It takes the whole supply chain to make a cup of tea

Next time you have a cup of tea have a think about how clean energy is actually powering your kettle.

Not just the electricity flowing through the socket but how Scotland’s world-class clean energy resource brings electrons to our homes. Onshore and offshore wind farms, solar arrays, wave and tidal energy and pumped storage hydro all working together to help make a cup of tea.

But even that isn’t the full story. Behind every green kilowatt is a vast and often invisible network, the supply chain. Suppliers are the engine room of our industry and our energy system would not exist without them. No wind turbines powering our homes, no solar farms supporting our bid to secure our energy supply.

And that’s why every year Scottish Renewables celebrates these suppliers and recognises their major contribution to our industry at the Scottish Green Energy Supply Chain Awards, in Aberdeen.

Take an offshore wind farm for example, where tier one suppliers like OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and vessel owners are supported by a vast, interconnected network of specialist businesses working across every stage of a project. There's an entire world operating behind the scenes that most people never see.

Every offshore wind project in Scotland will need a port. It’s where turbine blades up to 115-metre are offloaded, where nacelles the size of houses are stored and where fixed or floating wind platforms are assembled before being towed out to sea. These are no ordinary logistics hubs, they are high-tech, heavy-lift, strategically vital infrastructure.

Scotland’s ports are being transformed into renewable energy superhubs. Purpose-built quaysides, extended laydown areas and deepwater access are just the start. These ports are hosting global OEMs, supporting workforce training centres and coordinating complex marine logistics.

Yet, the demands are only growing. With the scale of offshore wind ramping up, particularly with floating wind on the horizon, all of Scotland’s ports must be able to handle larger components, faster turnarounds and more vessels. Without investment in port infrastructure, the entire supply chain slows down. A turbine not in place is a turbine not in use. Out at sea, where turbines rise out of the ocean, vessels are the lifeline of the renewable energy supply chain. From installation to maintenance, from cable laying to crew transfers, specialist ships keep the entire offshore energy ecosystem afloat.

These are high-spec, precision-engineered vessels designed to operate in harsh marine environments. Jack-up rigs lift themselves above the water on steel legs to install turbines. Heavy-lift vessels carry blades longer than a football pitch. Cable-layers spool and bury kilometres of transmission cable in a single mission. And crew transfer vessels and service operation vessels ensure that the engineers, inspectors and technicians who keep these systems running can do their jobs safely and efficiently.

Floating wind is the next frontier, unlocking deeper waters, stronger winds and vast untapped energy potential far beyond the reach of fixed-bottom turbines. But with that opportunity comes complexity. Unlike traditional offshore wind, floating systems require entirely new supply chain thinking — larger components, new anchoring systems, dynamic cables and more intricate marine operations.

Floating wind isn’t just a technical leap, it’s a once in a generation challenge for local suppliers – deep rooted in decades of expertise – at the forefront of Scotland’s energy future.

But the clean energy supplier network involves a wide mix of skills and services that go way beyond just building turbines or solar panels. It starts with design and engineering and also includes extensive civil construction, clearing unexploded ordnance, providing site security, managing waste and coming up with safe ways to work at height. There’s also the technical side, like maintaining gearboxes, manufacturing transformers and installing switchgear amongst other key infrastructure. It’s a complex setup that brings together an ecosystem of expertise to make renewable energy projects a reality.

So next time you put the kettle on, don’t just think about clean energy — think about the supply chain making it all happen. If the UK and Scottish governments truly want a clean energy future we need to back the businesses, the innovators and the people who bring it all to life.

That unseen supply chain network is what’s truly keeping the lights (and kettle) on.

Emma Harrick, Director of Energy Transition and Supply Chain at Scottish Renewables

This article was first published in Energy Voice on August 21