Sectoral Marine Plan - innovation and targeted oil and gas decarbonisation, offshore wind

Overview

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring secure, reliable and affordable energy supplies within the context of long-term decarbonisation of energy generation. Continued growth of the renewable energy sector in Scotland is an essential feature of the future clean energy system and a potential key driver of economic growth.

The development of a new Sectoral Marine Plan for offshore wind energy, specifically for smaller innovation projects and projects targeting the electrification of oil and gas infrastructure, in Scottish waters, is a key component of our progress to decarbonisation and a transition to net zero.

This established Sectoral Marine Planning process provides an iterative approach to the identification of areas suitable for the future development of offshore wind under this planning round and specification. 

This plan will look to deliver viable and sustainable offshore wind projects in areas identified as suitable for future development and examined through detailed environmental, socio-economic and spatial assessments, combined with stakeholder and public engagement. 

Why your views matter

Read the Planning Specification and Context Report

As with Previous Sectoral Marine Plans (SMP), particularly the SMP for Offshore Wind Energy, published in 2020, the planning exercise provides several opportunities to collect and evaluate feedback on the planning process.  At this early stage, initial planning specifications and Areas of Search (AoS) have been identified. 

Both the parameters and the AoS, areas identified through an opportunity and constraint analysis to have some potential for future development, are now being made available for discussion and consultation.  This is to provide a clear opportunity for all stakeholders to engage with the planning process and help shape the plan as it moves forward.

This first stage in the planning process will help gather the views of stakeholders and industry specialists to help refine the AoS into suitable options for a future seabed leasing process to be managed by Crown Estate Scotland.

We are particularly keen to hear your views on the Plan Specification, which sets out the remit of the plan, the upcoming planning and leasing process and the rules under which projects will be accepted into the planning round.

Furthermore, your views and particularly any information and data that may help refine the AoS, either through new considerations, processing of new data or strong cases for the inclusion of areas currently excluded, are most useful in helping to progress the plan according to the best available information and evidence.   

What happens next

All information and views collected through this consultation will help inform the next stages of the Sectoral Marine Planning process.

Once collated, the responses will be reviewed and any new data/informaiton assessed and, where appropriate, integrated into the spatial analysis to help refine the Areas of Search (and planning specification) into a new set of areas, known as the Initial Plan Framework (IPF).  This IPF will then form the spatial footprint for a seabed leasing process to be managed by Crown Estate Scotland.