Shell is preparing to transfer control of the flattened site of its former Aberdeen headquarters at Tullos and work with Scottish Enterprise on plans to redevelop the land as part of the city’s emerging Energy Transition Zone (ETZ), in a move intended to attract new investment and support the north‑east’s shift from oil and gas to low‑carbon energy.
The cleared brownfield plot – around 30 acres on the south side of the city – was once among Aberdeen’s most recognisable oil and gas landmarks but has now been demolished and is being positioned for a new role in the energy transition economy.
From oil boom HQ to cleared brownfield site
Shell opened its first Aberdeen office on Union Street in 1965 before consolidating into the purpose‑built Tullos complex in the 1970s, with the main building opened by then prime minister Margaret Thatcher in 1979 as North Sea oil entered a period of rapid expansion.
The Tullos offices housed hundreds of staff for more than four decades and became a familiar feature of the city skyline. However, as the building aged and office requirements changed, Shell concluded the site was no longer suitable for modern, energy‑efficient operations and moved staff into the Silver Fin building on Union Street in 2021.
The latest transfer proposal follows earlier indications from the company that it wanted the land to support a new phase of economic activity rather than lie fallow.
According to a previous Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce summary of discussions around the project, Shell has been in talks for some time with Aberdeen City Council, Scottish Enterprise and ETZ Ltd – the private‑sector‑led body behind the Energy Transition Zone – to agree a future for the grounds that would “benefit Aberdeen”.
Simon Roddy, senior vice‑president of Upstream at Shell UK, who began his career in the Tullos building, said at the outset of the demolition programme:
“We have a vision to create a positive impact from the Tullos site. Removal of the existing office footprint is critical for this vision.”
The Press and Journal has now reported that Shell intends to transfer the flattened site as part of that vision and that Shell and Scottish Enterprise will work together on redevelopment plans intended to support the region’s energy sector. While detailed commercial terms have not been disclosed, the involvement of Scotland’s national economic development agency and ETZ Ltd points to the land being folded into the wider Energy Transition Zone strategy.
The Energy Transition Zone is a 250‑hectare industrial and innovation cluster being developed around Aberdeen South Harbour, Altens and East Tullos to reposition the north‑east as a global centre for low‑carbon energy technologies.
ETZ Ltd, a private sector‑led, not‑for‑profit company backed by the Scottish and UK governments and supported by Scottish Enterprise, is spearheading the project.
The zone aims to deliver new high‑value manufacturing, research and development, and skills programmes tied to offshore wind, hydrogen and carbon capture, utilisation and storage.
The Tullos and East Tullos industrial areas are explicitly identified in the ETZ masterplan as brownfield land that should be prioritised over greenfield sites, providing space for innovation and offshore wind‑related activity while also enabling environmental improvements such as enhanced wetlands and active travel links. A cleared 30‑acre former headquarters site in this corridor therefore represents a significant addition to the developable land bank for ETZ‑aligned projects.
Scottish Enterprise, meanwhile, has taken a central role in supporting ETZ Ltd through a dedicated account team and co‑investment in projects such as the Energy Incubator and Scale Up Hub in Altens and Scotland’s first dedicated Energy Transition Skills Hub, being delivered with North East Scotland College and industry partners including Shell.
For Aberdeen’s economy, the key question will be whether incoming occupiers on the former Shell site deliver the promised mix of long‑term, high‑value jobs and local supply chain opportunities that ETZ backers envisage – and whether the benefits are seen not just by industry, but also by nearby communities that lived alongside the original oil‑era complex for almost half a century.
