The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is set to add 215 GW of offshore wind power generation capacity between 2024 and 2033, with China accounting for 74% of this growth, according to the latest estimates by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).
Taiwan is expected to contribute 7% of the new installations, while South Korea and Japan each will account for 5%. Vietnam, India, and Australia are estimated to contribute 3% each, with the remaining 3% attributed to other APAC nations.
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China has been rapidly expanding its offshore wind capacity, connecting 5 GW in 2022 and 6.3 GW in 2023. As of May 2024, over 17 GW was under construction, and the country is expected to transition from nearshore to deepwater installations by the end of 2025. GWEC predicts that China will add about 160 GW of total offshore wind capacity in the next decade.
Taiwan is currently the second-largest offshore wind market in the region, having connected almost 2 GW of capacity to the grid between 2021 and 2023. The country has an additional 2.9 GW under construction, but GWEC believes it is unlikely to reach its targeted 5.6 GW by 2025.
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In the near term (2024-2027), China is expected to continue leading the region in offshore wind capacity, with an estimated share of between 80% and 90%. However, GWEC predicts that China's share will gradually decline to 69% in 2030 and 66% in 2033, as Japan and South Korea expand their own markets. The development of local supply chains will be a key challenge for APAC countries outside the top five markets in the region, according to the industry body.