Our geography, maritime heritage and natural resources place us in a strong position as we seek to expand energy infrastructure deployment, world-class tourism and increasingly complex supply chains.
Yet, now more than ever, it is execution — not aspiration — that will determine whether Scotland realises its full potential.
Scotland’s ports are far more than gateways between land and sea.
They are economic engines, linking global markets with local opportunity and connecting communities with the industries of tomorrow — from offshore renewables to creative industries, including the world-class film studio now operating at Leith.
From Grangemouth’s long-established petrochemical cluster and export hub to the cutting-edge renewables platform at Dundee, ports are integral to Scotland’s prosperity and long-term economic growth.
Collectively, Forth Ports’ facilities handle millions of tonnes of cargo each year, supporting sectors as diverse as manufacturing, construction, tourism, defence logistics, energy, agriculture, food and drink.
Across Scotland’s east coast, the offshore wind revolution is already under way, with ports playing a central role in turning ambition into reality.
According to Offshore Wind Scotland, the country now ranks among the top ten global offshore wind markets, with a pipeline of 40.5 GW.
Our purpose-built renewables hubs on the Forth and Tay have been enabled by over £160m of private sector investment to date, supporting projects such as the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm and Inch Cape — Scotland’s largest offshore wind development.
A further £30m investment is enhancing infrastructure, expanding landside capability, improving marine access and upskilling local workforces.
These investments are already generating hundreds of high-quality jobs, with the potential to create thousands more as local supply chains mature and scale.
However, delivering this vision requires a clear and investable pipeline of projects, backed by the planning system, revenue support mechanisms and wider funding streams.
While the ScotWind and INTOG programmes, announced in 2022 and 2023 respectively, are progressing at varying paces, the wider picture remains challenging.
After years without contract awards, the outcome of Allocation Round 7 (AR7) – including the success of Berwick Bank B and the floating offshore wind scheme at Pentland – demonstrates that year-on-year ambition without delivery is hollow for Scotland.
For ports, this uncertainty creates a complex investment challenge.
If Scotland is to harness its energy advantage — across offshore wind, hydrogen, low-carbon fuels and carbon capture — we must move beyond policy intent to effective execution that builds investor confidence and enables cross-sector collaboration.
Ports operate at the nexus of these forces.
Last year, the UK Government recognised this by designating ports as a foundational industry in its Industrial Strategy.
In an increasingly competitive global and domestic marketplace, stronger backing from the Scottish Government is also essential.
Expanding grid capacity to match renewables generation, investing in rail and road links that move goods efficiently inland, and reforming marine planning and consenting frameworks are all critical if progress is to match the urgency of our energy transition and wider economic goals.
Bureaucratic delays — particularly in marine consenting — risk dampening investor confidence and slowing deployment, at a time when we must deliver a just transition from oil and gas to renewables.
Without reform of the UK Government’s Energy Profits Levy and a stronger pipeline of renewable projects, there is a real risk of a cliff-edge transition that fails to bring our workforce with us.
Developing offshore wind is not just about producing clean energy; it is about reinvigorating coastal communities and creating jobs at scale.
The UK Government’s Clean Jobs Plan expects green energy jobs to double to 860,000 by 2030.
The very skills, vessels and supply chains that have served oil and gas so well are exactly what is needed to deliver offshore wind at scale.
The infrastructure we build today — from renewables hubs to multi-modal transport links — must support sustainable careers for generations to come.
Stability and faster execution will be critical to unlocking further investment.
Long-term certainty gives investors the confidence to commit, while timely Section 36 decisions for energy infrastructure, backed by effective contract support, create momentum.
Decisions made in weeks or months accelerate delivery and establish the pipelines needed to invest.
It is clear we are at a pivotal moment for Scottish ports.
Our development sites at Burntisland, Grangemouth, Leith and Rosyth form part of the Forth Green Freeport and are set to strengthen Scotland’s offer to global investors.
With forward-thinking policy and a relentless focus on delivery, ports can be powerful enablers of Scotland’s economic future and of the next generation of offshore wind.
Stuart Wallace is chief executive at Forth Ports. This article was sponsored by Forth Ports.
Forth Ports Group operates seven strategically located ports across Scotland, providing an integrated platform for trade, logistics and industrial activity, supported by the specialist services of Forth Projects and Targe Towing. Our ports on the Forth and Tay estuaries are vital logistics hubs for cargo handling, energy transition, and major construction and infrastructure projects, with specialised facilities and world-class expertise. The development sites at Burntisland, Grangemouth, Leith and Rosyth are part of the Forth Green Freeport.