Scottish companies are to benefit from steps to increase the number of offshore wind contracts staying in Scotland
Offshore wind developers will have to agree on supply chain commitments when applying for offshore wind leases, under an agreement between the Scottish Government and Crown Estate Scotland.
Scotland’s economy secretary Derek Mackay said, “Scotland is the ideal location for offshore wind, but recent projects have not delivered the significant economic opportunities we want to see for Scottish businesses.
“The Scottish Government has been calling for the offshore sector to do more by awarding contracts to our indigenous supply chain but recent disappointments suggest that more has to be done.
“I will use every lever at our disposal to ensure our renewables supply chain benefits from the expansion of offshore wind in our waters, leading to the creation and retention of Scottish jobs.
“The measures agreed with Crown Estate Scotland will help to release more of those economic benefits for the Scottish economy and ensure the Scottish-based supply chain is considered when tendering for work or making long-term conditions.”
Crown Estate Scotland director of marine Colin Palmer said, “Scotland has unique potential when it comes to offshore wind and we are committed to doing all we can to unlock that opportunity.
“As well as the environmental benefits of clean, green energy, offshore wind also offers a fantastic opportunity for economic development in communities across Scotland.
“ScotWind Leasing will present Scotland as an attractive destination for the significant investment needed to deliver the scale of offshore wind projects we want to see.”
As part of future applications to ScotWind Leasing, developers will provide a supply chain development statement laying out the anticipated level and location of supply chain impact from each phase of their proposed project.
These commitments will then be formally incorporated in to each ScotWind agreement and updated throughout the project development as plans become more defined. The statement will be provided by developers alongside any initial application for seabed rights and will be shared with public sector partners including the Scottish Government and enterprise agencies.
The government said this mechanism “will provide increased openness and transparency” from the start of a project for developers, government and enterprise agencies to help identify joint opportunities and develop supply chain networks. It also provides developers with a clear route to demonstrate their progress on the industry’s stated supply chain ambitions.
Applicants will make a commitment to developing their projects in a way which supports supply chain growth and proactively engages with suppliers both in their locality and around Scotland.
As these aspects will be part of the agreement process, there will be contractual consequences if supply chain commitments are not delivered.
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