The Crown Estate is ploughing £15m of further funding to help develop offshore wind infrastructure around the Ƶ.
The business launched a £50m Supply Chain Accelerator fund last year amid moves to accelerate early-stage development of Ƶ supply chain projects servicing the offshore wind sector.
The Crown Estate has now used the NOF Energi Coast Regional Supply Chain Showcase being held in Newcastle to announce plans to allocate £15m for the next round of the programme, following the success of the initial funding round last year.
The new funding round will help develop manufacturing facilities and port infrastructure which is needed to ensure the swift deployment of offshore wind projects around the Ƶ. The new tranche will encourage existing early-stage projects to scale up into attractive capital investment opportunities, also helping to drive demand for new jobs and skills.
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, as well as supply chain opportunities that support deployment.
News of the funding will be welcomed by the North East renewables businesses within the region’s growing renewables ecosystem, many of whom are focused around the Port of Tyne, Port of Blyth and Teesport, which are already feeding into a number of key windfarm developments around the Ƶ, including Hornsea 3, the world’s single largest offshore wind farm.
The announcement comes a year after the Industrial Growth Plan was published setting out how offshore wind manufacturing capacity can be trebled over the next ten years in moves which could create an additional 10,000 jobs a year, with North East businesses poised to take advantage of opportunities thanks to their existing expertise in the sector.
The plan identified five key technology areas in which to prioritise investment, including the design and manufacture of offshore wind blades and turbine towers, foundations, cables and other key components and services for projects in the Ƶ and abroad.
The Ƶ Government has set a target of up to 50GW of offshore wind to be deployed by 2030 and, with 14.7GW of offshore wind currently deployed off the Ƶ’s coasts, greater funding for port infrastructure and facilities will be vital to reach that target.
In the second funding round of the Supply Chain Accelerator businesses can apply for up to £1.5m per eligible project, with the Crown Estate providing 50% matched funding for early-stage development expenditure together with an option to participate in the capital investment phase.
Ben Brinded, head of investment at the Crown Estate, said: “The ambition behind our Supply Chain Accelerator is to accelerate and de-risk the offshore wind supply chain in support of the Ƶ’s clean energy transition, boosting economic growth through new jobs and skills opportunity around the country.
“Following the success of the initial funding round and the recent modernising of our investment powers through The Crown Estate Act 2025, we’ve expanded the ambition and scope for the second round of the accelerator to include fixed and floating supply chain opportunities, together with ports and their associated facilities.
“The application window is open until the end of June, and we are looking forward to hearing from applicants with Ƶ projects we could support to get investment ready.”
Gus Jaspert, managing director, marine at the Crown Estate, said: “The energy transition isn’t just about clean power; it also offers huge opportunities for new jobs, skills and regeneration across the country. With one of the world’s largest offshore wind industries and growing ambitions, we want to support the Ƶ’s supply chains and infrastructure to be as successful as our deployed offshore wind.
“Ports are vital national assets which are key to unlocking the huge potential of our exciting clean energy transition. Providing funding for port infrastructure and supply chain facilities is an obvious and important next move for our Supply Chain Accelerator.
“It will help the Ƶ’s offshore wind sector to retain its global attractiveness to developers and investors, providing confidence we can increase our rate of deployment whilst also ensuring activity offshore is creating value for onshore communities up and down the country.”
The application process is now open and is due to close at the end of June. Successful projects will be chosen following an application assessment process and announced by the end of the year. The Crown Estate is being supported by professional services firm Grant Thornton.
