The UK’s Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP) has awarded £3.5m in development grant funding to nine businesses across the supply chain.
It follows a competition launched in December 2021 to award businesses for projects that will unlock significant growth potential in UK content, jobs and export opportunities.
The nine winners represent different areas of the offshore wind supply chain, including planning and risk analytics, next generation crew transfer vessels, eco-friendly scour protection and blade recycling.
Sennen Tech, VRAI International and Cognitive Business are offering software and tech solutions for automation, training, and asset monitoring, respectively.
OWF-PRA develops risk assessment tools, while Exo-Engineering is working on the commercialisation of reef scour protection products.
Elsewhere, Continuum Holdings is advancing industrial scale end-of-life composite recycling capabilities, while BAR Technologies is developing an electric zero-emission foiling daughter craft boat.
Rounding off the pack are Zelim and HonuWorx, which are designing a next-generation fast rescue craft and subsea robotics control solutions, respectively.
OWGP programme manager Claire Canning said: “We are delighted with the diversity of companies and projects awarded through this funding round.
“Each one promises to deliver significant impact in the UK’s offshore wind industry through the creation of jobs and the development of new, exportable products and services ready for commercialisation.”
RenewableUK deputy chief executive Melanie Onn added: “Well-targeted grant funding like this is continuing to accelerate the growth and the strength of the UK’s offshore wind supply chain.
“It’s great to see so many UK companies already benefitting from the support available through the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership, enabling them to develop products and services which will help to revolutionise the way we build, operate and maintain our world-class offshore wind farms – as well as exporting our much-sought-after goods and expertise to new projects around the world.”
The OWGP is delivered by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult and funded by the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC).
It plans to launch another funding competition later this year with a total pot of £2m to be won.