The construction of what will be Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm, Seagreen, has supported the delivery of a £1bn economic boost to the Scottish economy in the last year, according to independent analysis.
The details are included in a new Sustainability Report published by SSE Renewables, alongside a report providing independent analysis by PwC measuring the value the company adds to GDP and the jobs it supports across its home markets of the UK and Ireland for the last three years.
The report, which covers the 12 months from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, outlines how SSE Renewables’ delivery of flagship infrastructure projects, the £3bn Seagreen project and the £580m Viking onshore wind project in Shetland, has driven the £1bn contribution to Scotland’s economy while also helping the country reach its net zero ambitions.
Additionally, the SSE Renewables £1bn contribution to Scotland’s GDP from its construction and operational activities has supported around 4000 Scottish jobs in the last year.
SSE Renewables Head of Sustainability, Kate Wallace Lockhart, said: “Across SSE Renewables’ core markets of the UK and Ireland, we contributed £1.65bn to GDP last year, supporting more than 10,000 jobs.
“This is a 23% increase in our GDP contribution and more than double the number of jobs supported compared to the year before.
“These findings provide yet more evidence that investing in renewables is not only essential for getting to net zero, but it makes economic sense too.
The company has grown its UK and Ireland employee numbers by almost 50% over the last two years and now employs over 1300 people, more than 1000 of whom are based in Scotland.
Of these workers, around one-in-three SSE Renewables’ employees have transitioned from high-carbon careers, mostly from outside of the company.
According to a recent survey of SSE Renewables employees, key drivers behind this transition to the company include environmental considerations (68%), the opportunity to work on exciting projects (58%), and better long-term career prospects (58%).