Clean Energy Win: Global Capacity of Offshore Wind Projects Doubles – in One Year

A newly released report from a British trade association for renewable power sources shows that the capacity of producing energy from offshore wind platforms has almost doubled over the last year, with projects already operational, and some under construction, consented or planned.

“Countries around the world recognize the urgent need to ramp up the transition to clean power – not only to tackle climate change but also to provide secure supplies of low-cost homegrown electricity for people hit hard by international gas prices going through the roof,” says Dan McGrail, CEO of RenewableUK. “Add to that the benefits of creating millions of skilled jobs and attracting billions in private investment, and you can see why offshore wind is surging ahead globally.”

The global capacity went from 429 gigawatts (GW) to 846GW over the last 12 months, with China in the lead at 98GW. The United Kingdom, the United States, and Germany are at 91 GW, 80GW, and 57GW respectively. Brazil, Sweden, Ireland, Vietnam, and South Korea all have major pipelines. Europe’s pipeline is 350GW – with 26GW already fully operational – and outside Europe, that number reaches 496GW.