Offshore wind energy - draft updated Sectoral Marine Plan 2025: consultation

Ministerial Foreword

Gillian Martin

Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy

As Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy I am pleased to present for consultation the updated Scottish Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy. This forms a critical component of building a sustainable and resilient energy future for Scotland and is central to delivering on this government’s combined agenda for economic growth and successful transition to net zero.

In 2020, we took significant steps towards achieving these aims through the publication of the first Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy which established the planning baseline for the sustainable development of offshore wind in Scottish waters.

Since then, significant ambition has been shown though the ScotWind and Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing rounds. Scotland now has an ambitious pipeline of potential development over the next decade. The Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy requires to be updated to reflect this.

The draft updated Plan has been informed by the latest scientific evidence. It clearly sets out the opportunities as well as the constraints of developing offshore wind in Scottish waters. It provides clarity, certainty and confidence to ensure development is sustainable, responsible and balances the needs of communities, nature and other users of the sea.

The development of offshore wind presents a complex landscape of choices and trade-offs that must be carefully navigated. That is why engagement is at the heart of developing this draft updated Plan and the insight and expertise from all of you will be invaluable in shaping the Plan to inform future decision making and ensure the sustainable development of offshore wind in Scottish waters. The consultation process provides a clear opportunity for you to do this.

Scotland’s place as a global leader for sustainable development of offshore wind, as well as the huge potential economic benefits it will bring are clear. We are a key contributor to the UK’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, attracting global investment, building a strong domestic supply chain, developing key infrastructure, and securing our place as Europe’s future green energy supplier. The draft updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy sets out the blueprint for delivering this ambition and capitalising on the opportunity which will support Scotland’s economic transformation and shape a greener, cleaner energy future for the next generation.