Floating offshore wind risks remaining stuck in a pre-commercial holding pattern without coordinated policy action, according to a new whitepaper from the Global Offshore Wind Alliance and the Carbon Trust.
The report said FLOW has moved beyond technical demonstration but remains far from the commercial scale required to meet global energy and climate goals.
It added that more than 278MW is now operational worldwide across over 15 projects while national targets exceed 40GW.
The study found that around 70% of offshore wind resources lie in deeper waters suited to floating technology, underscoring the need for accelerated deployment.
The authors stated that even under a high-growth scenario the sector would reach only 260GW by 2050, well short of levels needed to align with global climate pathways.
The paper identifies four levers to unlock commercialisation: economies of scale, attractive policy landscapes, learning by doing and targeted R&D.
Its central conclusion is that policy must come first, with clear targets, predictable auction schedules and revenue mechanisms tailored to floating wind required to unlock investment.
“Floating offshore wind is no longer a question of technical feasibility,” said Amisha Patel (pictured), head of secretariat at GOWA.
“However, deployment remains limited and uneven.”
Patel added that project pipelines are still relatively small, costs remain high and supply chains have not yet reached the scale required for sustained growth.
“This is a natural stage in the evolution of an emerging technology,” she said.
“But without clearer long-term policy signals and stronger coordination across governments and industry, progress to commercial scale will remain gradual.”
Mary Harvey, manager – offshore wind at the Carbon Trust, said: “The floating offshore wind sector is facing a stalemate.”
She added that clear policies, coordinated partnerships and credible investment signals are needed to unlock commercial-scale deployment.