The Scottish Government has opened a new consultation on proposals to significantly increase Scotland's offshore wind ambition, targeting up to 40 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity by 2040.

This substantial increase from the current 2030 ambition of 8-11 GW aims to provide certainty to investors and firmly underline the Scottish Government's commitment to growing the offshore wind sector.

If realised, this 40 GW target would be enough to power the equivalent of approximately 45 million homes a year, significantly contributing to Scotland's national climate targets. The proposed increase is a direct response to the strong private sector interest demonstrated in the recent ScotWind and Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) seabed leasing rounds. These successful rounds have highlighted the enormous economic potential of offshore wind, positioning Scotland at the forefront of global development.

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Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy Gillian Martin announced the opening of the consultation at the Global Offshore Wind Forum in London.

Ms Martin stated: "Scotland's offshore wind sector is already creating significant opportunities, delivering jobs and attracting major investment across the country. As a result we need to update our ambition for offshore wind to reflect and firmly underline our commitment to economic growth and investment offered by the sector. I would urge everyone with an interest in offshore wind to have a say in the consultation."

The consultation provides an opportunity for stakeholders to contribute to the future direction of Scotland's offshore wind policy. It seeks to balance the ambitious deployment targets with considerations for the marine environment and other marine users.