The Crown Estate to fund new regional Fit For Offshore Renewables programme in South Wales

Small and medium-sized businesses in South-West Wales are set to benefit from a dedicated regional supply chain programme funded by The Crown Estate, aimed at supporting the floating offshore wind supply chain. 

The programme was announced on Tuesday during an event hosted by The Crown Estate in the Senedd in Cardiff, where Members joined local authorities, industry partners, community groups and skills organisations to showcase the collaborative working taking place on its projects and activities across Wales. 

The Crown Estate’s Chief Executive Dan Labbad attended alongside Senedd Members, where the organisation presented its Wales Review to outline positive impact and future opportunities from its activities across the country. 

F4OR  

The regional programme will run for up to 18 months and be delivered by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s successful Fit For Offshore Renewables programme (F4OR). 

F4OR supports the development of an increasingly competent, capable and competitive UK offshore renewable energy supply chain. It is a unique programme which is focused on helping UK supply chain companies gain the tools needed to succeed in the offshore renewable energy sector.  

The Crown Estate will provide ORE Catapult with £100,000 in funding to work with businesses in the Swansea Bay City Region, supporting their growth and entry into the floating offshore wind supply chain.  

This financial contribution will be matched by the Swansea Bay City Deal, which is co-funded by the Welsh and UK governments, and launched a previous F4OR scheme in the region. 

From the end of July, Expressions of Interest in the new scheme can be submitted by businesses through the ORE Catapult website and successful businesses will be judged against a set of relevant criteria, including their commitment to expanding their footprint in the floating offshore wind supply chain and alignment with the ambitions set out in the Celtic Sea Blueprint. 

The funding for this scheme is in addition to The Crown Estate’s recently announced proposal to invest up to £400m of capital into the UK’s offshore wind supply chain.  

Some of this funding is already being deployed in Wales through its £50m Supply Chain Accelerator, supporting organisations including Neath Port Talbot Group of Colleges, Pembrokeshire College and Marine Power Systems Ltd. 

Rebecca Williams, Director, Devolved Nations at The Crown Estate, said: “Having the opportunity to showcase and celebrate the individuals and collaboration involved in The Crown Estate’s work across Wales in the Senedd was fantastic, and we’re grateful to the Members who supported our event. It’s inspiring to bring together so many valued partners who are helping us to serve communities and businesses across Wales, now and into the future. 

“SMEs are a core driver of Wales’s economy. The F4OR scheme with ORE Catapult will help businesses in South Wales take advantage of the many opportunities presented by the development of a new floating offshore wind industry in the Celtic Sea. Through a thriving supply chain, we can create jobs, skills and play an important role in the clean energy transition.” 

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, said: “Floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver lasting economic and social value for Wales.    

“Working in partnership with the Crown Estate and others, we are determined to ensure Wales is in the best possible position to reap the rewards from the renewable energy revolution. 

“This important programme will support local companies bidding for work in the floating offshore wind industry. This will help improve the awareness of Welsh firms about what is required to do business in the offshore wind sector.” 

Andy Macdonald, Director - Development & Operations, ORE Catapult, said: “South Wales has an enviable reputation for engineering and manufacturing excellence, coupled with huge potential to support the growth and expansion of floating offshore wind. The Fit for Offshore Renewables (F4OR) supply chain programme provides an ideal route for companies with the right combination of key skills, expertise and leadership to make the transition to the renewable energy sector.  

“As we see the Celtic Sea becoming an increasingly important location for floating wind development, the opportunity for local innovative companies to tap into the huge economic potential is clear, and this support is specifically designed to help those companies turn potential into reality.”  

This announcement follows the news in June that Equinor and Gwynt Glas – a joint venture between EDF Renewables UK and ESB – had been selected as preferred bidders to take forward two new floating wind farms as part of The Crown Estate’s Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5 in the Celtic Sea. 

Launched at the start of 2024, a core focus of Round 5 has been to open up a new region of the UK for the generation of more secure, clean energy, while kick-starting the development of a new industry and supply chain around the Celtic Sea.  

The Crown Estate’s Celtic Sea Blueprint published last year showed that Round 5 could support the creation of 5,300 new jobs and deliver a £1.4bn boost to the UK economy.