WFO publishes its Global Offshore Wind Report for 2019 – a new record year for the global offshore wind industry

WORLD FORUM OFFSHORE WIND (WFO) published its Global Offshore Wind Report 2019 today. Globally 5,194 MW of offshore wind capacity went into operation during 2019. This makes 2019 a new record year in terms of new global offshore wind installations with a 24% growth as compared to 2018. In total global offshore wind installations reached 27,213 MW by the end of 2019.

Worldwide 16 new offshore wind farms went into operation during 2019 in China, UK, Germany, Denmark, Belgium and Taiwan. Globally 146 offshore wind farms are now up and running. The UK remains the world’s biggest offshore wind market with 9.7 GW of total installed capacity. Germany retains its second place with a total of 7.5 GW of operational capacity. China, currently in third place, is rapidly catching up with 4.9 GW of installed offshore wind power.

Looking at offshore wind farms under construction China clearly leads the way. The Chinese offshore wind sector is growing rapidly with a total capacity of 3.7 GW currently under construction. The continuous offshore wind growth path implemented by the Dutch government makes The Netherlands the second largest market for offshore wind projects under construction with 1.5 GW. The disruption in the German offshore wind market caused by regulatory framework changes is reflected in the comparatively low capacity currently under construction of only 220 MW.

Floating offshore wind is also making significant progress. Announcements for two large-scale floating projects in South Korea brought the total floating offshore wind development pipeline to around 1 GW. With four floating offshore wind projects under development in the Atlantic Ocean as well as Mediterranean Sea France is the front runner in this dynamic new market.

Gunnar Herzig, Managing Director, WFO: “WFO’s new global offshore wind figures clearly illustrate two major trends: Firstly, China’s rapid growth will make it the world’s largest offshore wind market during the 2020s. Secondly, floating offshore wind is gaining serious traction. While the last decade was its demonstration phase, the 2020s will bring the commercial breakthrough for floating offshore wind.”

All information can be accessed on the WFO website under: www.wfo-global.org