Flagship energy firm recruiting ‘about two people a week’, boss reveals

The boss of Labour’s flagship energy firm said it is “recruiting at pace”, adding that Great British Energy is taking on “about two people a week”.

Dan McGrail however pledged that the publicly owned firm would invest in projects that could create 10,000 additional jobs – vowing that the “huge majority” of these would be in Scotland.

While there had been suggestions GB Energy would employ 1,000 people at its Aberdeen headquarters, Mr McGrail said they were anticipating employing 300 people there “by the middle of next year”.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast programme, Mr McGrail said that was the total in the strategic workforce plan, adding: “We’re halfway through recruiting that at the moment.”

The GB Energy chief executive confirmed the firm was “recruiting about two people a week at the moment”.

In the wake of the 2024 general election, GB Energy chairman Juergen Maier had told MPs the company could create more than 1,000 more jobs at its HQ – although he stated that total could take decades to achieve.

But Mr McGrail said that investment from the energy firm could create 10,000 additional jobs in the sector.

He told how GB Energy plans to “crowd in £15 billion of additional investment as a result of our activities”, with the firm investing in projects to deliver 15 gigawatts of electricity.

Mr McGrail continued: “We want to, as a result of that investment, create 10,000 additional jobs in the UK, the huge majority of those will be in Scotland.

“They’re the measures, writ large in our strategic plan, that I want to be held accountable for because they are absolutely what we believe we can deliver.”

His comments on jobs came in the wake of the King’s visit to the firm’s Aberdeen headquarters earlier this week.

Mr McGrail said the royal visit was about “saying we’re very much open for business”.

But Conservative MP for Aberdeen South Douglas Lumsden said if GB Energy is “only adding two employees a week, it raises serious questions about how the government expects to reach its stated target of 300 staff in any reasonable timeframe”.

The Tory stated: “Labour promised Great British Energy would deliver hundreds of jobs and boost confidence in the North East.

“But this admission suggests progress is falling so far short of the expectations they created.”