This independent report gives:
• A summary of the status of the offshore wind supply chain in Scotland
• A Map of future deployment
• Scenarios of potential economic impact
• Recommendations for immediate action
Summary of Recommendations
Recommendation One: The offshore wind sector’s priority must be the establishment of
a collaboration framework focused on building confidence amongst Scottish ports, so that
required investment is brought forward in time. The immediate priority of such a
collaborative framework is supporting the creation of a Scottish Floating Offshore Wind
Port Cluster.
Recommendation Two: Support Scottish suppliers and get them ready to bid for and win
work
The working of the CfD process creates built in advantages for market incumbents so can
make it hard for new entrants to break into the market. To address this specific support is
needed to support Scottish suppliers get ready to bid for work. The offshore wind industry
can help this by taking responsibility for opening up contracting activity, and in particular
ensuring tier one contractors work with the Scottish supply chain. Government can help
Scottish-based EPCI expertise in oil and gas transition into offshore wind.
Recommendation Three: Celebrate and sell Scottish success
If Scotland is to attract investment to build a successful Scottish Floating Offshore Wind
Port Cluster, there is a need to better tell the story and build up Scotland’s reputation for
high quality engineering and sub-sea expertise. Scotland needs to be active selling
Scotland as a leading floating wind market and as a market that can support other global
markets as they embark on energy transition.
Recommendation Four: Plan for future growth and the next generation of innovations
While offshore wind is a mature technology, the market is still evolving and needs to
innovate to stay competitive. However, more needs to be done to think more clearly about
how the market in Scotland supports innovation in offshore wind and across the different stages of technology readiness. More support and focus are needed to allow near-commercial technologies to grow and succeed.
Recommendation Five: Plan for energy transition and a future of far-from-shore, mixed-
use energy projects