Global operational offshore wind farm capacity has exceeded 80GW, according to new data from RenewableUK (RUK).
RUK’s latest Offshore Wind EnergyPulse Insights report reveals offshore wind capacity is now at 80.9GW, up from 70.2GW in 2023, an increase of 15%.
Two countries are responsible for 63% of this new capacity, with China adding 6.9GW and the Netherlands adding 1.7GW.
This growth is set to continue, as the number of projects in the global offshore wind pipeline has increased from 1461 to 1555 over the last year.
The number of countries involved in the sector is up from 41 to 44 as new markets continue to emerge, with the first offshore wind projects in Indonesia, Chile and Malta confirmed in 2024.
The project pipeline includes offshore wind farms at all stages of development: fully operational, under construction, consented, in the planning system and in early development.
China is still the global leader with a pipeline of 247GW across 437 projects, and the UK remains in second place with 96GW across 123 projects.
The US is third at 79GW, Germany fourth (68GW) and Sweden fifth (55GW).
The report also shows that 13 UK offshore wind projects are currently eligible to bid into this year’s Contracts for Difference auction (Allocation Round 7) with a total capacity of 7.3GW.
To put this into context, the total capacity of all offshore wind farms now operating in UK waters stands at 14.7GW.
Each gigawatt of new capacity adds more than £2bn to the UK economy, and over 34,000 people work in the industry.
RenewableUK’s Chief Executive Dan McGrail said: “Our latest EnergyPulse Insights report shows that the global offshore wind market is continuing to grow at an extraordinary speed year after year, as more countries look to seize the industrial, economic and environmental opportunities which the technology offers.
“The UK remains a world leader in this race, and the Government could strengthen that position further in the coming months by maximising investment in new offshore wind capacity in this year’s auction for new projects, as well as prioritising measures to support the growth of the UK supply chain in its upcoming Industrial Strategy”.