2020 will see the launch of the first offshore wind leasing round in Scotland for a decade, and the first by Crown Estate Scotland. It presents a significant opportunity to match Scotland’s ambitious Net Zero targets with practical action.
Colin Palmer, Director of Marine for Crown Estate Scotland, said: “Scotland has a unique potential when it comes to offshore wind, and we are committed to doing all we can to unlock that opportunity.
“As well as the environmental benefits of clean, green, energy, offshore wind also offers a fantastic opportunity for economic development in communities across Scotland. ScotWind Leasing will present Scotland as an attractive destination for the significant investment needed to deliver the scale of offshore wind projects we want to see.”
Economy Secretary Derek Mackay said: “The measures agreed with Crown Estate Scotland will help to release more of those economic benefits for the Scottish economy and ensure that the Scottish-based supply chain is considered when tendering for work or making long-term conditions.”
ScotWind Leasing is planned to launch in Spring 2020.
As part of future applications to ScotWind Leasing, developers will provide a Supply Chain Development Statement laying out the anticipated level and location of supply chain impact from each phase of their proposed project. These commitments will then be formally incorporated in to each ScotWind agreement and updated throughout the project development as plans become more defined.
The Statement will be provided by developers alongside any initial application for seabed rights and will be shared with public sector partners including the Scottish Government and enterprise agencies.
This mechanism will provide increased openness and transparency from the start of a project for developers, government and enterprise agencies to help identify joint opportunities and develop supply chain networks. It also provides developers with a clear route to demonstrate their progress on the industry’s stated supply chain ambitions.
Applicants will make a commitment to developing their projects in a way which supports supply chain growth and proactively engages with suppliers both in their locality and around Scotland.