This latest set of SCDS updates refer to 16 out of a total of 20 original ScotWind projects. The remaining three projects (which were offered option agreements during the Clearing process) are due to provide their updates in autumn 2026. One option agreement, for the CampionWind project, was terminated by Shell in late 2025.
New for 2026, the SCDS Outlooks are accompanied by an interactive online dashboard developed by Crown Estate Scotland and EY-Parthenon. The dashboard enables users to explore supply chain commitments and ambitions by project, geography, foundation type, project phase and expenditure category, providing a unique industry resource to support investment and supply chain decision-making.
The ScotWind Leasing agreements are for up to ten years. Crown Estate Scotland will offer a full seabed lease (enabling projects to be built and operated) once developers have secured the necessary consents, licences and finance.
The analysis, undertaken by EY Parthenon, shows the average predicted spend per project in Scotland has risen to £1.6 billion per project, compared to £1.5 billion per project in 2023. This totals £25.5 billion across the 16 projects and considers all phases of work up to and including operations and maintenance.
The latest plans – called Supply Chain Development Statement (SCDS) Outlooks – which form the second update since ScotWind option agreements to lease areas of seabed were awarded in 2022 – provides the most comprehensive dataset to date, with the ability to track more accurately developer commitments, identify trends and understand where intervention is needed, as well as assisting investors and developers to make better informed decisions.
Alongside the latest SCDS Outlooks, Crown Estate Scotland has launched a new interactive data platform, transforming ScotWind supply chain data into a practical tool for industry, investors and policymakers. The dashboard provides unprecedented visibility of future offshore wind supply chain demand and will help inform investment decisions across Scotland's offshore renewables sector.
The update confirms the scale of opportunity that offshore wind provides for Scotland’s economy, communities and businesses. The data indicates that project spend has been maintained despite global headwinds, including rising costs, grid connection delays, supply chain bottlenecks and access to skills. These commitments demonstrate the scale of opportunities available for Scotland’s experienced offshore energy supply chains to capitalise on and to use the decades of knowledge accumulated from the oil & gas sectors.
“ScotWind offers an exceptional opportunity, supporting the transition to green power, increasing the UK’s energy security and providing the potential for thousands of new jobs” said Mike Spain, Crown Estate Scotland’s Interim Director of Energy & Infrastructure. “But that prize will only be secured by working collaboratively to target support and investment where it is needed most to overcome the challenges faced by the sector. Confidence in developing offshore wind projects in Scotland remains steady despite ongoing challenges around grid capacity and transmission charging. Crown Estate Scotland’s role is to focus on the scale of the opportunity, using SCDS data as a practical tool to support collaboration across industry, government and the supply chain, and to help drive the partnerships needed to continue turning ambition into delivery.”
The ScotWind Leasing programme was designed to ensure that focus, from the outset, would be on developing supply chain capacity to deliver projects and support wider economic benefit. Crown Estate Scotland mandated that applicants must outline supply chain commitments as part of their application for an Option Agreement, with commitments then updated throughout development as project specifics such as timing and technology become clearer, and the development of the supply chain progresses.
As well as securing an initial £755 million in option fees for public spending, ScotWind will lead to billions of pounds of investment in the Scottish economy and generate multi-million-pound payments once projects are operating.
Currently, one ScotWind project (West of Orkney) has secured consent (Marine Licence and S.36). The Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate Licencing and Operations Team are currently progressing 14 applications (last updated 1 June 2026).
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