Projects across the Ƶ are set to get a share of more than £13m through The Crown Estate’s innovative Supply Chain Accelerator.
A total of 16 projects in Plymouth, Pembrokeshire, Blyth and Orkney will receive development funding, to keep the Ƶ at the forefront of the global offshore wind industry and support national clean power goals. The funding marks the second funding round of The Crown Estate’s Supply Chain Accelerator programme, which aims to ramp up early-stage development of Ƶ supply chain projects that serve the offshore wind sector.
The second round has been expanded to include Ƶ ports and port-related infrastructure to support the construction, assembly, manufacturing, operations and maintenance and wet storage of fixed and floating offshore wind. It will help scale up projects in the fixed and floating offshore wind supply chain.
The organisations set to benefit, subject to contracts include ARC Marine, Blyth Harbour Commission, European Marine Energy Centre, Eyemouth Harbour Trust, First Corporate Shipping Limited, Ledwood Engineering, Morwind Ltd, Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, Offshore Solutions Group Limited and Reflex Marine. The list is rounded-off by SeAH Wind Ltd, Slipform Engineering Ltd and Sperra Seaworks.
The Supply Chain Accelerator was established as a £50m programme in May 2024 and forms part of The Crown Estate’s plan to invest up to £400m in the supply chain, alongside its Supply Chain Investment Programme. The initiatives form part of £1bn of investment in the offshore wind supply chain from The Crown Estate, Great British Energy and the offshore wind industry, as announced at the Global Offshore Wind conference in London earlier this year.
The Supply Chain Accelerator focusses on project development and is accessible at an earlier stage than many other funding sources. The announcement comes as the Ƶ marks 25 years since its first offshore wind turbines were commissioned off the coast of Blyth, Northumberland, signalling the launch of an industry which now employs 40,000 people and generates nearly a fifth of the country’s total electricity.
Businesses could apply for up to £1.5m per eligible project, with The Crown Estate providing 50% match funding for early-stage development expenditure together with an option for The Crown Estate to participate in the capital investment phase.
Julia Rose, head of offshore wind at The Crown Estate, said: “In this 25th anniversary year of Ƶ offshore wind, it’s fantastic to award funding through our Supply Chain Accelerator to a diverse range of exciting projects across the country. These innovative businesses will help us move closer towards our clean power and energy security goals, create jobs and opportunities for growth across the country, drive innovation and boost the Ƶ’s domestic supply chain capabilities.
“Our programme enables early-stage projects to access development funding to hopefully support them into an investible position in future, plugging a gap in the market we have identified and ensuring the onshore supply chain can continue to move at the same pace as planned offshore activity. This will be vital as we look to approach the next 25 years with the same ambition and pace as the last.”
Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans said: “This funding is a significant vote of confidence in Wales’ offshore wind capabilities. From Ledwood Engineering’s automated mooring systems in Pembroke Dock to the Offshore Energy Catapult’s Celtic Sea testing facility and Speera Seaworks’ floating construction station at Port Talbot, these projects demonstrate Wales is building the infrastructure and expertise to lead the floating wind revolution.
“They will create high-quality jobs, deliver clean energy and strengthen our coastal communities for generations to come.”
RenewableƵ’s Head of Supply Chain, Ajai Ahluwalia, said: “It’s great to see that this round of The Crown Estate’s Supply Chain Accelerator programme includes such a diverse range of Ƶ companies, supporting the transformation of ports all around the country into manufacturing centres of excellence and O&M bases for offshore wind.
“Our research shows that by focussing on high-value goods and services for our world-class offshore wind sector, we can triple our current manufacturing capacity, create thousands of extra supply chain jobs and boost the nation’s economy by a further £25 billion between now and 2035. The Crown Estate is playing a key role in ensuring that we secure these economic benefits by providing fresh opportunities for communities throughout the Ƶ."
