GB Energy Chair Outlines Aberdeen HQ Jobs May Hit Over 1000

(Update) October 11, 2024, 4:51 AM EST: Article updated with OEUK statement.

In the first sitting of the Great British Energy Bill, which was debated on October 8 and transcribed on the UK parliament website, Juergen Maier, the Chair of Great British Energy (GBE), outlined that the number of jobs in GBE’s headquarters “may eventually be 1,000 or more”.

“We have not been able to put a direct number on it yet,” Maier said in the sitting, the site showed.

“I very much see the role of Great British Energy as that of an enabler to get … new technologies on to the grid, and as that of an investor and co-investor. It will take quite a team of people and skills to achieve that,” he added.

In a statement posted on its website, the Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) “welcomed the ambition to create over 1,000 jobs”.

AGCC Chief Executive Russell Borthwick said in the statement, “the firms we represent – operators, supply chain and service sector which have supported the North Sea industry over many decades – are taking a keen interest in how GB Energy will work with them to accelerate renewables projects and give confidence to the sector through strong and informed leadership from government which has been sadly lacking over recent years”.

“A government willing to remove the obstacles to transition by introducing pace, cutting red tape, greasing the wheels on planning and consenting for projects, while co-funding innovative projects will find willing partners in industry here ready to work with them,” he added.

Rigzone contacted industry body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) for comment on Maier’s statement. In response, OEUK Supply Chain & People Director Katy Heidenreich said, “we welcome the potential job creation and economic growth that Great British Energy brings”.

“The announcement that its headquarters will be based in Aberdeen is a clear signal the government seeks to collaborate with industry as we navigate the energy transition,” Heidenrich added.

“The UK energy supply chain that is servicing the oil and gas industry, and the highly skilled workers they employ, has highly transferable capabilities in wind, CCS and hydrogen. But huge investment is needed,” the OEUK representative went on to state.

“Growing UK supply chain is fundamental to delivering GB Energy’s objectives – if we get this right – if GB Energy works in partnership with the oil and gas sector, GB Energy can help crowd in further [capital] investment,” Heidenrich continued.

“We look forward to working with GBE and the government to ensure that all energy sectors, including oil and gas, have a seat at the table when it comes to building our homegrown energy future,” Heidenrich went on to note.

Rigzone has contacted the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) for comment on the AGCC and OEUK statements. At the time of writing, DESZN has not yet responded to Rigzone’s requests.

In a statement posted on its website this week, OEUK highlighted that its Chief Executive, David Whitehouse, presented evidence to the Great British Energy Bill committee, “emphasizing the strength of the UK’s energy sector and its potential for future growth”.

“We are so lucky in this country that we have brilliant people, we have a world-class supply chain, we’re lucky that the wind blows, and we have the North Sea and other assets,” Whitehouse stated in his submission, the site showed.

“We must make best use of it,” he added.

A release posted on the UK government’s website last month revealed that GBE will be headquartered in Aberdeen, with two smaller sites in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

“As the location of the new headquarters, Aberdeen will be at the heart of the company’s plans to scale up clean homegrown power to boost energy independence, create skilled jobs across the UK and, to support economic growth,” that release stated.

“Two additional sites will open in Edinburgh and Glasgow, once Great British Energy is up and running, to benefit from local skills and expertise. The company will be initially located in government buildings across the cities, while permanent bases are established,” it added.

The release noted that the development “marks the next step to kickstart Great British Energy, as part of its mission to become a clean energy superpower”. It added that an interim Chief Executive would “soon … be appointed to take the lead on launching the new company and building its Aberdeen base – along with the start-up Chair Juergen Maier, former CEO of Siemens UK”.

The UK government website states that GBE’s mission will be to drive clean energy deployment to create jobs, boost energy independence, and ensure UK taxpayers, billpayers and communities reap the benefits of clean, secure, home-grown energy.

“This mission will be delivered through the following five functions; Project investment and ownership; Project development; Local Power Plan; Supply chain; Great British Nuclear,” the site adds.

The Great British Energy Bill was introduced to Parliament on July 25 to establish Great British Energy as a publicly owned and operationally independent energy company, the government site notes.

Oil and gas production supports over 200,000 jobs in the UK, of which around 84,000 are in Scotland, according to a fact page on OEUK’s website.

To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com