Five years ago, the UK Government announced its net zero by 2050 target and became the first major economy to pass a net zero emissions law. Already halfway to meeting this target, the UK is cutting its emissions and making good progress but must go further.
Increasing clean energy generation will be key to reaching net zero, helping to decarbonise everything from our homes and cars to heavy industries. Global spending on renewables is expected to be over £1.5 trillion in 2024. Here Scotland’s bountiful natural resources provide a unique opportunity to attract investment whilst reaffirming our energy transition.
When it comes to wind power, our climate is a clear advantage. Scotland is no stranger to windy days and so, we’re in a great position to harness our abundant wind and convert it into clean electricity. This has seen us rank among the top countries globally for wind power, contributing around 39% of UK, 5% of European and 1% of global capacity.
Yet we are far from reaching the potential of this immense resource. Out in the North Sea, famously choppy and turbulent, wind speeds far off the coast are stronger and more consistent than they are inland, unimpeded by the windbreaks, such as buildings or trees, prevalent onshore. For engineers like me, this is a hugely exciting opportunity.
There is now a global race to take offshore wind turbines into deeper waters, where they can access this abundant resource. Scotland has already pioneered floating offshore wind farms, secured to the seabed with mooring lines, through projects like Kincardine and Hywind Scotland. Now, we can be at the forefront as this new technology scales. Globally, close to 80% of offshore wind resource potential lies in waters deeper than 60m, where traditional seabed-fixed structures become impractical. With UK Government ambitions to reach up to 5GW of floating offshore wind by 2030, Scotland is well placed to continue leading the world in this important sector.
I work on the Green Volt offshore floating wind farm project, set to be built off the North Sea coast by partners Flotation Energy and Vårgrønn. After securing onshore and offshore planning approvals in a record 13 months, Green Volt is set to become Europe’s first and largest commercial scale floating offshore windfarm with up to 560MW of renewable generation.
Most of Green Volt’s renewable electricity will flow to the UK grid but the wind farm will also reduce offshore emissions by providing power to nearby oil and gas platforms. The project will create thousands of jobs and deliver £3bn of overall economic activity, including around £1bn directly into Scotland’s economy.
Scotland is world renowned for its engineering and energy expertise. Our heritage lies in oil and gas, but floating offshore wind offers a renewed opportunity for Scotland to be a global leader in a new sector. The blustery North Sea lies right on our doorstep; we need to take advantage of all that it offers to meet our climate targets, boost our economy and protect our energy workforce.
Alexander Quayle is Project Director of Flotation Energy
Agenda is a column for outside contributors. Contact: agenda@theherald.co.uk
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