GB Energy jobs ads go live as Shanks appears in Aberdeen

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has shared a number of Aberdeen-based job ads relating to Great British Energy.

The hotly-anticipated location of the publicly-owned energy firm is yet to be revealed with Keir Starmer’s party committing to have the headquarters somewhere in Scotland.

Previously the list of possible cities for GB Energy’s base had been narrowed down to Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

This comes as energy minister Michael Shanks spends time in Aberdeen to meet with the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) and Offshore Energies UK (OEUK).

At an industry event in Aberdeen on Thursday night, Shanks told attendees that the location of GB Energy’s HQ will be revealed “early next month.”

At an awards event in Aberdeen on Thursday the new UK energy minister joked about making a “big announcement” about GB Energy but then repeated that location would be in Scotland.

Today Shanks will be handed a report from OEUK calling for a £150 million investment pot to support the UK’s supply chain on the road to net zero.

DESNZ has posted an engagement lead job ad on its LinkedIn while also promoting other positions within the Granite City. There are also GB energy positions up for grabs in Edinburgh.

In the engagement lead job description, DESNZ wrote: “This role is critical to the success of the Great British Energy set-up.”

In addition to Aberdeen, this role is also available for Birmingham, Cardiff, Darlington, Salford and Edinburgh.

Local business backing for GB Energy Aberdeen HQ

The job listings come as sources close to the Scotland Office say the decision to locate GB Energy in Aberdeen has been confirmed but not yet announced.

But there are still those who think Glasgow or Edinburgh will be confirmed.

Aberdeen Labour councillor Tauqeer Malik recently said the “negativity” of local business leaders will be to blame if his party does not select the Granite City as the headquarters for GB Energy.

The leader of the Labour group on Aberdeen City Council, argued that the actions of Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) would make it “extremely difficult” for the new UK government to have “confidence with business” in the north east.

This was after the chamber said that the publicly owned energy company “must be located in Aberdeen” in an open letter to Keir Starmer, Ed Miliband and Anas Sarwar.

A total of 750 local voices, including billionaire oil tycoon Sir Ian Wood, have backed the campaign being led by AGCC.

A van outside Westminster calling on the UK government to headquarter its planned GB Energy in Aberdeen as part of a campaign by Aberdeen Grampian Chamber of Commerce.

Russell Borthwick, the chamber’s chief executive, said: “Headquartering GB Energy in Aberdeen will send a clear message that the city region will remain a globally recognised energy hub and the engine room for a green transition.

“The business community of Aberdeen and Grampian is calling on Labour to recognise our strengths, to put their faith in us, and to locate Great British Energy in Aberdeen.”

Over 200 companies from across the hospitality, transport, and property sectors signed the letter.

Kier Starmer and Ed Miliband have announced that the former chief executive of Siemens UK Juergen Maier will chair GB Energy.

The Manchester-based boss said that the state-owned firm will ensure that “British people reap the benefits of clean, secure, home-grown energy.”