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Scottish government resets offshore wind ambition to 40 GW
4/2/2026
News
In January 2026, the Scottish government announced a reset of its offshore wind ambition, committing to up to 40 GW of new capacity by 2040. This revised target, confirmed by Gillian Martin MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy, represents a substantial increase from the previous goal of 8–11 GW by 2030.
The adjustment follows high levels of private sector interest in the 2022 ScotWind and Innovation and recent Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) seabed leasing rounds, according to trade association Scottish Renewables.
The offshore wind reset in Scotland is explored in an updated Offshore Wind Policy Statement published in January 2026. This document confirms that the 40 GW ambition replaces the 2020 target and is based on a pipeline of projects that have reached the planning stage. The policy statement clarifies that no further offshore wind leasing rounds are planned in the near term, with the focus instead moving to the delivery of the existing project pipeline.
In related news, the UK National Wealth Fund (NWF) is also launching a new Strategic Plan to drive more than £100bn of public and private finance into the UK economy. This state-owned investment body manages £27.8bn of capital to support national growth objectives. The NWF aims to bring in funds to scale projects across the capital structure, including loans, equity investments and guarantees. Strategic priorities for the NWF include backing the foundations of a net zero energy system and redeveloping infrastructure for offshore wind.
A representative of the National Wealth Fund is scheduled to speak at the Energy Institute’s International Energy Week in London, during a session on 12 February 2026 titled 'Banking on energy transition investments'.
Port investment
The Scottish government is allocating £1.8mn in funding to support the initial design and ground investigation phase of the 'Deep Water South' project at Stornoway Port on the island of Lewis and Harris. This investment is said to position the Outer Hebrides as a strategic hub for floating offshore wind developments. The Scottish government states that the project is designed to create a terminal for large vessels and provide facilities for the storage and support of large-scale construction and operations.
NWF investments are also targeting port infrastructure and supply chain redevelopment to support offshore wind. The organisation has identified energy storage and port and supply chains as priority sectors for accelerating the transition to clean energy.
Strategic investment
According to the Scottish government, the offshore wind sector currently supports 16,500 full-time jobs and contributes £6.8bn to the Scottish economy. The expansion to 40 GW is said to increase these figures by attracting global supply chain businesses to Scotland. To facilitate this, the Scottish government has invested nearly £150mn in ports and supply chain infrastructure to date.
The NWF says it manages a strategy that includes major grid upgrades, such as an £800mn guarantee for Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks announced in late 2025 to redevelop the infrastructure that support offshore wind and long‑duration storage technologies.
