The need for clean, sustainable and affordable energy is more pressing than ever, with offshore wind at the heart of Scotland’s emergence as a renewable energy powerhouse.
With the largest pipeline of offshore wind projects in the world at the moment, SSE Renewables is leading development both at home and abroad as the push towards net zero and a decarbonised energy system intensifies.
Speaking at the fourth session in Energy Voice’s Tracking Transition series on Wind in Edinburgh on November 17, the renewable energy giant reaffirmed its ambitious plans, whilst identifying the need to remove potential barriers to progress.
SSE’s group finance director, Gregor Alexander, said: “SSE has been at the forefront of offshore wind. We built the first large scale offshore wind farm and we’re now building the most offshore wind in the world at the moment. We currently have 3 GW of offshore wind in construction.”
Robust supply chain
A key focus area for the company is to support the emergence of a robust supply chain for offshore wind in Scotland and the UK. This is a key objective as the company looks to drive the decarbonisation of offshore wind, which in turn will help Scotland towards its goal of net-zero emissions by 2045
“If we’re to grow a strong and sustainable supply chain we all need to play our part. I’m really passionate about this and I’m determined that at SSE we’ll do everything we can,” Mr Alexander said. “But we can’t underestimate the challenges we face in capturing this economic value for Scotland. Offshore wind is a rapidly growing global market so we have to make the UK and Scotland as attractive a place to invest as possible.”
© Supplied by Kenny Smith/ DC ThomWith enhanced sustainability at the core of the company’s strategy, the need for speed is also clear.
“One of the keys to that will be a rapid acceleration of the current timescales to develop and deploy offshore wind – the current average of nearly 10 years simply isn’t sustainable,” he continued. “We need a planning system where the attitude is one of enabling, not blocking, and being prepared to take some risk – not playing it safe and strictly by the book.”
A simplified planning system is a top priority then. But so too is the requirement for policy to create a market whereby the huge projects planned by the company can be delivered rapidly and with contribution from the local workforce and supply chain.
© Supplied by Kenny Smith/ DC Thom“We also need market structures and support mechanisms which can deliver the scale of projects we need but which also finds a way to incentivise local content,” Mr Alexander said. “I’m confident that we can solve these issues through a genuine commitment to work together. Collaboration is certainly the buzzword of the moment, but it’s a valid one.”
Clean energy champion
A major talking point at the event was the need to deploy more renewable energy such as offshore wind as a matter of urgency to mitigate greater energy security risks, with the war in Ukraine sparking discussion.
Pace of delivery was also at the forefront of the event.
© Supplied by SSE RenewablesMr Alexander said: “Delivering on targets at pace isn’t just vital for combating climate change and giving our economy a much-needed boost, but also for our energy security. Speeding up the deployment of renewable energy is the fastest route out of the current energy crisis.”
He concluded by saying SSE continues to lead the way in terms of clean energy in the UK and issued a rallying call to all stakeholders to collaborate effectively and quickly to maximise the economic opportunities presented by offshore wind.
© Supplied by Kenny Smith/ DC Thom“The Net Zero Acceleration Programme, which we published earlier this year, puts us at the heart of delivering net zero and a legitimate claim to the be the UK’s Clean Energy Champion,” Mr Alexander said. “The potential economic benefit from all these opportunities is huge, but let’s be very clear, we have to grasp it now. If we miss this opportunity, it won’t come again.”
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