By Chris O’Donnelly, UK construction director, transmission & distribution, Burns & McDonnell
2026 has proven to be a significant year for Scotland’s energy transition. A growing pipeline of transmission infrastructure projects has begun moving from ambition to implementation, while the Scottish National Party (SNP) has returned as the largest party in the Scottish Parliament on a clean energy agenda.
At the same time, the recent conflict in the Middle East has freshly underlined the UK’s exposure to global energy price shocks and the need for energy security, reinforcing the importance of accelerating home-grown, low-carbon generation.
The question facing the Scottish energy sector is therefore no longer about ambition. It is whether the conditions exist to turn plans into deliverable, investable projects at scale.
Scotland’s energy ambitions
Scotland has set out a wide-ranging programme to scale up clean energy generation and support investment in energy infrastructure over the coming decades. These ambitions are backed by recent funding and policy commitments from the Scottish Government. Its 2026–27 Budget includes more than £5 billion for climate action, alongside targeted investment in offshore wind infrastructure, supply chains and skills. Ministers have also increased Scotland’s offshore wind ambition to 40 GW of capacity by 2040, positioning the sector at the centre of future economic growth.
Scotland already has more than 10 GW of offshore wind either operational, under construction or consented, with a further 29 GW of ScotWind projects progressing through development and seeking access to the electricity network in the next 10 years. Delivering this pipeline will require a significant expansion of transmission infrastructure and grid connection capacity. This places the focus on how Scotland’s energy system is built out in practice, not just what it is expected to achieve.
Delivery challenges emerging on the ground
As the energy and infrastructure pipeline moves forward, a number of delivery challenges are becoming more visible. Offshore wind projects in Scotland are taking longer to secure approval than comparable developments elsewhere in the UK, introducing uncertainty into project schedules and financing. For example, projects awarded seabed rights several years ago are still progressing through planning stages rather than moving at pace into construction.
Transmission charging also remains a live issue. Under the current system, projects in the UK located further from centres of demand face significantly higher costs, affecting overall project viability. Analysis last year by Aurora Energy Research found that with the current system, a 1 GW offshore wind project in northern Scotland could face up to £1 billion more in lifetime transmission costs than an equivalent development in southern England. This is particularly concerning given that Scotland is a mass producer of renewable energy in the UK.
Alongside this, workforce capacity is becoming an increasing pressure point. The Scottish government’s own assessment on workforce needs for the transition to net zero warns of acute skills challenges across clean energy, including STEM capability and leadership. EngineeringUK’s 2026 net zero workforce review also highlights the scale of demand across the wider energy transition, with around 100,000 new jobs expected in the renewable energy sector by 2030 and a further 350,000 needed to 2050 in construction. Workforce planning is therefore critical to seeing that this demand can be met and does not become a constraint on delivery.
These issues are cumulative. Delays in planning, constraints in grid capacity and pressure on skills can reinforce each other, affecting project timelines and increasing costs.
How the industry can overcome these challenges
Across the sector, there is broad alignment on the conditions needed to support delivery. A regulatory and charging framework that works in practice for Scottish-based energy and infrastructure projects is central, as network costs can have a significant impact on project viability. There is also a growing need for closer coordination between the industry, regulators and the Scottish government to align planning, grid development and investment decisions, thereby avoiding bottlenecks as projects move through the pipeline.
However, resolving these macro-level issues requires the industry to fundamentally reform how projects are designed, procured and built. Overcoming the delivery challenges on the ground relies on four critical pillars:
- Adopting collaborative, integrator-led EPC models.
Traditional construction procurement often separates engineering, procurement and construction, leading to disjointed handovers, design-construct mismatches and execution bottlenecks. To streamline delivery, the industry must embrace integrated, engineering-led engineer-procure-construct (EPC) models.
By acting as a single point integrator – managing feasibility, front end engineering design (FEED), detailed design and environmental planning in-house, while directly managing onsite construction – delivery partners can dramatically reduce project risk. This integrated mindset allows buildability and commissioning to be designed into the substation from day one, minimising late-stage engineering changes and field execution delays.
- Fostering early supply chain engagement and commercial partnership.
With critical equipment, such as high-voltage transformers and switchgear, experiencing unprecedented global lead times, the industry cannot afford to treat procurement as an afterthought. Overcoming capacity constraints requires establishing strategic, longterm framework partnerships where developers and EPC providers collaborate early with the supply chain.
Engaging supply chain partners during the initial design phase allows the industry to secure manufacturing slots and derisk critical paths. Rather than pushing down transactional risk, client-contractor relationships must pivot toward collaborative, risk-sharing models. This secure and cooperative environment gives suppliers the confidence to invest in their own capacity, directly supporting grid modernisation efforts under Ofgem’s Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) programme.
- Scaling workforce transition and local capability.
Bridging the acute STEM and leadership capability gap requires both scaling national initiatives and committing to local talent development. Initiatives like the Scottish Government’s Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund offer a vital roadmap for redeploying offshore expertise into onshore transmission.
However, the industry must go further by embedding itself in local communities to cultivate the next generation of engineers. This means expanding engineering operations locally – such as growing specialised regional teams on the ground in Scotland – and combining this localised footprint with the transfer of global, world-class technical knowledge. By pairing local talent directly with experienced project managers and international mentors, the sector can rapidly build robust local delivery capabilities.
- Integrating environmental and social impact early in planning.
Planning delays are frequently driven by late-stage environmental and community objections. To accelerate planning approvals and avoid grid bottlenecks, environmental consulting must be integrated directly into the engineering and construction team from the very start.
Proactively evaluating environmental and social impacts and designing sustainable, low-impact substation solutions allows developers to address stakeholder concerns during the FEED phase rather than during construction. Proactive, early engagement with local communities transforms potential planning obstacles into collaborative partnerships, paving a faster path to execution.
Ambition is clear, but delivery will decide outcome
Scotland retains strong fundamentals, including natural resources, deep sector experience and an established energy supply chain. However, the next phase of the transition will be defined not by new targets, but by the pace and effectiveness of delivery. Overcoming the complex challenges of planning, grid constraints and workforce development requires deep, collaborative partnerships.
As an EPC substation delivery partner to SSEN Transmission, Burns & McDonnell is at the heart of this delivery challenge. We are bringing our global capability in engineering and construction to help manage and execute projects critical to the UK’s largest-ever grid investment programmes, as demonstrated by our work on the Errochty Grid Supply Point (GSP) substation.
By scaling our localised presence – including our expanding Scottish operations based out of Strathclyde Business Park – and integrating our Environmental Services (ENS) Group directly alongside our engineering and construction teams, we are actively mitigating planning and supply chain risks. We are building the resilient, modern grid infrastructure that is essential for Scotland to realise the full economic and energy security benefits of its energy transition.
