Fear for fishermen as research reveals a tenth of North Sea could be taken up by windfarms - totalling almost 20,000 turbines

A Heriot‑Watt University scenario projects that about 11% of the North Sea could fall within offshore windfarm boundaries by 2050, equating to thousands of turbines across the region. The UK is forecast to host roughly 4,200 turbines by 2030 and 6,300 by 2050, with the Netherlands targeting about 19% of its North Sea waters. The UK could see roughly 9% of its waters occupied. Two Shetland developments, Arven and Stoura, would sit east of Bressay and span hundreds of square kilometres, potentially powering over two million homes. The study underscores potential environmental and maritime impacts and urges early assessment of effects on other sea users, notably fishermen.