The chairman of GB Energy says Aberdeen must be responsible for “leading the green energy revolution” ahead of a visit to the Granite City.
Juergen Maier, former chief executive of Siemens UK, today pledged to create “something special for the years ahead” in the north-east.
He confirmed the HQ for the new publicly-owned energy firm will open this year in Aberdeen, with recruitment underway in the city.
Today he will attend GB Energy’s first ever board meeting in Aberdeen to discuss the next steps to scale up the firm’s presence in the city.
But the firm’s chair has come under fire in recent weeks for admitting it could take 20 years to deliver on a pledge to deliver 1,000 jobs at the new HQ.
Questions have also swirled over how the firm will operate and how soon it can drive down household bills – a key promise of the Labour government.
‘Race against the clock’
Writing in the P&J on Monday, Mr Maier said: “The skills, knowledge, and infrastructure built over decades of North Sea oil and gas production are perfect to be repurposed for a clean energy future.
“That means not just investing in renewables but ensuring that those jobs stay in the city and that workers are given every opportunity to be part of this transformation.
“Great British Energy will play a key role in driving this investment—backing new projects, funding innovation, and working with industry to make sure Aberdeen remains the UK’s energy capital for decades to come.
“Floating offshore wind, green hydrogen, and carbon capture should be as synonymous with Aberdeen’s future as oil and gas have been with its past.
“We are in a race against the clock to secure Britain’s place in the global clean energy economy. Other countries are moving fast. If we don’t take decisive action now, we risk losing investment, jobs, and technological leadership to competitors overseas.”
GB Energy can be ‘catalyst’
The UK Labour government says GB Energy will own, manage and operate clean power projects up and down the country, backed by £8.3 billion over the new parliament.
As well as the main headquarters in Aberdeen, two smaller sites will open in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Derek Thomson, Scottish secretary of the Unite union, previously said GB Energy needs to pick up pace or risk looking at a “desolation” of the north-east.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks, who will attend today’s board meeting in Aberdeen, said it marks “another step forward for the company as it gears up to make its first investments”.
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