The port of Aberdeen’s ceo, Bob Sanguinetti, warns that indecision over North Sea projects is already rippling through the wider economy and risks leaving the region stranded between two energy eras.
Ports across Scotland are investing heavily in infrastructure for the energy transition, particularly major offshore wind projects from the ScotWind licensing round. However, that transition is stalling and a dangerous gap is already opening up, according to Sanguinetti. “At [the] port of Aberdeen, a bellwether for the North Sea oil and gas industry, the numbers speak for themselves.”
He noted that oil and gas activity is rapidly declining, and offshore wind projects continue to drift due to a combination of policy uncertainty, fiscal decisions and consenting delays. Oil and gas activity is down 10 percent so far in 2025; activity was down some 25 percent in the summer months at a point when activity offshore typically peaks.
He noted that offshore wind is already part of the cargo mix but varies from port to port. Aberdeen is the operations and maintenance base for two wind farms, supporting projects across Scottish waters and accounting for 700 offshore wind vessels every year. However, that sector brings in just 1 percent of the port’s revenue today, while oil and gas generates more than 60 percent,
“Ports must invest years in advance to have the right quayside, laydown areas, and heavy lift infrastructure for major wind projects. I’ve been ceo for four years now and the ScotWind projects were announced shortly after I joined. While we continue to have positive discussions with developers, it’s fair to say that requirements and project timelines remain unclear.
“Should ports gamble hundreds of millions on ‘best guess’ infrastructure in the hope of winning work? Or wait until final investment decisions, by which time it may be too late?”
He went on to stress that oil and gas jobs are disappearing at a rate of almost 1,000 a month, citing Offshore Energies UK statistics, while new opportunities in renewables aren’t materialising quickly enough.
“Supporting existing energy business is the most likely way of accelerating the transition, drawing on the expertise and project management skills to deliver the vast scale of potential developments in renewables,” he said. “Our ask is clear and urgent. Government must create a stable, supportive environment for our world-leading homegrown oil and gas sector and work with industry to accelerate the deployment of offshore wind.”
