Current status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 10 July 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any risk that resourcing constraints within (a) the Marine Directorate’s Licensing Operations Team and (b) NatureScot could affect the ability of Scottish offshore wind projects to participate in the Contracts for Difference auctions.
The Marine Directorate’s Licensing Operations Team (MD-LOT) and NatureScot have worked hard to plan for an increase in offshore wind applications for some time. Scottish Government resource requirements continue to be monitored, with staff deployed flexibly to help process applications as expeditiously as possible. Best efforts are made to meet a determination timeline of 12 months from initial application, noting that more complex applications may take longer. However, where additional information is required this will impact determination timelines.
In April 2026 Nature Scot implemented a new charging model to enable full cost recovery associated with providing advice to MD-LOT and developers. These approaches have helped ensure timescales do not present unnecessary barriers to projects seeking to participate in Contract for Difference Allocation Rounds.