Friday 6 September 2024

Funding flies into Scotland’s offshore wind sector

The First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney hopes to leverage £1.5 billion of private investment in the country's offshore wind industry.

The latest Programme for Government, which set out the government's plan for 2024/25, priorities tackling climate change.

It details Scotland's approach to improving planning and consenting, developing skills and attracting investment for net-zero including an increased support for start-up and scale-up SMEs.

The First Minister also renewed his commitment to introducing the Heat in Buildings Bill, maintaining a new build heat standard and bringing forward the Scottish Government’s Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

Claire Mack, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, said: 'While we await further detail on today’s announcement, we are pleased that the Scottish Government has outlined measures to address the barriers to deployment that will help to realise the full potential of Scotland’s renewable energy industry. These are actions that we have consistently called for.

'The proposals outlined today will deliver a new coordinated approach creating a more efficient and effective planning and consenting system, while the focus on developing skills and attracting investment for critical infrastructure will enable key projects to accelerate our journey to net-zero. '