GB Energy will not have its own headquarters in Aberdeen, The National can reveal.
Labour’s energy “investment vehicle” will instead be based in a building which is shared with oil companies.
It is unclear how much space is available for GB Energy given the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) already occupies space in the building.
READ MORE: Labour detail plans to bypass Holyrood with £1.4bn 'direct investment' in Scotland
A DESNZ spokesperson also declined to say how many GB Energy staff it was planning on hiring, instead saying: “The exact number of roles in Great British Energy will be driven by the organisational structures and priorities.”
The AB1 building on Huntly Street where DESNZ is based is made up of three floors of office space, with the websites of local estate agents confirming other occupants include Shell and Dana Petroleum, both of which extract oil and gas from the North Sea.
A DESNZ spokesperson added: “We are ramping up recruitment into initial key roles across Great British Energy’s board.
READ MORE: Labour Budget raises '£500 million questions for Scotland', First Minister says
“Workforce planning activity is under way to ensure we have the right skills, across the right locations, to ensure Great British Energy delivers maximum impact and accelerates billions in investment in renewable energy projects.”
We previously reported that the new boss of GB Energy, Juergen Maier, will not take up an office in Aberdeen but will instead be based in a government building in Salford, Greater Manchester.
The MSP added: “But what we have still to do is open the headquarters, which we have committed in Aberdeen, and the staff will be working from Aberdeen to deliver the outcomes from GB Energy.”
This week also saw Labour MPs vote against an amendment to the GB Energy Bill which would make reducing household energy bills by £300 a priority.
Scottish Labour did not respond to a request for comment.
‘How they plan on playing a meaningful part in a just transition is beyond me’
The SNP’s MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Jackie Dunbar, has slammed the decision to base GB Energy in a shared building with the DESNZ, arguing it poses questions about “what GB Energy is actually going to do”.
Dunbar told The National: “When Labour said that GB Energy will be headquartered in Aberdeen, few took that to mean it would be based in an existing civil service office block.
“This poses yet more questions about what GB Energy is actually going to do and whether it will truly be based in the north east.
“How they plan to play a meaningful part in a just transition and the future of Scotland’s energy resources – and oil and gas workers – from a couple of spare offices in an existing government building is beyond me.”
READ MORE: Calls for Labour MP to 'fact check first' after false Scottish sewage leak claim
Dunbar argued the move “shows a total lack of seriousness and carelessness towards Scotland’s just transition”.
She added: “The more we know about GB Energy the clearer it becomes that Scotland’s resources will only be safe in Scotland’s hands."
Meanwhile, Alba Party general secretary Chris McEleny (below) called GB Energy a “Westminster con” which was “trying to hoodwink people into thinking Labour have a bright plan for Scotland”.
“In reality they are embarking on the run down and sabotage of jobs in the North Sea,” he told The National.
McEleny continued: “Labour said GB Energy would create jobs and reduce bills but they refuse to say how many jobs Scotland will get and by how our bills will drop. “Scotland is an energy rich country but our people are living in fuel poverty.
“It is absurd and no amount of smoke and mirror tricks by the Labour Party will convince people otherwise.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel