© Michael Behr/DCT Media The Scottish government is consulting on plans to increase the country’s offshore wind ambition to 40 GW of new capacity by 2040.
Speaking at Global Offshore Wind 2025 in London, Scottish cabinet secretary for climate action and energy Gillian Martin said the updated policy ambition “will reinforce our commitment to maximising deployment of offshore wind in Scotland and support the energy transition and realising the economic benefits that we all want to see.”
With Scotland’s current offshore wind capacity ambition sitting at 8-11 GW by 2030, the consultation reflects increased private sector interest in the ScotWind and Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) seabed leasing rounds.
“We want to see the maximum possible deployment of the Scottish offshore wind project pipeline while balancing the impact on the marine environment and, of course, other marine users – but also currently consulting on the draft of the Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy,” Martin added.
The consultation is set to run until 13 August, with the Sectoral Marine Plan also currently out for consultation.
Once finalised, the plan will set out a roadmap for the sustainable development of the ScotWind and INTOG leasing rounds.
However, Martin also noted that the offshore wind industry is being impacted by headwinds in the global economy.
“The scale of the prize, which is really a once-in-a-generation opportunity, is just too great to miss,” she said.
She called on the UK government to prioritise reforms to the contracts for different scheme, transmission charges and to bring forward grid connection dates to secure project delivery and build investor and supply chain confidence.
“Reforms must balance the reduction in cost for Scottish consumers, ensuring we all benefit from the energy transition, while supporting decarbonisation and regulatory certainty for current and future offshore wind projects,” she said.
Martin also welcomed the UK government’s announcement of £1 billion of public and private investment being made available to support the UK’s offshore wind supply chain and infrastructure.
“As a coastal nation with a strong heritage of offshore energy production, we know how critical ports are to unlocking Scotland’s offshore wind potential,” she said.
“To reap the maximum benefits from offshore wind deployment, we must secure these parts of the supply chain – especially our fabrication and manufacturing capabilities and of course, having a strong supply chain is also critical to investors and developers in the offshore wind sector.”
