Williams Jet Tenders, the world’s leading jet tender specialist, has been selected by Innovate UK EDGE to receive a grant of £13,000 to fund part of its ongoing sustainability programme to test alternative, more sustainable composite materials for use in its tenders. Spearheaded by Williams, the project starts this month and will be delivered in partnership with the National Composites Centre (NCC) in Bristol.

As part of Williams’ ongoing, planned sustainability programme, and through the Life Cycle Analysis of its tenders, the team has already identified composites as having the greatest material impact and associated carbon emissions. By working to reduce the embedded carbon within marine tender composites, the Williams team hopes to be able to use the results of this study to direct the usability of alternative composite materials in its tenders and inform the need for future research.

Williams Jet Tenders will manufacture the test panels to specification in its factory in Oxfordshire before being delivered to the NCC where full engineering tests will take place. The NCC will carry out full mechanical testing of panels of natural fibre, GRP and a hybrid of both materials to assess the capabilities of sustainable fibres for use in the manufacture of its yacht tenders.

Commenting on the project, Sarah Moore, Sustainability Specialist at Williams Jet Tenders, said: “We are thrilled to have received this grant and are excited about the work and results that can be achieved as part of this project, working alongside the experienced team at the NCC. This is an incredible milestone in our sustainability journey which has been led by months of research and analysis.”

The project is starting in October 2023 with a completion date set of January 2024.