The Scottish Government has reset its offshore wind ambition to up to 40 GW of new capacity by 2040, as announced by Gillian Martin, Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy. The revised target reflects increasing private sector interest in the ScotWind and Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas seabed leasing rounds and replaces the previous ambition of 8–11 GW by 2030.
As part of the policy update, the Scottish Government will provide £1.8 million to support the initial ground investigation and design phase of Stornoway Port’s proposed Deep Water South project. The funding will be delivered through Highland and Islands Enterprise.
The investment is intended to strengthen the role of the Outer Hebrides in future offshore wind development and support long-term employment and supply chain activity across the islands.
The Deep Water South project aims to create a new terminal for floating offshore wind vessels and provide storage and integration facilities for wind turbine towers, nacelles and blades on floating foundations.
