The equal joint owners of Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm, ESB and Red Rock Renewables, have announced that the flagship Scottish project has reached financial close raising more than £3.5 billion of funding.

The 1,080 megawatt (MW) offshore wind farm, located in the North Sea 15 kilometres (km) off the Angus coast, will now progress into its offshore construction phase.

Inch Cape will be the first UK project to use Vestas 15.0 MW turbines and, once operational, will generate almost 5 terawatt hours (TWh) of energy each year. It will comprise 72 turbines on a mix of monopile and jacket foundations, a single offshore substation platform and two 85 km AC export cables delivering power to an onshore substation under construction at Cockenzie, East Lothian.

Terms for the project financing, which includes transmission asset costs, have now been reached with lenders comprising 22 commercial banks.

The project will make a significant contribution to UK’s energy security and emissions reduction targets as well as to the economy through use of local suppliers. Inch Cape has, to-date, spent almost £300 million with more than 300 UK companies including environmental, technical and engineering design consultancies, civil and structural engineers, survey contractors and project management support.

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OWGP’s Development Grant programme aims to support UK supply chain companies to scale up, significantly strengthening the country’s position in the global offshore wind market with a total funding pot of £2 million. 

The grants available will range from £50k to £500k, with applicants eligible to request up to £500k for projects that cover up to 50% of the total budget. The competition is open to both offshore wind sector companies and those outside the industry, provided their projects align with priorities outlined in the Supply Chain Capability Analysis and Industrial Growth Plan. 

Funding will be awarded on a competitive basis, with priority given to proposals featuring near-to-market or market-ready solutions, and a clear ambition for growth within the sector. 

In 2024, OWGP awarded £3 million in funding to 12 UK-based supply chain companies, helping to drive innovation in line with the Industrial Growth Plan and Supply Chain Capability Analysis. This included £1 million in Innovation Grants, championed by Ocean Winds and ScottishPower Renewables, and £2 million in Development Grants to foster sector growth. 

Congratulation to the Forth & Tay Offshore members who were awarded funding: RelyOn, which was awarded a Development Grant, and Apollo and Crondall Energy who were awarded funding through the OWGP Innovation Grant.  

Read more. 

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Skills Development Scotland (SDS) have published a new resource offering insight into the skills picture of offshore wind and the job opportunities it offers.

Offshore wind is critical for Scotland to transition from fossil fuel powered electricity production towards clean, renewable power.

Peak installation will come in the next 10 to 20 years, however, the windfarms themselves will remain operational well into the second half of this century. Offshore wind will support thousands of new jobs and offers a career for life.

The ‘Career Opportunities across Scotland in Offshore Wind’ publication is a unique resource to support the collective push to increase understanding of the many opportunities ScotWind offers, and encourage young Scots in particular to understand and make the most of all the offshore wind job opportunities in their region.

Read the publication here. 

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The Scottish National Investment Bank has announced a new £20m investment in subsea cable manufacturer XLCC.

XLCC’s High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) cable will efficiently transport electricity over long distances. The investment will support the company’s development of a new manufacturing facility at the brownfield site of the former Hunterston Terminal in Ayrshire.
Once complete, the facility will support around 900 jobs, including more than 200 apprenticeships, and will be capable of producing thousands of kilometres of HVDC cable each year.

Read more. 

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Innovative businesses based across Scotland’s island and coastal communities will have the chance to benefit from the opportunities offered by the offshore wind sector with a dedicated industry supply chain programme.

Created by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, in partnership with the developers of four major Scottish offshore wind farm projects – MachairWind, Spiorad na Mara, Stoura and Arven – the Fit for Offshore Renewables (F4OR) Island programme will offer fully-funded, expert support to help eligible companies succeed in the offshore wind industry, both at home and abroad.

The first programme dedicated specifically to island businesses, it builds on the success of ORE Catapult’s wider award-winning Fit for Offshore Renewables (F4OR) programme which was established in 2019 and is now one of the UK’s most successful supply chain mentoring programmes. The programme is open to businesses looking to break into the offshore sector, scale up an existing presence in the industry, or make the transition to renewables from the likes of the oil and gas sector.

Read more.

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The UK Offshore Wind Directory is a free, accessible and comprehensive database which enables organisations to explore the potential of the UK offshore wind industry, understand the current supply chain capacity, and identify any existing gaps. 

By joining this resource, you can gain visibility, enhance your strategic planning and position your company as a key player in a rapidly growing sector.

The directory is sponsored by the Floating Offshore Wind Centre of Excellence (FOWCoE), the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership and Crown Estate Scotland.

Join the directory today to help showcase the depth of the UK’s offshore wind supply chain capabilities: https://www.uowd.co.uk/

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The Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council has launched its new Innovation Guide, highlighting how offshore wind developers can use innovation projects to help grow Scotland’s supply chain and speed up the delivery of green energy production. 

Developed in partnership with Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, the guide showcases successful innovation techniques in Scotland’s offshore wind industry, such as undersea cabling surveys, drone turbine inspections, and subsea battery storage.

Explore how these advancements are shaping the future of renewable energy: https://loom.ly/0SWjG4c

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May 14, 2025 – May 15, 2025 | SEC, Glasgow

All-Energy, the UK’s largest low-carbon energy and renewables event, returns May 14-15, 2025, at the SEC, Glasgow.

Enjoy two days of networking, connections, and uninterrupted business with the renewable energy community.

Register here. 

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June 17, 2025 – June 18, 2025 | ExCeL London, London

Last year celebrated the sector “coming of age” and reaching maturity and scale. This year, the conference will focus on the urgent actions needed to reach UK and global offshore wind deployment goals for 2030 – turning ambition into action. 

More information & register. 

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November 5, 2025 – November 6, 2025 | Beacon of Light, Sunderland

Offshore Wind North East (OWNE) is a leading event that explores themes and opportunities in the offshore wind sector. We bring together an impressive line-up of speakers to update you on their business activities, opportunities for the supply chain and how to engage going forward.

Why attend?

• Access to the full two-day exhibition and programme of presentations.
• Refreshments provided throughout
• Access to all presentations over the course of the two-day event.
• Copies of approved presentations available after the event.
• Access to the event photographs - for use on social media/marketing purposes.
• Invite to networking drinks reception taking place in the exhibition area at the end of day one.
• Two days of networking with industry professionals and hand-picked VIPs.

More info & register. 

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November 12, 2025 – November 13, 2025 | P&J Live, Aberdeen

The 2025 Floating Offshore Wind Conference provides a unique opportunity to secure and advance the future of floating offshore wind as the industry begins to take shape.

In 2024, the event brought together over 2,200 attendees from across the world to network and discuss the future of offshore wind. The conference outlined the immense opportunity that floating offshore wind will bring to the UK with the launch of the Floating Offshore Wind Taskforce report.

More info & register. 

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Supply chain companies operating in Scotland are encouraged to register for free to join Forth and Tay Offshore supply chain directory as a member. With over 300 members already listed, this searchable database is your gateway to customers, suppliers, services and partners. Register your business today here.

https://www.forthandtayoffshore.co.uk/

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Forth and Tay Offshore works on behalf of its members to promote the capabilities of companies and organisations in Scotland in the offshore wind energy sector and supports them in accessing new opportunities in this field. We play a key role in developing a sustainable renewable energy sector in Scotland, supporting our business network and attracting investment.

https://www.forthandtayoffshore.co.uk/

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