Businesses working in Scotland’s offshore wind supply chain are highlighted in a new report by Scottish Renewables.
The document showcases a snapshot of 17 companies which were active in offshore wind in 2018-19, the majority of which are home-grown SMEs.
Claire Mack, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, commented on the report: “Scotland’s combination of exceptional wind speeds and a history of innovation and engineering make it one of the best places in Europe to develop offshore wind, and we are keen to maintain that status.
“The projects which are now starting to build out show the scale of the prize for supply chain companies and this document was brought together to showcase just some of them.
“From digital and data to shipping and safety, the opportunities created by this relatively new sector are almost limitless. Industry is determined to work with supply chain companies at all scales to ensure they capture the maximum possible benefit from offshore wind for Scotland.”
The Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council, which launched last month, has an ambition that the amount of offshore wind installed in Scottish waters will increase eightfold by 2030, building enough capacity to power every household in Scotland twice over.
The council, which is co-chaired by Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse and Brian McFarlane, SSE Renewables’ Head of Projects for offshore development, also commits to increasing local content in line with the ambitions set out in the UK Sector Deal, developing a sustainable, ‘world-class supply’ chain in Scotland.
The council works with the two offshore wind clusters, which have been set up as geographically-linked groups of organisations working in the sector.
Both Scottish clusters welcomed the report’s publication.
Isla Robb, Forth & Tay Offshore Cluster Lead, said: “Scotland’s offshore wind sector has achieved some major milestones in recent months, due in no small part to the hard work and determination of our supply chain companies.
“I therefore welcome this new report from Scottish Renewables, highlighting some of their recent achievements at home and abroad. I’m confident we’ll see ever more examples of success in the years to come as we continue to develop Scotland’s offshore wind capabilities to make the most of the opportunities presented by this fast growing sector.”
The new report, titled ‘Scotland’s Offshore Wind Sector: Supply Chain Impact 2018-19’, is available to download here.
