Let's grow Scotland’s robust pipeline of renewables talent

AT Ørsted, our vision is a world that runs entirely on green energy. But we know we can’t do it alone. It’s going to take the skills, ingenuity, and determination of hundreds of thousands of individuals to fully realise the global transition from a fossil fuel-based economy to a renewable one.

The offshore wind industry in the UK alone is going to need about 104,000 people by 2030, according to a report released in June by the Offshore Wind Industry Council. Currently, there are about 32,000 people working in the industry.

So, the current workforce needs to more than triple in less than seven years to meet demand. 

With 30 percent of renewable jobs in Scotland, it already employs the greatest number of people in the industry in the UK. Given the region’s maturity in the energy sector, that number is only expected to grow, according to the skills report. 

With so much of the industry’s growth expected in Scotland, that will require extensive skills training, upskilling, and job transitioning to meet the demands of the fast-growing industry. 

That’s why we are committed to working with the Scottish government, primary and secondary schools, universities, organisations like Scottish Renewables and joint venture partners like Subsea7 to do educational outreach, apprenticeships, and jobs training. 

Our aim is to help develop a robust renewable energy talent pipeline and help local communities take full advantage of the employment opportunities that the green energy transition presents to them. 

DEVELOPING SCOTLAND’S TALENT PIPELINE
GIVEN its rich history in the offshore oil and gas industry, it’s no surprise that Scotland is dominant in renewable energy as well. The region is well-poised to build off its deep well of expertise and talent. 

The Scottish Government has set an ambition to grow onshore wind to 20 GW by 2030, while Crown Estate Scotland has leased seabed for over 33 GW of offshore wind between its recent ScotWind and INTOG leasing rounds. 

Scotland is also expected to be at the forefront of innovations in floating offshore wind with the majority of the UK Government’s goal for 5 GW of floating by 2030 expected to be in Scottish waters. 

At Ørsted, we’re focused on building not just our own talent pipeline, but the larger renewable industry pipeline to meet Scotland’s aspiring green energy goals.

We’re supporters of the PowerHouse, a new offshore renewables skills and innovation hub in the Scottish Highlands that’s focused on developing the skills needed to work in the floating offshore wind and green hydrogen industries.

And in the northeast of Scotland, we are working with the charity TechFest as part of our joint venture floating offshore wind projects Stromar and Salamander. We’re sponsoring their STEM

Next project, a competition that challenges 16-18-year-old students to research and write an essay themed around energy, medicine, or science. 

We’ve also teamed up the social enterprise organisation Stemettes  and are working with them to inspire and support the next generation of girls, young women, and non-binary young people as they pursue careers in the green energy sector. 

We’re also sponsoring a skills event at the upcoming RenewableUK/Scottish Renewables Floating Wind Conference in Aberdeen on 4-5 October where we’ll showcase the many career opportunities available in wind to the next generation. And given the breadth of what’s needed to achieve the energy transition, the opportunities feel limitless. 

If Scotland truly wants to realise the green energy transition, an estimated 14,000 people in the region could move from oil and gas to renewable roles and up to 16,000 new people will need to join the industry between 20022 and 2030, according to a May 2022 study by Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University.  

But, given Scotland’s decades of energy expertise, it is extremely well positioned to make the green energy transition. Over 90 percent of Northeast Scotland’s existing oil and gas workforce has medium/high skills transferability to adjacent energy sectors, according to the RGU study. 

And a wide variety of organisations and companies are helping the region use all of those skills and capabilities necessary to deliver the energy transition.

For instance, last year Scottish Renewables broadened its range of services to introduce an expert team to support the renewable energy supply chain and those transitioning into the industry from other sectors such as oil and gas.

“Our team supports the existing and emerging renewable energy supply chain and works closely with the UK and Scottish Governments to support businesses who have ambitions to work in areas including onshore and offshore wind, low-carbon heat, and green hydrogen,” said Emma Harrick, Head of Energy Transition and Supply Chain at Scottish Renewables. 

“We are always on hand to support businesses considering the opportunities available in this industry as the sector builds the specialist supply chain it will need to fulfil the future pipeline of renewable energy projects in Scotland,” she added. 

Ørsted apprentice wind turbine technician Haidee Barclay and graduate Benjamin Hancox spoke with students from schools, universities, and colleges across Scotland at the Offshore Wind Industry Awareness Event in Aberdeen. Photograph: Ailsa Nicol/ Ørsted

SUBSEA7: BUILDING OFF OF DECADES OF EXPERIENCE
SUBSEA7, one of our joint venture partners on Salamander, the innovative 100 MW floating offshore wind project off the northeast coast of Scotland, is an excellent example of a company that is already at the forefront of the energy transition. 

As a global leader in the delivery of offshore projects and services for the energy industry, with over 13,000 employees worldwide in over 30 countries, and over 1,100 employees in Scotland, Subsea7 has decades of experience working with the oil and gas industry. About 14 years ago they began working on seabed-fixed offshore wind.

Over the last six years, they have evolved their experience in offshore energy to help make possible the next frontier: floating offshore wind.

“Dynamic cables, moorings, floating structures, we've done all of that before for over 50 years in the oil and gas sector. Now we're coupling that with our experience in seabed-fixed wind to bring floating wind,” said

Liam Macintyre, Subsea7’s Strategies Director for the Energy Transition who is based in Aberdeen.  

Macintyre explained that in terms of what Subsea7 does, the company’s skills are very transferable from oil and gas to renewables like offshore wind. He explained that when it comes to creating a floating system for an oil and gas platform or for a floating wind turbine, the expansive expertise of Subsea7’s offshore energy technicians and engineers can cover both.

“Whether it's a dynamic cable or a dynamic pipeline coming up to a floating object, we adopt the same principles," said Macintyre. “I would say for our skill set, there are many transferable skills.”

Now, all those decades of experience are coming together to usher in the next wave of offshore energy. 

“If you think that our playing field is offshore energy, then floating wind sits right at the centre of that. And we've got all the capabilities required to make that happen,” said Macintyre. “We think we can make a material difference there.” 

Subsea7 is just one of the many public and private partners we are working with to help Scotland deliver on both its goals to support a vibrant renewable energy sector and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2045. 

By supporting extensive skills training, upskilling, and job transitioning, together we can develop new energy systems for the future, invest in communities, build skills, create jobs, and create lasting positive 
community impacts.  
 

www.orsted.co.uk