Oil giant GDF Suez to move to new £16m Granite City headquarters

By SCOTT REID
Published on 31/01/2013 00:00

North Sea driller GDF Suez plans to relocate its fast-growing Aberdeen operation after agreeing a £16 million office deal – one of the city’s biggest for years.

The French-owned business is expected to move its staff and contractors into the five-storey development in summer 2014. The building will be able to house up to 200 people.

Miller Cromdale – a joint venture between Edinburgh-based Miller Developments and Aberdeen group Cromdale – said yesterday that it had agreed a forward funding deal with investment firm Tritax to develop the 40,000sq ft site as North 
Esplanade West.

At present, GDF Suez is split across three locations in 
Aberdeen – City Wharf, Holburn House and Union Plaza. The move will see the firm consolidate its various teams into a single operation. It is occupying the new building on a 15-year lease.

Jean-Claude Perdigues, managing director of GDF Suez E&P UK, said: “The new Aberdeen office underlines our commitment to the UK North Sea as we invest in existing and new exploration and production developments. This new office comes only three years after establishing a UK operations base in Union Plaza.”

Pamela Grant, development director at Miller Cromdale, added: “Work has already started on site and we now look forward to delivering this prestigious office development for GDF Suez.

“North Esplanade West is a prime office location and this latest development further complements the work that we have been involved in to regenerate the North Dee Business Quarter.”