Floating wind turbines Hywind Five recommendations are presented in the report, aimed at transforming how Scottish companies secure offshore wind operations. The Independent Strategic Investment Assessment (SIA) report was commissioned by the Scottish Offshore Wind Council, a government-industry group chaired by Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise Evan Mackie and Brian MacFarlane of SSE Renewables. The work was led by Professor Sir Jim MacDonald, who said: “Scotland is a leader in climate action as well as in low-carbon technology, research and innovation with a commitment to an equitable energy transition. Scotland will be one of the first countries in the world to look to deliver floating offshore winds at scale. If Scottish companies have been involved in this first generation of offshore floating wind projects, they will be in a position to sell this expertise around the world.However, winning this opportunity takes team effort and determination.Ministers and industry leaders in Scotland must clearly understand and They provide the level of commitment and work required and create the opportunity for an effective partnership if we are to increase Scottish success.” The report’s five main recommendations are: The priority for the offshore wind sector should be to establish a cooperation framework focused on building trust between Scottish ports, so that the required investment is made in a timely manner. An immediate priority for this collaborative framework is to support the creation of the Scottish Floating Offshore Wind Harbor Group. Support Scottish suppliers and get them ready to bid and win business; Celebrate Scottish success and sell it; Planning for future growth and the next generation of innovations; Planning for the energy transition and future of offshore and mixed-use energy projects. Offshore winds are a major economic opportunity for Scotland. Scottish projects installed between today and 2027 could generate a total lifetime expenditure of £18.8 billion, resulting in an average of 1,900 direct jobs per year during construction and 1,100 jobs per year during 25-30 years of operations. ScotWind’s upcoming rental round could create 5,000 jobs per year during construction and 2,800 per year over 25-30 years of operations, with total Scottish jobs peaking at 6,000 in 2032/33. The SIA recommends focusing on bringing the manufacturing of floating offshore wind platforms to Scotland through the establishment of the Scottish Floating Offshore Wind Port Group, with ports working in partnership to provide the required infrastructure area and capacity to attract manufacturers to use Scottish ports and invest in Scotland. It highlights a ‘low regret’ option to invest in an additional 22 hectares of port capacity suitable to manufacture an offshore wind platform that could provide £1.5 billion in economic benefits to Scotland. This initial investment could help support long-term growth in the port space, and further investment in port capacity could increase this amount to £4.5 billion. The report says a new partnership approach will be needed to help the ports invest so they are ready to support projects coming from the current leasing round at ScotWind operated by Crown Estate Scotland. The industry needs to learn from sectors such as oil and gas and develop a collaborative framework that can articulate the expected industry needs. She says the Scottish and UK governments need help with early investment to build world-class port facilities. The SIA also identifies Scottish subsea engineering firms as a priority group well suited to offshore wind, and puts in place a set of measures to help them better interact and win business from the best offshore wind companies. The report makes it clear that Scotland needs to prioritize efforts to increase the economic value held in Scotland. Each additional 1% of Scottish content secured from ScotWind projects can generate an additional 6,400 FTE years in Scotland. “The offshore wind sector plays a vital role in decarbonizing our energy system and ensuring we become a zero-economy by 2045,” said Matheson. With a pipeline of new projects to be made available through the first cycle of the ScotWind lease, the Scottish Government has committed to developing this Strategic Investment Assessment within the Government’s first 100 days as we strive to better support the offshore wind energy supply chain and create more quality and environmentally friendly jobs as we provide Fair transition to net zero. “I am grateful to Professor Sir Jim MacDonald and his team for providing the report, which sets out a clear path for the steps we must take to seize the economic opportunity this presents for Scotland. With COP26 in Glasgow approaching, this is an ideal opportunity to demonstrate the action we are taking on renewable energy, and I look forward to continuing Engage with SOWEC as we move forward with recommendations.” Brian MacFarlane, SOWEC Sector Co-Head, said: “SOWEC welcomes this important report and the clear priorities it sets for action. The report rightly indicates that action is needed before the end of 2021 so that Scotland is properly organized to secure work from this pipeline when the next generation emerges. From projects from ScotWind’s Rental Round. Jonathan Cole, managing overseas managing director of Iberdrola Renewables and a member of the SIA Executive Committee, said: “Scotland is the windiest country in Europe, with the largest offshore sector and the most experienced supply chain, so we are ideally positioned to create a new floating offshore industry that supports the energy transition and does not leave Everyone is left behind – people, businesses and communities.Today’s report sets out the strategic framework to ensure we can reap the benefits of this across the supply chain and across the country.With just over ten weeks until COP26 begins on our doorstep, we need to embrace the impulse The collective determination of the Scottish offshore wind industry to make this happen and ensure we can all enjoy a better, faster future.” Jim Smith, Managing Director of SSE Renewables and member of the SIA Executive Committee, said: “This is an important report that comes at a vital time as Scotland is accelerating its drive towards net zero. Offshore wind will play an important role in powering this drive, which is why the developers’ ability and commitment to realize Scotland’s ambitions to secure 10GW of serious offshore wind capacity This under ScotWind is critical. Equally important is the ability of industry and government to collaborate to create an investment environment that allows Scotland’s supply chain, including our ports, to take advantage of the opportunities. The SOWEC report highlights critical steps needed quickly so that the Scottish supply chain can successfully secure high-value contracts from the next round of new offshore wind projects.” Have a story? Email [email protected].
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