This column appears as part of the Winds of Change newsletter.

The problem for some was that they came from China. When I wrote a piece last week about my visit to the Port of Leith and the giant yellow offshore wind structures that have taken up residence, one of the most frequent complaints was that ‘they are not made here’, and could have or should have been.

These comments highlight one of the ongoing issues with Scotland’s offshore wind revolution. Leith may seem like it is buzzing with industrial energy and yellow heavy metal, distinguished by the paint shade RAL 1023, but still, when it comes down to it, all that is going on at my local dock is marshalling and completion tasks.

It is great that these tasks for Inch Cape offshore wind farm are being done by workers in Scotland, and exciting to listen to some of the technicians about their very real work on completing the parts, but there remains still the question, why not more?

It was fantastic to hear stories from Global Energy Group staff (of which there are between 70 and 75 working on the project), many of whom have worked in oil and gas, and good to learn about how welders from local company George Brown & Sons detach them from the vessels. But what about actually making those yellow things?

The truth is, it’s still other parts of the world that are doing the making. Those Leith yellow structures, including the transition pieces (or Minions as I like to call them), jackets (we call them Tripods) and monopiles (the giant cigarettes) are manufactured in China, by companies including CNOOD Wenchong........

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