The UK Government's Energy and Clean Growth Minister, Claire Perry, has praised the growing success of the renewables industry at the All-Energy conference in Glasgow.

Speaking at the event today, 03 May, Minister Perry hailed the sector's innovation as well as Scotland's position at the forefront of the industry.

With 25% of the UK's total renewable generation capacity being delivered by Scotland, it is also home to a future potential of over 4GW of offshore wind across 10 offshore wind farms, with the opportunity to power millions of homes. In addition, the world's first floating offshore windfarm has been developed in Scotland, at Hywind in Aberdeenshire.

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A number of renewable projects are also driving a whole new supply chain in Scotland with now 24,000 jobs in the low carbon sector with businesses such as Wick Harbour Trust and Buckie Harbour Trust providing operation and maintenance port facilities to Beatrice project. Petrofac is also providing a range of training services to the Hywind and Dudgeon offshore wind farms and Mariner field in the North Sea.

With electricity from clean wind power increasing by 43% between December 2017 and February 2018, since 1990 the UK has also managed to cut its emissions by over 40%.

Minister Perry said: "From James Watt's steam engine kicking off the industrial revolution and the opening of the first coal mine, through to offshore wind and marine energy powering homes and businesses in the present day, Scotland has always been at the cutting edge of progress.

"The renewables industry has a central role in our modern Industrial Strategy with the global shift towards clean growth providing one of the greatest economic opportunities of our time.”

At the event, the Minister also met with Scottish Energy Minister, Paul Wheelhouse, to discuss UK energy policy, as well as talking with renewable energy businesses as she visited stalls during the conference.

(LM/MH)