Kirstine Wood – Head of Communications and Public Affairs, Flotation Energy
The UK has set a bold and exciting vision for offshore wind which our industry is rising to meet at an unprecedented scale. With 43-50GW of capacity targeted by 2030, the UK is on a journey to cement its position as a global leader in offshore wind technology. Green Volt represents a key project in this journey. As the world’s largest commercial-scale floating offshore wind farm, it will be the litmus test to demonstrate that the technology is scalable and deliverable.
But Green Volt’s significance goes beyond the massive 560MW of clean energy it will generate – its real impact lies in what it signals for the projects that follow. As a first mover, it’s giving the supply chain something tangible to work with, and proof that there’s a real, bankable pipeline of work ahead. Ports can invest with confidence, service industries can gear up and the entire marine and engineering sector can see a clear pathway forward. When future projects come through, the groundwork will already be laid.
Getting to this stage has taken immense planning and collaboration across environmental, engineering and logistical challenges – from marine habitats and seabed conditions to cable routing and port coordination. Every decision has been taken with the full project lifecycle in mind.
The figures tell their own story. The project will deliver £2.5 billion (gross value added) to the global economy, with substantial investment remaining in Scotland and the UK and the creation of 2,800 direct jobs during construction.
But beyond the headline statistics lies the human element. Local communities are already seeing the benefits through investments in STEM education, port redevelopment and skilled employment opportunities across construction, engineering and marine services. This impact is central to building an industry that creates prosperity while inspiring the next generation of renewable energy professionals.
Green Volt represents something bigger than one project. It demonstrates that Scotland and the UK, building on decades of offshore expertise, can be a global leader in floating offshore wind technology. It’s about taking what we’ve learned, applying it to new challenges, and exporting that knowledge globally. And equally significant is its impact closer to home – communities witnessing investment in their regions, young people discovering career pathways they hadn’t imagined and an entire supply chain gearing up for an industry that promises sustained prosperity.
