Morning, Thursday, 20th March 2025
Online
The conference will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to assess strategies shaping Scotland’s green energy transition. It takes place following the recently published Green Industrial Strategy, and we expect discussion on priorities for the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan. It will also be an opportunity to discuss implications of the announcement by the UK Government of GB Energy being based in Scotland, and funding commitments in the Autumn Budget 2024 for the renewable energy sector, including port investment.
Sessions will focus on opportunities and challenges across critical areas such as wind energy, CCUS and hydrogen, as well as the way forward for establishing Scotland as a competitive centre for clean energy-intensive industries, including the role of both public and private investment in driving this transition.
We expect the agenda to bring out latest thinking on strategies for decarbonisation and developing Scotland’s renewable energy sector. Building on the 2023 Onshore Wind Sector Deal, delegates will explore strategies for expanding onshore, offshore, and floating wind sectors. Sessions will assess investment opportunities, including The Scottish Government’s commitment to offshore wind and how ambitions for £1.5bn in private investment can be achieved, as well as issues around supply chain expansion, wind turbine production, and the streamlining of planning processes to meet Scotland’s wind energy targets.
Further discussion is expected on the future of CCUS projects such as Acorn, as well as evaluating the likely impacts of Green Freeports in Inverness and Cromarty Firth, and new Investment Zones in Glasgow and the North East. Delegates will also discuss strategies for ensuring that benefits from transition are spread across communities, particularly rural areas, and for supporting the energy workforce in upskilling and retraining - as well as wider aims for decarbonisation of homes and transport.
