Crown Estate Unveils £15 Million Investment to Accelerate Offshore Wind Expansion

The UK’s offshore wind sector is set for a significant boost as The Crown Estate announces the second round of its £15 million Supply Chain Accelerator, with an expanded focus on manufacturing facilities and port infrastructure. The goal? To fast-track deployment and enhance supply chain resilience as the nation races toward its ambitious clean energy targets.

Launched in 2023 as part of a £50 million initiative, the Supply Chain Accelerator was designed to de-risk and accelerate early-stage development in the UK’s offshore wind supply chain. The first round prioritised floating wind projects, laying the groundwork for a domestic manufacturing ecosystem. Now, in its second phase, the fund widens its reach—encompassing ports, construction hubs, and maintenance facilities crucial for fixed and floating wind deployment.

With ports emerging as nerve centres for offshore wind farm construction, assembly, operations, and maintenance, this expansion could unlock new economic opportunities while strengthening Britain’s clean energy infrastructure.

The UK has set a bold target of 50GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030. However, with only 14.7GW currently in operation, achieving this goal demands massive infrastructure investments. The government’s plan includes 5GW of floating wind, with The Crown Estate’s Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5 expected to contribute up to 4.5GW in the Celtic Sea.

This latest round of funding will help bridge the infrastructure gap, ensuring the supply chain can scale efficiently to meet surging demand.

Businesses can now apply for up to £1.5 million per project. The Crown Estate offers 50% matched funding to support early-stage development. Successful applicants may also gain access to additional capital investment opportunities.

The application window closes at the end of June, and final selections will be announced by the end of the year. To support the process, The Crown Estate has partnered with Grant Thornton, leveraging the firm’s expertise in investment evaluation and supply chain growth.

This funding initiative aligns closely with the Industrial Growth Plan (IGP), which was unveiled in 2024 by RenewableUK and its industry partners, including The Crown Estate. The IGP outlines the critical steps to triple the UK’s offshore wind manufacturing capacity over the next decade, highlighting ports and port-related infrastructure as priority sectors.

December 2023 saw The Crown Estate award £5 million to 13 businesses in the accelerator's first round, focusing on floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea. Combined with matched funding, this translated to an overall £9 million development investment, potentially leading to £400 million in capital investment if these projects reach full-scale deployment.

In a landmark move, the Crown Estate has secured new borrowing and investment powers under the Crown Estate Act 2025. This modernised framework enables the organisation to expand its financial flexibility, allowing for greater long-term investments in decarbonisation, energy security, and nature recovery—critical to the UK’s net-zero ambitions.

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 UK’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 UK projects we could support to get investment ready."