King Charles’s Crown Estate has posted a record annual profit of £1.1bn as investments in offshore wind came to fruition.
The profits of the Crown Estate, which is made up of land across Britain and most of Britain’s seabed, go directly to the Treasury.
The estate, which manages the King’s public finances, saw profits climb £658.1m higher than last year, largely thanks to a short-term uplift in offshore wind leasing. This year, the estate launched Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5 and the acceleration of Round 4, which it hoped would help “deliver more clean energy, faster”.
According to Reuters, under the offshore wind lease, companies pay for the right to build the offshore wind projects with option fees (the amount paid by the developer to the landowner), worth £6bn a year combined across all six of the winning projects. The option fee is payable for a minimum of three years and up to ten years.
Dan Labbad, CEO of the Crown Estate, said: “Today’s record results are the product of years of commitment and investment into helping create the UK’s world-leading offshore wind sector, as well as the active management of our diverse and resilient portfolio.
“Our track record and remit are also enabling us to invest and lay the foundations for future value creation that will benefit the country and its finances.”
In a press release, the Crown Estate claimed that it is a “leader in supporting the UK towards a net zero carbon and energy-secure future”.
In addition to promoting wind power through the Crown Estate, the Sovereign has also overseen the installation of solar panels at Windsor Castle and ensured the state Bentleys’ have been converted to run on biofuel, according to the Times.
However, the royal family are set to buy two new helicopters to replace the current 15-year-old models. The Times reported that the new helicopters will likely run partially on sustainable fuel.