Strategic Investment Model to drive joint infrastructure investment in Scotland

On Monday 22 August the offshore wind industry and other key partners attended an Offshore Wind Supply Chain Summit to discuss options for maximising Scottish supply chain growth. The Summit was hosted by ETZ Ltd in partnership with the Scottish Government and SOWEC, and attended by senior representatives of offshore wind companies, ports and leading supply chain suppliers.

At the Summit the outcome of a series of interviews and surveys with operators and supply chain companies, coordinated by ETZ Ltd, was presented providing a detailed summary of the challenges and opportunities to be navigated in order to ensure optimal utilisation of Scottish content in the ScotWind and Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing rounds.

SOWEC also set out work being led by its developer members to build on the Collaborative Framework principles agreed in April 2022. The Strategic Investment Model is the next step in work to bring wider collaboration to the industry.

As part of delivery of individual ScotWind projects, developers will need to make bilateral investments to support their own projects. However, there are going to be opportunities for shared investment that better support growth in port and supply chain capacity and capability.

Offshore wind industry developers are clear that by working together and alongside Government, the need to ensure investments are made ahead of time is prioritised. This both de-risks the successful delivery of ScotWind and increases opportunities for the supply chain.

Commenting on this work, first minister Nicola Sturgeon noted at the Summit: “The infrastructure improvements we need to see won’t happen instantly they require lead times for approval. But they do need to happen rapidly. And the Strategic Investment Model is intended to enable us to make the investment decisions we need to make, as quickly as possible.”

Sir Ian Wood, chairman of ETZ Ltd, said: “ETZ Ltd has been privileged to host Scotland’s first dedicated offshore wind supply chain summit attended by ports, offshore wind farm developers and supply chain companies and it takes place when we are navigating a crucial milestone in Scotland’s energy transition journey and ability to meet net zero.

“The First Minister’s announcement on the Strategic Investment Model and SOWEC’s ongoing work on the collaborative framework are positive steps toward achieving this which will, in turn, secure greater sustainable economic growth and energy security for the entire country.”

Commenting on the start of work to establish a Strategic Investment Model, Brian McFarlane, industry co-chair of SOWEC said, “ScotWind is a once in a generation opportunity for Scotland, but to make the most of that opportunity we need to ensure Scotland has a world-class supply chain. That means working differently together to deliver transformative outcomes.”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily