The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) reported on Monday that the global offshore wind industry installed 10.8 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity in 2023, marking the second-highest annual installation level on record. By the end of the year, the total operational offshore wind capacity worldwide reached 75.2 GW.
New installations saw a significant 24% increase compared to the previous year, reflecting robust momentum in the sector. GWEC anticipates this growth trajectory to continue through 2030, contingent upon sustained policy support globally.
GWEC projects a staggering 410 GW of new offshore wind capacity to be installed over the next decade, with a substantial portion slated for construction between 2029 and 2033. Emerging offshore wind markets such as Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brazil, Colombia, Ireland, and Poland are expected to drive much of this expansion.
Ben Backwell, CEO of GWEC, remarked on the industry's trajectory: “Installing almost 11 GW of offshore wind is the leading edge of a new wave of offshore wind growth. Policy progress – especially across the Asia-Pacific region and the Americas – has set us on course to regularly install record-breaking capacity annually, and pass the 380 GW target set up by the Global Offshore Wind Alliance. That means offshore wind is on course to achieve the tripling ambition set at COP28 in Dubai.”
In 2023, China maintained its leadership in offshore wind development for the sixth consecutive year, adding 6.3 GW of capacity. Meanwhile, Europe also saw record-breaking installations with 3.8 GW of new offshore wind, led by the Netherlands with 1.9 GW, followed by the UK, France, Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Spain.
By the end of 2023, Asia hosted 41 GW of offshore wind capacity, while Europe had 34 GW in operation.
