Tardra has successfully secured funding from The Crown Estate through the initial round of its innovative Supply Chain Accelerator (“the Accelerator”). 

This is match funding to support the development of Tardra's project focusing on the design of, and building a facility strategically placed to support the development of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea.

Established in May, the Accelerator is a £50m fund created to accelerate and de-risk the early-stage development of UK supply chain projects that service the offshore wind sector.

Tardra is an offshore engineering company focused on the installation of tubular piles requiring drilling, alongside the provision of engineering support and advisory.

In early 2024, The Crown Estate published the Celtic Sea Blueprint which predicted that 5,300 jobs and a £1.4bn economic boost could be generated through deploying the first floating offshore wind capacity, that will result from the current Leasing Round 5 process, in the waters off South Wales and South-West England. 

The research highlighted a number of opportunities for supply chain growth essential for the development of these floating wind farms, including: floating platform components; dynamic cables and connections; wet storage infrastructure and facilities; operations and management infrastructure and facilities; and skills transition facilities.  

The Crown Estate’s role is to create long-term value for the country, and it focuses on using the land and seabed it manages to help catalyse net zero, restore nature, create thriving communities and drive economic growth. 

Nicholas Dale, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Tardra, said: "We are delighted to receive this funding from The Crown Estate following a competitive application process. The funding will be used to support our ambitions in floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea and will be used to develop a state-of-the-art facility to house our equipment and operations."

Will Apps, Offshore Wind Strategy Director at The Crown Estate, said: “It’s fantastic to announce the successful organisations receiving funding through our Supply Chain Accelerator. We’ve been encouraged by the level of interest the Accelerator has generated in the market and are delighted with the calibre and range of projects which we’ll be supporting."

“The purpose of the Accelerator is to help grow and nurture the UK’s domestic supply chain, a crucial factor if the UK is to realise the potential of offshore wind in delivering its ambitious clean power and net zero goals, contributing to jobs and prosperity in communities across the UK.” 

For more information on the Supply Chain Accelerator, please visit: Supply Chain Accelerator Fund | The Crown Estate