Quantifying the economic impact of wind farms in Scotland

Fred. Olsen Renewables - Economic Footprint

Fred. Olsen Renewables (FOR) is one of the UK’s oldest renewable energy developers. They operate nine wind farms in Scotland with a total capacity of 529.7 megawatts. Committed to delivering value at a local, regional, and national level, FOR commissioned our Development Economics team to analyse and report on their economic footprint in Scotland.

We reviewed supply chain data to understand the range of goods and services FOR sourced from Scotland, as well as information relating to workforce development and corporate social responsibility. We also spoke with employees about the local and regional procurement strategies at each wind farm.

Our team found that FOR’s existing projects had contributed £465 million to the Scottish economy. They had also signed £920 million worth of contracts with Scottish businesses and created 866 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs from the construction, operation, and maintenance of their projects.

FOR can use this information to support future developments and their continued work with participants, communities, and the supply chain.