Yousaf hails ‘significant milestone’ in expansion of offshore wind

A “significant milestone” in Scotland’s expansion of offshore wind power has been passed, Humza Yousaf has said.

The First Minister made the announcement at the Scottish Renewables offshore wind conference in Glasgow on Wednesday, where more than 1,100 delegates had gathered.

He said three projects in ports and manufacturing, which together are worth almost £500 million in capital investment, have moved into the next stage of the Scottish Government’s strategic investment model.

The Government did not disclose details of what the projects are, citing commercial confidentiality.

The First Minister told the conference: “There are moments when certain industries can stand confident that when they look ahead, they will see a future in which they play a pivotal role in securing the wealth and wellbeing of a nation – Scotland’s offshore industry is at that moment.

“Together, we can create the right conditions to attract investment, build the supply chain, recruit and deliver the infrastructure needed to ensure that these projects will thrive.

“A select group of three initial projects have been invited to move to stage two of the SIM (strategic investment model) process, in a significant milestone in our offshore programme.

“They represent a mix of local and inward investment opportunities into ports, port infrastructure, and manufacturing – collectively, they have a capital expenditure of just under £500 million.”