Following the results of ScotWind and the Innovation and Targeted Oil & Gas (INTOG) leasing rounds, Sectoral Marine Plans (SMPs) are being revised and developed to support the industry by planning the sustainable delivery of commercial-scale offshore wind energy in Scotland.
Crown Estate Scotland selected 20 projects under ScotWind and 13 under INTOG; together they could enable over 30 GW of offshore wind energy. With a combined capacity of around 5.5 GW, INTOG is the leasing round designed to enable offshore wind energy to directly supply offshore oil and gas platforms. ScotWind has a potential leased capacity of almost 28 GW.
The Scottish Government has appointed marine consultancy and survey company ABPmer to support the revision of its original SMP for Offshore Wind Energy as part of its iterative plan review process, as well as the production of the SMP for INTOG. The Scottish Government has set a range of targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions and to generate more energy from renewable sources. The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019 commits the Scottish Government to reach net zero emissions of all greenhouse gases by 2045. Adoption of final Plans are anticipated in 2024 following a formal consultation process.
