Overheard at the Scottish Renewable Offshore Wind Conference 2025

5 challenges facing the Scottish offshore wind industry in 2025

The Scottish Renewable Offshore Wind 2025 conference, held in Glasgow this January, gathered industry leaders, government and stakeholders to discuss the future of offshore wind in Scotland to achieve net zero. The event featured impressive guest speakers including Kate Forbes MSP, Deputy First Minister, Chris Stark, Head of Mission Control for Clean Power 2030, and Juergen Maier CBE, GB Energy Chair. 

It was particularly exciting to hear Juergen Maier’s mention of NZTC during his panel session.

This year’s discussion circled a familiar territory. The conversations hadn’t progressed much, with wind developers still grappling with the same uncertainties and high risks associated with their projects. One thing was clear, the next 12 months will be critical for the renewable sector in this space.

Overcoming challenges and risk

The amount of work required to meet the 2030 targets and beyond is significant. The offshore wind sector faces ambitious scaling goals, requiring significant efforts to achieve the necessary expansion for reaching net zero. Discussions about overcoming risks and challenges in scaling and deploying offshore wind have created an urgency for bold action. Key topics included:

1. Supply Chain Constraints: The scale of material requirements for floating foundations is enormous. Whether using steel or concrete, the quantities needed are vast. This poses a significant challenge in terms of both supply and cost. For instance, steel foundations for 15 MW turbines can weigh between 3,000 to 5,000 tonnes. Concrete foundations may be up to 30,000 tonnes. Limited manufacturing infrastructure and capacity can hinder the production of necessary components and delay project timelines. For context, the substructures are the size of football pitches, and the turbines are Eiffel Tower scale. No mean feat and we need a lot of space! 
2. Port Infrastructure: Insufficient port facilities to handle the large-scale components required for floating wind farms remain a significant bottleneck. 
3. Sectoral Marine Plan: The release of the significant uncertainties is the long awaited release of the sectoral marine plan. This crucial plan outlines the areas where wind farms can be developed and is expected to be issued in the spring.
4. Environmental Impact: Managing and monitoring potential effects on marine ecosystems, including changes to habitats and species’ behaviour, is essential.
5. Investment: Considering this list, which isn’t exhaustive, securing investment remains a high-risk factor. Last year there was an emphasis on “collaboration,” but this year, the focus was on “being bold” reflecting the urgent need for decisive action. We need to take risks and step out of our comfort zones if we are to achieve our goals. The government is backing us, and the wind sector must seize this opportunity and seize it quickly if Scotland wants to remain a global leader in offshore wind.

A positive outlook

Despite the challenges, and to sign off on a positive note, I left the conference feeling reassured that NZTC is on the right track. We are doing what we need to be doing which is what we do best – collaborating, bringing people and knowledge together, providing thought leadership, and driving change for a clean energy future. Our collaboration with Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult through the Innovation Network & WINTOG Networks exemplify this commitment. By working closely with ORE Catapult, we are addressing key challenges and leveraging opportunities between the offshore wind and oil and gas sectors, contributing to a sustainable energy system.