Crown Estate invests £13 million in wind supply chain

A total of 16 ‘green energy’ projects across England, Wales and Scotland are set to share more than £13 million through The Crown Estate’s Supply Chain Accelerator programme, designed to keep the UK at the forefront of the global offshore wind industry and support national clean power goals. Projects in Plymouth, Pembrokeshire, Blyth and Orkney are among those receiving development funding in this second round, which is nearly triple the amount awarded in the initial phase last year.

The Supply Chain Accelerator was launched in May 2024 as a £50 million programme and forms part of The Crown Estate’s wider ambition to invest up to £400 million in the offshore wind supply chain, alongside its Supply Chain Investment Programme. Together, these initiatives contribute to a £1 billion investment announced earlier this year at the Global Offshore Wind conference in London, in partnership with Great British Energy and the offshore wind industry. Unlike many other funding sources, the Supply Chain Accelerator focuses on early-stage project development, helping businesses move towards an investible position.

This latest round expands eligibility to include UK ports and port-related infrastructure, supporting construction, assembly, manufacturing, operations and maintenance, and wet storage for fixed and floating offshore wind. Businesses could apply for up to £1.5 million per project, with The Crown Estate providing 50% match funding for development costs and an option to participate in later capital investment phases.

Jobs and opportunities for growth
The 16 successful projects include innovations in low-carbon reef scour protection, automated mooring systems, wet storage solutions, and the manufacture of fixed and floating foundations and anchoring strategies. Combined, these awards represent over £26.5 million in development investment, which could lead to more than £2.2 billion of capital investment and create about 3,000 full-time equivalent jobs.

Julia Rose, head of offshore wind at The Crown Estate, said: “In this 25th anniversary year of UK offshore wind, it is fantastic to award funding through our Supply Chain Accelerator to a wide range of projects around the country. These innovative businesses will help us move closer towards our clean power and energy security goals, create jobs and opportunities for growth, drive innovation and boost the UK’s domestic supply chain capabilities.

“Our programme enables early-stage projects to access development funding to hopefully support them into an investible future position, 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.”