Climate crisis: Scotland opens seabed to £8bn worth of offshore wind

First such project in a decade could deliver ‘more than enough’ renewable electricity to power every Scottish household, says Crown Estate Scotland

Wind farm off the coast of Aberdeen, eastern Scotland, an area usually associated with the oil and gas industries (Getty)

Scotland could soon see up to £8bn worth of investment in offshore wind power — enough to power every household in the country — as the seabed has been opened to new wind farm developments for the first time in a decade.

Crown Estate Scotland, which manages the seabed around the country, has launched a new round of offshore wind leasing that it says will “form a major part of Scotland’s green recovery” and “help power the transition to a net zero future”.

If the maximum efficiencies are realised, the decision could prevent six million tonnes of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere each year, the organisation said.

The Scottish government is committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2045, five years earlier than the rest of the UK.

The investment round, called ScotWind Leasing, allows companies to apply to build the new generation of offshore wind farms.

John Robertson, Crown Estate Scotland’s head of energy and infrastructure, said: “Today is a huge step forward in kick-starting Scotland’s green recovery, meeting net zero targets and bringing multi-billion pound investments to benefit communities across the nation.

“Offshore wind is currently one of the cheapest forms of new electricity generation and Scotland is perfectly poised to host major new projects, with a well-established energy skills sector as well as some of the best natural marine resources in Europe.”

Scotland’s energy minister, Paul Wheelhouse, said: “The launch of ScotWind — the first offshore wind leasing round to be administered in Scotland — is a very important milestone for Crown Estate Scotland and Scottish Ministers, but also marks another pivotal moment for the development of our offshore wind sector and also presents an opportunity to help develop our strategic economic response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As we emerge from the crisis, we have a chance to re-imagine the Scotland around us, and to begin building a greener, fairer and more equal society and economy, one in which wellbeing, fair work and social justice are prioritised.

“Our seas are host to some of the best offshore wind resources in the world, supporting the continuing growth and expansion of the sector. We want to harness this huge resource for our energy system, unlocking significant investment in the supply chain to create more green jobs across the sector and, importantly, to do so in a way that gives due regard to our marine environment and other marine activities.

“My colleagues and I encourage all interested applicants to get involved in ScotWind, to bring forward projects which will help us drive forward Scotland’s green recovery and our transition to becoming a net-zero society by 2045.”

As of Wednesday, investors and developers will be able to register interest in obtaining an “option agreement” with Crown Estate Scotland. These can then lead to the signing of leases to build offshore wind farms in one of the areas of seabed to be outlined as suitable in The Scottish Government’s Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy.