A new report published by RenewableUK shows that global offshore wind operational capacity has increased by 21% over the last 12 months, from 61.5 gigawatts a year ago to 75GW today. The new capacity added over the past year generates enough electricity to power the equivalent of more than 14 million UK homes all year round.
China and the UK retain their top positions with 36.7GW and 14.7GW operational respectively. Germany is third with 8.3GW, the Netherlands fourth with 3.7GW and Denmark fifth with 2.7GW.
The report states that global operational offshore wind capacity could reach 277GW by the end of 2030 – nearly a fourfold increase from today.
The global pipeline of projects at all stages of development (operational, under construction, consented, in planning or at an early stage of development) has increased slightly to 1,231GW, up from 1,228GW a year ago, with more than 1,500 projects across 41 countries. This increase is smaller than previous years due to developers refining their portfolios, and improvements in methods of leasing and consenting projects around the world.
China has the largest pipeline (227GW), with the UK second at 96GW across 122 projects in UK waters. The USA is in third place with 94GW, Sweden fourth on 68GW and Brazil fifth with 61GW.
For the full release with more data and charts see the full release here.