen.
Halliburton has reduced its headcount in North Dakota as the low oil price continues to hit companies.
The move comes after it was revealed the US Department of Labour had forced the oilfield service company to pay back more than $18million in unpaid overtime.
Dolphin Drilling is in consultation with staff over potential job reductions across its offshore fleet.
The company’s offshore activities, which are controlled from offices in Scotland, Norway and Mozambique, have confirmed the move.
A spokeswoman for Dolphin Drilling said talks were being carried out with those likely to be affected.
The chief operating officer of Trinity Exploration & Production will step down from his role as the company makes a number of redundancies following the low oil price.
Craig McCallum will leave his position at the end of March next year as the company makes a number of management changes.
Trinity said a redundancy programme has been implemented as it assesses its current funding position in the low oil price environment.
When Luke Rickert first started as an engineer at Aker Solutions ASA in Oslo, a Norwegian oil services provider, his team of 24 had people from 15 different countries.
People from the U.S. to India, Brazil, Portugal and dozens of other countries came to fill a shortage of skilled workers in Norway’s booming petroleum industry.
They were lured by $20,000 relocation packages, high salaries and the nation’s fabled home and work balance. They helped Norway turn oil into cash that created the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund.
Ensco will reduce its onshore support jobs by a further 14% in a bid to streamline costs amid the continued decline in oil price.
The offshore driller previously said earlier this year it had halved its onshore workforce by 50%.
ION Geophysical Corporation said it plans to reduce its global headcount by 25% in a bid to streamline costs.
The company said it has implemented an “aggressive” cost reduction initiative as part of an overall plan to align its operating expenses.
ION said it expects to incur up to $6million in termination costs as a result of the move.
Employees in Houston working for oil major Chevron are expected to find out when potential job losses are to come as the company reduces its headcount in the region by 950 positions.
The move is understood to be part of a wider plan as it looks to streamline its costs globally following the oil price decline.
Chevron workers are expected to be given two months’ notice in advance that their positions have been cut.
More than 5,500 jobs in the North Sea oil and gas industry have been lost since the oil price decline, according to new estimates.
The figure comes as companies including BP, Shell and Total have reduced their headcount in a bid to save costs.
Companies have also been in consultation over a move to three on, three off shift patterns for workers.
Industry body Oil & Gas UK said the figure put forward could be conservative, while trade union Unite said the number could actually be around 4,000.
Weatherford said it plans to increase the number of headcount reductions within the company to 11,000.
The number is up from the previous estimate of 10,000 and is expected to come from support staff within the US.
The move has been made in response to what Weatherford sees as a weakening market in North America.
Truck driver Craig Huzulak is unemployed after losing his job four times since December -- the new normal in a Canadian oil patch still reeling from a downturn.
Huzulak, 49, was working at a mine last year near Fort McMurray, Alberta, when crude prices plunged and work dried up. He lost two more positions in the following months and then had a job offer yanked at the end of June before he could even start.
In addition to the market rout, the father of two now worries about the self-driving trucks Suncor Energy Inc. is rolling out in its oil-sands mining operations that will replace workers like him to save companies money.
“It’s really, really hard for heavy-equipment operators,” said Huzulak, who has driven trucks and worked on drilling rigs in Western Canada for 15 years. “There’s a lot more fear now that this might last longer.”
Shetland’s busy oil airport at Scatsta is set to cut staff by almost a third in response to the offshore industry contracting its North Sea operations in the wake of the oil price decline.
Airport operators Serco have confirmed they are looking to reduce their headcount by between 25% and 35% by the end of the year.
The move comes after Bristow Helicopters announced it was in consultation with staff over jobs earlier this month.
Oil major Shell is expected to move to a three on, three off shift pattern at the start of 2016.
The company previously revealed it was in consultation with staff over the move, which is in line with a number of companies including Chevron and EnQuest.
Scotland’s oil and gas industry has a vibrant future.
Yes, there’s a sharp reduction in investment, in jobs and in projects but the strength of skills and experience built up over the decades will sustain the industry and ensure it remains a significant contributor to the Scottish economy for decades to come.
It’s now six months since the First Minister announced the creation of an Energy Jobs Taskforce to help support Scotland’s oil and gas sector through the current challenging period.
A call has been made by BALPA (The British Airline Pilots' Association) for the government to hold a summit on North Sea jobs.
The plea comes after Bristow launched a consultation with staff over 130 positions.
Bristow Helicopters told staff the global decline in oil price has prompted the decision, with up to 66 helicopter pilots and 64 other workers likely to be made redundant.
A major offshore firm which employs 1,000 people in the North Sea announced it was axeing 6,000 jobs worldwide.
Technip said the move was part of plans to slash costs by £600million amid the “prolonged” and “harsh” oil slowdown.
The company said it was too early to say exactly where the cuts would be made, but they represent about 16% of its global workforce.
But it also insisted it remained committed to investing in new technology and projects across all over the world.
Unions have called on the Scottish Government to support a manufacturing yard in Stornoway at risk of being mothballed.
The GMB and Unite have written to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon asking for support to attract contracts to the Arnish yard.
The fabrication yard is operated by Burntisland Fabrications (BiFab), which also operates two yards in Fife.
