14th October 2025

Britain's Clean Power Journey

As Britain accelerates towards its clean power targets, a wave of major investment projects is creating unprecedented demand for skilled professionals across engineering, manufacturing, and technical disciplines.

The Numbers Behind the UK’s Clean Energy Progress

In 2024, low-carbon sources generated 73.8% of Great Britain's electricity, up from 68.3% the previous year. This marks significant momentum as the country works towards its goal of 95% clean power by 2030.

The second quarter of this year saw renewable energy reach a new quarterly record of 54.5% of electricity generation. Offshore wind capacity increased by 10%, while solar grew by 27%. Driven by both expanded capacity and favourable weather conditions. Perhaps most tellingly, wind outpaced gas for the third time in a quarterly period, with fossil fuels dropping to a record low.

These statistics represent thousands of wind turbines being installed, solar farms being constructed, and grid infrastructure being upgraded. Behind each percentage point is a workforce making it happen.

Major Investment Creating Thousands of Jobs

One of the most significant recent announcements comes from Ming Yang Smart Energy, which has confirmed plans to invest up to £1.5 billion in building Scotland's first integrated offshore wind turbine manufacturing facility. The project, with Ardersier Port in Inverness identified as the preferred location, could create up to 1,500 jobs in its initial phase alone.

The first of three phases, involving £750 million of investment, is expected to begin production of nacelles and blades by late 2028. Later phases will expand the facility to serve the deployment of floating offshore wind technology at scale.

This is precisely the type of strategic investment that transforms regional economies while addressing critical supply chain gaps in the UK's renewable energy infrastructure.

What This Means for Recruitment

The scale of activity across the renewables sector is creating both challenges and opportunities for talent acquisition:

Specialist Skills in High Demand

As projects become more technically sophisticated, particularly in offshore and floating wind, the need for specialist engineering expertise is intensifying. Organisations are competing for professionals with experience in:

Offshore wind installation and maintenance
Nacelle and blade manufacturing
Grid connection and electrical engineering
Project management for large-scale renewable developments
Health, safety and environmental compliance in marine environments

How RPO and Contract Services Support Renewable Energy Growth

For organisations navigating these recruitment challenges, flexible solutions are proving essential. This is where models like Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) and strategic contract recruitment become particularly relevant.

RPO for Large-Scale Project Hiring

When a major manufacturing facility is ramping up to create 1,500 jobs, or when an offshore wind installation project needs to mobilise teams quickly, internal recruitment functions can become overwhelmed. Flexible RPO provides the capacity to manage high-volume hiring without permanently expanding internal teams.

Rather than committing to rigid, long-term contracts, organisations can access embedded recruitment expertise that scales with their project phases. This might include:

Dedicated recruiters with specialist knowledge of renewable energy roles
Talent mapping to identify where critical skills exist before roles go live
Streamlined processes for compliance-heavy roles requiring security clearances or offshore certifications
Management of peak hiring periods during project mobilisation phases

The benefit: you get the expertise and capacity when you need it, without the overhead when projects are in quieter phases or between major contracts.

Contract Recruitment for Technical Specialists

Many renewable energy projects require surge capacity of technical specialists for defined periods. Whether it's commissioning engineers during the final phases of a wind farm installation, project managers for grid connection works, or quality assurance specialists during manufacturing ramp-up, contract recruitment offers flexibility that matches project realities.

Contract services allow organisations to:

Access niche technical skills without long-term commitments
Respond quickly to project delays or accelerations
Manage costs more effectively by aligning workforce to project milestones
Tap into professionals who specialise in moving between projects and bringing cross-industry expertise

Contract roles increasingly offer attractive opportunities to work on cutting-edge projects while building diverse experience across different technologies and organisations.

Looking Ahead

Britain's shift to clean power marks a major industrial transformation, with strong momentum and a growing pipeline of projects. For organisations in the sector, the challenge is not just meeting current hiring needs but building scalable recruitment strategies to secure the specialist skills vital for future success. Whether hiring in-house or through flexible models, understanding the renewable energy talent market is key.

At Owen Daniels, we've been supporting organisations across the engineering and manufacturing sectors to build resilient, scalable recruitment strategies. As the renewable energy sector continues to evolve, we&'re seeing organisations benefit from adaptable approaches that allow them to respond quickly to changing project demands while maintaining access to specialist market knowledge.