Scotland’s Sectoral Marine Plans (SMPs) are being revised and developed to improve planning concerning the sustainable delivery of commercial-scale offshore wind energy in Scotland.
The SMPs are being revised following the results of ScotWind and the Innovation and Targeted Oil & Gas (INTOG) leasing rounds.
Crown Estate Scotland selected 20 projects under ScotWind and 13 under INTOG, which could collectively enable over 30GW of offshore wind energy.
With a combined capacity of around 5.5GW, INTOG is the world’s first leasing round designed to enable offshore wind energy to directly supply offshore oil and gas platforms.
ScotWind, at a potential leased capacity of almost 28GW, puts Scotland at the forefront of the global development of offshore wind, representing a massive step forward in the transition to net zero.
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.
To ensure consistency and account for developing projects and research, both plans follow Holyrood’s established system of sectoral marine planning.
ABPmer is working closely with the government and key stakeholders to complete a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA), and socio-economic impact assessment (SEIA) as well as facilitating the statutory consultation process.
These assessments ensure that decision-making is informed by relevant environmental and socio-economic information.
ABPmer project director Heidi Roberts said: “Having worked closely with the Scottish government to produce the SMP for Offshore Wind Energy, we are delighted to continue our partnership and help accelerate Scotland’s progress towards Net Zero.”
Adoption of final plans are anticipated in 2024 following a formal consultation process.