The Scottish Government has published a map highlighting recent investment announcements in offshore wind, wave and tidal power.

The map highlights much of the offshore green energy activity across Scotland, including recently-announced plans by international turbine manufacturers Mitsubishi, Gamesa, Samsung and 2-B Energy to develop next-generation offshore wind technology, as well as investments in marine energy technologies by major power engineering companies Alstom and ABB. Overseas companies such as Gamesa and Technip have opted for Scotland to locate European-wide functions.

The international companies are combining with Scottish-based companies such as Scottish Power, SSE, Clyde Blowers, Global Energy Group and pioneering technology developers to build a world-leading offshore renewables sector in Scotland.

Last week Japanese conglomerate Mitsui announced it had bought a 25 per cent stake in Global Energy in a partnership that will drive forward the renaissance of multi-sector energy engineering at Nigg Energy Park in the Highlands.

First Minister Alex Salmond commented:

“Scotland has around a quarter of Europe’s offshore wind and tidal energy resource and a tenth of its wave power potential.  Leases have already been granted to develop more than 11 GigaWatts of offshore wind, wave and tidal-energy generating capacity up to 2020 – by when, we aim to be producing 100 per cent of our domestic electricity needs from renewables, while continuing as a net exporter of power.

“Even before these offshore clean energy projects have been deployed, renewables contributed more than a third of Scotland’s electricity needs in 2011 and the sector supports more than 11,000 jobs – and tens of thousands of more jobs will be created.”

The First Minister added that a key focus of Scotland’s energy future is not just on how it can best harness its own huge natural resources, but also how it can help develop next-generation renewable technologies for a global market.

An industry study report published last month by Scottish Renewables identified that the renewables industry already supports more than 11,000 jobs across Scotland. The emerging wave and tidal energy industry, where up to 1.6 GW of capacity is planned for the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters, is predicted to create several thousand more renewables jobs.

Last year, Scotland produced a record amount of renewable electricity, amounting to more than a third of gross domestic consumption - exceeding the Scottish Government’s 2011 target of 31 per cent.  A further target is for renewables to deliver the equivalent of at least 100 per cent of gross electricity consumption by 2020, with Scotland remaining a net exporter of power.