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Storage tank operator Odfjell is planning to reduce its Rotterdam workforce by 35%, according to Dutch media reports.

It is understood that the management informed members of staff regarding the job cuts on Friday 21 September.

According to the FNV general workers union Bondgenoten, the 300-strong workforce stopped work on the news and held a meeting in the staff canteen. It is claimed that the management had demanded secrecy on the job cuts and are now refusing to discuss redundancy terms.

Odfjell was forced to suspend operations in Rotterdam at the end of July for breaking environmental and safety rules. Government inspectors ordered tanks to be closed down because of the risk of leaks and the lack of proper safety measures.

Last week, Shell terminated its contract with the Norwegian firm for failing to meet its obligations. According to reports, Shell had contacted Odfjell at the beginning of August requesting that the safety concerns should be rectified within a month.

Odfjell Terminals (Rotterdam) BV is one of the largest independent tank storage terminals in Europe. It has been operational since 1957.

The tank farm consists of nearly 300 tanks, ranging in size from 735 to 40 000 cubic metres (cbm). The total capacity of the terminal encompasses more than 1.63 million cbm, of which approximately 33 000 cbm is stainless steel.

All tanks have dedicated tank lines to a pump station from where the tanks can be accessed by dedicated, product dedicated or multipurpose shore lines. Each tank is equipped with automatic gauging equipment.

The terminal has five jetties for deep-sea tankers, with a maximum depth of 39.6 ft alongside. There are seven positions for short-sea tankers, fourteen positions for barge activities and furthermore nineteen platforms for the handling of road tank trucks, iso-tank containers and rail tank cars.

For the handling of high-volume products per rail tank car, OTR has a block train facility (Rail Cargo Center) for both clean petroleum products and bulk liquid chemicals.

Image: Odfjell's storage terminal in Rotterdam