Deputy first minister Kate Forbes has put the onus on UK energy bill payers to boost Scotland’s flagging net zero ambitions even as the scale of the Scottish Government’s shortcomings has been underlined.

Ms Forbes has called for more Scottish offshore wind projects to win subsidies to give a boost to momentum in the sector which is at risk of “stalling”.

The former SNP leadership candidate complained to the FT that only one new Scottish offshore windfarm project was successful in the latest round of the contracts for difference support programme that guarantees the revenues of developers.

Industry leaders say such support is essential to encourage firms to commit to the hefty upfront investment that windfarms require.

However, the costs are added to the bills of householders.

The awards made under CFD round six are expected to result in payments worth more than £1bn. These could fuel further increases in the cost of energy for householders, which has surged since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.

If Ms Forbes’s campaign for more Scottish windfarms to win CFD support is successful there will be implications for the bills paid by people across the UK.

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Scotland’s hopes are focused on the emerging floating wind market as ministers reckon the country’s oil and gas heritage will give it an edge. Success in the sector could help compensate for the fact that the development of traditional windfarms secured to the seabed has generated little economic benefit. Most of the related manufacturing work has been done outside Scotland.

However, floating windfarms may require particularly generous subsidies as the technology they will rely on is still under development.

The Scottish project that won support in the latest CFD round was Green Volt’s plan for a floating development east of........

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