Global offshore wind capacity is set to reach 100GW this year, according to RenewableUK’s latest EnergyPulse Insights report.
The trade body said operational capacity has risen 8% over the past 12 months from 82.5GW to 89.2GW, with 374 offshore wind farms now operating worldwide.
RenewableUK added that the sector delivered 8.8GW of new capacity in 2025, making it the fourth biggest year on record for installations.
The report forecasts that 18.8GW could be delivered in 2026 as projects complete in China, the UK, Germany, the USA, Taiwan and Poland.
RenewableUK said the global offshore wind project pipeline now totals 1,565 projects with a combined capacity of 1,157GW across 49 markets.
The organisation noted that 671 offshore wind projects could be operational by 2030, helping global installed capacity reach 236GW.
Operational offshore wind capacity in the UK increased from 14.8GW to 16.1GW over the past year as the number of completed wind farms rose from 43 to 45.
A further 11.5GW of UK offshore wind capacity is currently under construction, with 127 projects in total across all stages of development representing 91.9GW.
RenewableUK said China and the UK accounted for 84% of offshore wind capacity which became operational over the past year.
The report also states that £39bn of capital investment was committed worldwide across 16.8GW of offshore wind projects reaching final investment decision over the last 12 months.
“Our latest EnergyPulse report highlights the extraordinary growth of the global offshore wind industry as we approach the milestone of 100 gigawatts of clean power capacity – that will be enough to power more than 40 million EVs for a year,” said Tara Singh, chief executive of RenewableUK.
“A significant level of private investment has gone into new offshore wind projects worldwide over the last twelve months, with final investment decisions worth nearly £40 billion across 38 offshore wind farms, demonstrating the huge contribution the industry is making to global economic growth.”