Anas Sarwar visits Germany 'to discuss how Scotland can lead on clean energy'

ANAS Sarwar is set to travel to Germany to "discuss how Scotland can become a world-leader in clean energy".

The Scottish Labour group leader will visit Stuttgart in the German state of Baden-Württemberg to meet with representatives of publicly owned energy company EnBW.

While based in Germany, the firm has as many holdings in the UK as it does in Baden-Württemberg, including the rights to build several offshore windfarms in Scotland.

EnBW has operations throughout the energy supply chain from generation to retail with revenues in 2022 totalling more than €56 billion and a workforce of over 26,000.

A total of 97.5% of EnBW’s shares are held by the state of Baden-Württemberg and its local municipalities.

“After 14 years of Tory failure, the Labour Government is acting now to unlock Scotland’s clean energy potential,” said Sarwar.

“To make sure that GB Energy is the success that we all want it to be, it is important to meet with other leading companies in the sector and learn from their successes.

Keir Starmer has said the creation of GB Energy will bring down energy bills (Image: Paul Campbell/PA Wire) “While the SNP and Tories have held Scotland back, companies owned by other states such as EnBW have been success stories.

“That’s why it is vital that we learn from their successes so that we can make GB Energy the success that we all want it to be."

He added: “Scottish Labour’s energy plans centre on four clear principles – more jobs, lower bills, energy security and climate leadership."

Sarwar’s promise that GB Energy will lower energy bills faced scrutiny from SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn last week.

GB Energy chair Professor Juergen Maier faced MPs during the committee stage of the Great British Energy Bill, with Flynn grilling Maier on when Labour’s promise that GB Energy would reduce energy bills would come to fruition.

Maier said: "The only way to get energy bills down and indeed to get greater energy security is to get more renewable energy onto the grid."

However, he did say whether or by how much the company would reduce energy bills.

“That is not the scope of great British energy and is not scope of the bill either,” he said.

GB Energy will be headquartered in Aberdeen with further satellite offices in other parts of Scotland.