GB Energy will be the catalyst for the UK winning the world race on green energy, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray has said.

Mr Murray also said the fact the company will be headquartered in Aberdeen sends out a “very strong signal of Scotland’s importance to delivering our manifesto commitments on the green energy mission”.

Sir Keir Starmer used his first Labour party conference speech as Prime Minister in September to announce that the new, publicly owned, clean energy company would be based in Aberdeen.

Speaking at the Scottish Affairs Committee on Wednesday, Mr Murray said the size of the organisation would be comparable with other bodies and he expects it to employ about 200-300 people.

He said: “I would hope they’d be headquartered in Aberdeen.

“But, of course, they will have to be based across the country, because we’ve heard from another gentleman who represents some of the most rural communities in Scotland that they have to be on the ground delivering, so it will be investing in generating, owning, being the catalyst for energy generation across the whole of the United Kingdom.”

Mr Murray said that delivering clean power by 2030 and reaching the UK’s net-zero ambitions will be be “tough” but that the country is sending out the message that it is “determined” to deliver on this, and stressed Scotland’s importance.

He was also asked by Labour MP Lillian Jones about reports that the chairman of GB Energy, Juergen Maier, will be based in Manchester rather than Aberdeen, and what message he thinks that sends about Scotland’s role in delivering net zero.

He told the committee: “Ultimately, it’s great that GB energy is headquartered in Scotland. It’s great that it’s headquartered in Aberdeen.

“I think that sends out a very strong signal of Scotland’s importance to delivering our manifesto commitments on the green energy mission.”

He said the chairpeople of many companies are not necessarily based in the place where the companies are headquartered and the key thing for the role of a chairperson is that it is someone who has been around the industry, talking to people and engaging stakeholders.

Referring to Mr Maier, Mr Murray said: “He is incredibly well respected across the whole of industry and they very much welcome the discussions that they’ve had with him already, and they will continue.

“And wherever you go in the world, as I said, the Scotland Office went to Norway two weeks ago, we had a round table with energy companies.

“Norway is looking to Scotland, and particularly on offshore floating wind, because we are the world leaders in this.

“This is a world race, and we don’t just want to be part of that race, we want to win it, and we’ve got all the attributes to win it, and GB Energy is the catalyst for us to be able to do that.”