Energy Infrastructure
Scotland's Energy Infrastructure spans across the entire energy system, including nuclear, oil and gas, grid, hydrogen, batteries, clean heat, renewable technologies, as well as associated infrastructure such as ports and harbours.
The economic, social and environmental benefits of adopting circular economy practices at all stages of energy technology development should be a fundamental focus in delivering our energy future.
Oil and Gas
Economic
£28 billion in GVA
Contributed £28 billion in gross value added (GVA) to the UK economy in 2022 and accounts for over 11% of Scotland’s gross domestic product (GDP). The sector is expected to spend over £24 billion in decommissioning by 2033.
Employment & Productivity
53,000 jobs
The sector employs 53,000 direct and supply chain jobs.
Renewables
Economic
£15.5 billion output
Supports over £15.5 billion of output and over £6.6 billion of GVA.
Employment & Productivity
47,000 FTE jobs
Over 47,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) roles across the Scottish economy in 2022.
Grid
Economic
£24 billion investment
Ofgem recently approved an initial £24 billion investment to enhance energy security and expand the electricity grid, with a total program expected to reach around £80 billion to quadruple current spending levels.
Employment & Productivity
26,000 jobs
The Energy Networks Association states that Electricity network operators employ 26,000 people including 1,500 apprentices. In the future, National Grid predicts 400,000 people are needed by 2050 to deliver the UK’s decarbonisation goals.
Ports
Economic
£1.9 billion
Contributes approximately £1.9 billon in GVA to the UK economy, with Scotland’s ports handling 15% of the UK’s cargo.
Employment & Productivity
41,000 jobs
The Scottish Maritime sector supports 41,000 jobs. The 270 ports, including 11 major ones, contribute significantly to this workforce and play a key role in sector activity.
Circular opportunities for energy infrastructure
Remanufacturing: Offers potential for significant job creation and revenue growth.The refurbishment of just 10 identified components of onshore wind turbines could generate over £1.6bn of revenue for the UK economy.
Construction Materials Reuse: Circular practices across energy infrastructure are gaining traction, for example OEUK’s product exchange platform pilot.
Critical Raw Materials: Focus on reducing dependency, increasing resilience in supply chains and improving recovery from waste streams. The wind turbine reprocessing centre in Glasgow, set up by recycling company EMR, has been established to do exactly this.
Policy & Support: Zero Waste Scotland and Scottish Government initiatives are actively promoting circularity through funding, research, and business engagement, for example our work on a turbine blade treatment facility and our membership of the University of Strathclyde’s Centre for Energy Policy.
Delivering Scotland’s energy future
If you're involved in energy development and infrastructure in Scotland, especially in leadership or strategic roles, this is a prime time to:
- Explore circular design and production models to reduce waste and increase product lifecycle.
- Engage with government and industry bodies for support and collaboration.
- Invest in innovation and workforce development to stay competitive in high-growth sectors.
- Consider remanufacturing and resource efficiency as pathways to profitability and sustainability.
Systems Mapping of Scotland’s Built Environment and Energy Infrastructure Sectors
Zero Waste Scotland has published interactive systems maps of Scotland's built environment and energy infrastructure sectors to illustrate the factors influencing circular economy principles and practices.
Sector Stories on Circularity
Scottish Government, industry and other relevant stakeholders are identifying solution and action focussed opportunities for increasing circularity in the energy sector.
Here are two leading examples of collaborative approaches:
Onshore Wind Sector Deal
The onshore wind sector deal sets out commitments from the Scottish Government and the onshore wind industry to deliver upon our collective ambition of 20 GW of onshore wind in Scotland by 2030 whilst delivering maximum benefit to Scotland.
Hagshaw Energy Cluster
With the focus of a Just Transition to Net Zero, the Development Framework represents an ambitious vision for the future of the Hagshaw Energy Cluster and surrounds, identifying opportunities to enhance and invest in the local environment, communities and place.
Recommended Articles
Green Alliance Publications
Green Alliance is an independent think tank and charity dedicated to driving ambitious environmental leadership. Visit their website to explore publications across key themes, including political leadership, the low‑carbon transition, the natural environment and greening the economy.
Steel Construction Institute 'Structural Steel Reuse'
Published by Steel Construction Institute in 2019, this report provides assessment, testing and design principles for structural steel reuse.
Streel Construction Institute 'Protocol for Reusing Structural Steel'
Published by Steel Construction Institute in 2019, this report aims to help facilitate the reuse of structural steel sections reclaimed from existing building structures.
OPRED ‘Decommissioning of Offshore Oil and Gas Installations and Pipelines’ guidance notes
Produced by Offshore Decommissioning Unit, Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning, and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy in 2018, these guidance notes aim to provide operators, licensees and contractors with guidance on the regulatory requirements for decommissioning offshore oil and gas installations and pipelines in accordance with international obligations and those set out in the Petroleum Act.
Decommissioning of Offshore Oil and Gas Installations and Pipelines
Helping businesses in energy infrastructure become more circular
We all want to move to a world where businesses in the energy infrastructure sector can adopt a truly circular business model without hitting their bottom line. With decades of experience helping companies in the energy infrastructure sectors move to more sustainable practises, Kenny Taylor, Zero Waste Scotland’s Net Zero Infrastructure Lead, provides his advice below on how you can start.
