While the next allocation round is only a year away, and the UK government aims to achieve 50GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, addressing the issues now is crucial to ensure the success of the ScotWind projects currently in development.

A consortium comprising Parkwind, Quaybridge Scotland, and Maple Power (a joint venture between Enbridge and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board) announced on 20 July that their NextGen consortium was participating in the ScotWind seabed leasing round in Scotland.

Shell and Scottish Power Renewables, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Iberdrola, have joined forces to bid to develop the world’s first large-scale floating offshore wind farms in the north-east of Scotland.

Onshore wind is the cheapest form of power in the UK but for years ministers have blocked projects after complaints from local campaigners who claim the turbines are unsightly, ugly and a blot on the landscape.