Great British Energy unleashes funds to address supply chain bottlenecks, commercialise floating wind

The £1.0Bn (US$1.3Bn) Energy Engineered in the UK (EEUK) programme will mobilise public and private investment to unlock critical supply chains and create thousands of skilled jobs.

As part of the programme, GBE is opening a £300M GBE Supply Chain Fund: Offshore Wind & Networks, which is designed to tackle urgent bottlenecks in key components such as blades, turbines, transmission cables and converter stations. GBE said the investment “will build manufacturing capacity and ensure the UK remains at the forefront of offshore wind deployment and electricity network innovation.” 

The fund is a key part of the UK government’s Industrial Strategy, which sets out a 10-year plan to boost investment, create good skilled jobs and make Britain the best place to do business. GBE will work alongside partners including the National Wealth Fund, Scottish National Infrastructure Bank and The Crown Estate to unlock financing for large-scale manufacturing projects.

To help cement the UK’s position as a leader in deepwater offshore wind, GBE is also establishing a Deepwater Wind Commercialisation Programme in partnership with FLOWEX, bringing together industry leaders to unlock the industrial opportunity from the next frontier of offshore wind deployment.

GBE describes the Deepwater Wind Commercialisation Programme as a "whole-value-chain approach" to accelerate the deployment of floating wind and other deepwater technology. The programme will accelerate modularisation and standardisation of manufacturing, delivering cost reductions across the value chain, while working with partners across the sector, including wind turbine OEMs. Working with partners, the programme will develop commercial structures and demand signals that provide predictable, bankable markets for UK-made foundations, giving investors the confidence to commit to long-term capability building. 

Great British Energy chief executive Dan McGrail said, “Great British Energy is investing in British industry. We are helping to create jobs, driving innovation and ensuring clean energy infrastructure is built here in the UK. This programme is about more than funding; it will help overcome the current challenges and ensure the benefits of a world-class supply chain are felt in communities across the country.” 

UK Energy Minister Michael Shanks said, “We want our clean-energy future to be built here in Britain as part of our modern Industrial Strategy. This funding will boost our manufacturing capabilities for offshore wind, supporting jobs and growth in communities across the country.” 

Great British Energy director of supply chains Rob Gilbert said Energy Engineered in the UK will drive down technology costs, secure private finance and support structured market interventions.