Sir Keir Starmer confirms GB Energy will be headquartered in Aberdeen

The Granite City will be home to the publicly-owned energy company
-Credit: (Image: Getty)


Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed the new publicly-owned firm GB Energy will be headquartered in Aberdeen.

In his first Labour Party conference speech since entering No 10, he listed actions including renationalising the railways, reforming planning, ending the doctors’ strike, and launching Great British Energy.

The Labour leader confirmed it would be based in Aberdeen following months of calls from north-east business leaders and politicians to bring the company to the Granite City.

The PM said: "We said, GB Energy, our publicly owned national champion, the vehicle will drive forward our mission on clean energy, we said it belonged in Scotland, and it does.

"But the truth is, it could only really ever be based in one place in Scotland.

"So today, I can confirm that the future of British energy will be powered as it has been for decades, by the talent and skills of the working people in the Granite City with GB Energy based in Aberdeen."

In a statement released after the speech, Juergen Maier CBE, the chair of GB Energy, said the headquarters will act as a “starting point” for the newly-formed firm.

“We will use this base to rapidly scale up this publicly owned, operationally independent company and start to engage with investors and communities and build supply chains across the UK,” he added.

GB Energy's plans for the future include investing in and managing renewable technology projects as well as green power projects.

Sir Keir also previously stated it would be crucial to his party's pledge to slash annual energy bills by £300, but has not yet detailed how or when that could happen.

Responding to confirmation that Great British Energy will be located in Aberdeen, Russell Borthwick, chief executive at Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, said: "This is fantastic news for Aberdeen and will secure the North-east’s status as a global energy capital for many decades to come.

"We are home to over a thousand energy supply chain companies and the lion’s share of energy workers who stand ready to deliver the UK’s transition to net zero.

"Over 17GW of floating offshore wind projects will be deployed within 100 nautical miles of our city and 20,000 jobs are waiting to be created in Carbon Capture off the Buchan coast.

"With the people, skills, strategic infrastructure and future pipeline of projects already in place, the North-east of Scotland is ready to lead the way.

"However, we do not need to kill off one industry to grow another – in fact, the opposite is true, as one cannot exist without the other.

"We therefore urge the UK Government to use next month’s Budget to restore confidence in the North Sea to protect the jobs, supply chain and energy production we need to ensure a just transition."

Jean Morrison, chair of Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG), has welcomed the government’s decision to base GB Energy in Aberdeen.

She said: "We greatly welcome today’s announcement that Aberdeen will be the headquarters of GB Energy.

"Aberdeen and the north-east of Scotland have been at the heart of the UK’s energy sector for more than 50 years and having the government’s publicly owned energy company based in the city will allow us to build on its storied history in oil and gas and strengthen its position as a hub for the UK’s energy transition.

READ MORE: Where GB Energy could look to base its new headquarters in Aberdeen

"Aberdeen’s proximity to many of the offshore wind farms that secured licenses and support as part of the ScotWind leasing round and recent AR6 auction, in addition to other renewable energy initiatives, including the Acorn project and the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub, make the city ideally located as the headquarters of GB Energy.

"Today’s decision will help secure much needed investment for the sector, bringing forth exciting new opportunities for the city and crucially creating job security for the knowledgeable and skilled workers in Aberdeen’s energy industry as we work to meet net zero targets.

"However, the energy transition cannot happen in isolation and Aberdeen must play its role as part of the country’s wider efforts to decarbonise our energy system.

"AREG takes a collaborative approach to everything it does as it promotes the sector and works to accelerate decarbonisation by unlocking opportunities for its members both in the UK and overseas.

"With increasing support being awarded to north-east renewable energy projects, many of which involve AREG members, Aberdeen can enhance its position as a supply chain hub and become a true energy transition powerhouse."

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In a joint statement, Aberdeen City Council Co-Leaders, Councillors Ian Yuill and Christian Allard reacted: "We are delighted that GB Energy is going to be based in Aberdeen.

"As the energy capital of Europe, Aberdeen is best placed in Scotland to be home to the UK Government’s GB Energy headquarters.

"Aberdeen has been a magnet for energy investments for decades and the city has already established itself as a renewables hub with businesses investing in offshore wind and green hydrogen.

"This will help secure future investments in the sector and will help confirm Aberdeen as the Net Zero Capital of Europe.

"Aberdeen's entrepreneurial and innovative energy businesses have the people, the experience, the skills, and the business know-how in leading the energy transition worldwide."

Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, added: "It is fantastic – and fitting - news for Aberdeen that the Granite City is to be the home of GB Energy.

"For decades the north-east has been on the cutting edge of the energy sector in Europe – a place renowned for world-beating skills, experience and vision in this vital field and its transition to green and renewable resources. Today’s announcement by the Prime Minister will cement that reputation in the decades to come.

"There is no doubt Aberdeen is the best place for GB Energy to be based – and there is equally no doubt that base must be in the city centre itself.

"Having GB Energy’s talented workplace at the heart of the Granite City would send a clear and unmistakable message Aberdeen is open for business and act as a clarion call for others to follow suit in investing in our city centre and its regeneration."