Scotland’s renewable energy industry supported an estimated 49,200 full-time equivalent jobs in 2024, according to new research by the University of Strathclyde’s Fraser of Allander Institute, commissioned by Scottish Renewables.
The industry also contributed £14.9 billion in economic output and £5.1 billion in gross value added (GVA), according to the report. Ahead of the UK Government’s Autumn Budget on 28 October, Scottish Renewables is calling for barriers to investment to be removed and renewable energy to be placed at the centre of plans for economic growth and industrial development.
Offshore wind supported the most jobs of any renewable energy technology in Scotland in 2024, with an estimated 18,800 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. Onshore wind supported 17,825 jobs, followed by hydropower with 4,100 and renewable heat with 3,025.
Key developments during 2023 and 2024 included:
- South Kyle wind farm opened in 2023, generating £44 million in local spending and an expected £38 million in community benefits over its lifetime.
- Seagreen, Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm, became fully operational in 2023. The project supports around 80 direct jobs at Montrose Port.
- Sumitomo Electric began construction in 2024 of a subsea cable factory at Nigg, representing an investment of £350 million and expected to support around 250 direct jobs.
- Coire Glas completed £100 million of exploratory works in 2024. If built, it would be the UK’s first major pumped storage hydropower scheme in more than 40 years.
The report covers 2023 and 2024. Researchers combined Office for National Statistics survey data with a model of the Scottish economy because renewable energy is not separately identified in the national accounts.
The findings provide estimates of the industry’s economic contribution in each year rather than a measure of year-on-year growth. Survey uncertainty, revisions to official data and an updated economic model mean the results should not be compared directly with those in previous editions.
