Scottish and UK Governments to host joint summit on offshore wind power

A joint summit on offshore wind power will be hosted by the Scottish and UK Governments in Edinburgh, it has been announced.

The governments – together with trade unions, offshore wind developers and supply chain companies – will meet to discuss how the sector can be maximised.

At the summit, those in attendance will also look at how UK companies can benefit from the build-out of offshore wind farms in UK waters.

Finance Secretary Derek Mackay will co-host the summit, on May 2, with UK Energy Minister Claire Perry.

Mr Mackay said: “Scotland has all the natural resources required to make it an ideal location for offshore wind, but we need to ensure our economy isn’t missing out from key contracts going overseas.

“We are committed to maximising the sector in Scotland, but we cannot do it alone – we need the whole industry to work together.

“This summit will allow us to talk directly with the key developers and suppliers to establish what more we can do to help.

“The Scottish Government will be examining the consent process to ensure we use the powers at our disposal to keep work on these shores.

“And I hope to hear more from the developers and suppliers on what they plan to do to help grow our renewables economy.”