Report access funding for Dutch offshore wind sector

Read the abstract: 'Improving Access to Finance for Dutch Offshore Wind Supply Chain'

To accelerate the energy transition and strengthen the Dutch offshore wind sector, innovation and scale-up are critical. But companies in the supply chain face significant funding bottlenecks. How do we ensure that these companies have the financial resources to innovate and scale up so that the goals are not jeopardized?

JBR, commissioned by Invest-NL and TKI Offshore Energy, conducted research on the financing challenges in the offshore wind sector. This report identifies the main bottlenecks and offers concrete recommendations to make financing more accessible for innovative companies in this sector.

Industry challenges

Competitive pressure is increasing and ambitions are high: the Netherlands wants to substantially expand its offshore wind capacity in the coming years. But without sufficient investment in innovation and scale-up, we risk a capacity problem. The study shows that:

Business cases of parties in the offshore wind supply chain are under pressure. Innovations require high CapEx and long lead times (>5-7 years), while rewards remain uncertain.
Investors view offshore wind as risky, making financing difficult to obtain.
Current financing structures do not always match companies' capital needs.

Solutions for a stronger financing environment

The report makes recommendations at three levels: the business case of companies, the investment landscape and the broader offshore wind ecosystem. To improve financeability, among other things:

Strengthen business cases and improve the risk profile, e.g. by introducing guarantees
Encouraging more cooperation among investors, and attracting new investors to the sector
Better align investment programs, grants and tenders with the needs of innovative companies.
Strengthen the demonstration environment so that innovative technologies become marketable faster.

The role of Invest-NL and TKI Offshore Energy

Invest-NL and TKI Offshore Energy are taking the lead to address funding bottlenecks in the sector. They are actively engaged by:

Bring together entrepreneurs, knowledge institutions, investors and policy makers and intensify the dialogue between them.
Work to improve the financing environment for offshore wind innovations and scale-up, including through Investor Readiness programs, new financing instruments and improved market edge conditions.
Strengthen the demonstration environment by further exploring proof-point facilities so that innovative companies can more easily provide proof of their technologies and attract funding.

Working together for structural change

This report is an important first step to improve the fundability of offshore wind innovations. Invest-NL and TKI Offshore Energy call on policy makers, investors and entrepreneurs to jointly make the necessary structural changes.