Global
Offshore Wind Report 2022

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

The offshore wind industry enjoyed its best-ever year in 2021.  This success, allied with the increased ambition around offshore wind means GWEC has raised its outlook for 2030 by 16.7% to a total of 316 GW installed. 

  • 2021 was the best year ever for the global offshore wind industry.
  • 21.1 GW of new capacity was connected to the grid, around the world.
  • GWEC Market Intelligence has raised its outlook for 2030 by 16.7% – which equates to another 45 GW of capacity.

  • New global ambitions mean there could be more record-breaking years from 2025 onwards.

  • China made up 80% of offshore wind capacity added worldwide in 2021, bringing its cumulative offshore wind installations to 27.7 GW. 
  • By the end of 2022, Asia will be the world’s largest offshore market; it could take until 2031 for Europe to regain the position.
  • Offshore wind’s share of global wind installations will grow from 23% in 2021 to 30$ by 2031. 
  • Floating wind moved from the demonstration phase to pre-commercial, with 57 MW of new installations globally. 

Political commitment
must deliver real action

Political commitment to net zero already puts offshore wind in a vital position for reaching net zero. The energy crisis and the Russian invasion of Ukraine has seen governments further raise their offshore wind targets as they look to secure their energy supplies. The Global Offshore Wind Report 2022 forecasts government targets will take the world close to the GWEC/IRENA Offshore Wind Energy Compact target set out in 2021. 

In order to go further and reach that 380 GW figure by 2030, a gargantuan effort is required to turn these ambitions into actions. Government, industry and other stakeholders must work together to ensure that seabed concessions are being licensed at the right pace, to make sure that planning processes are simplified and made more efficient and to ensure that procurement schemes such as auctions can deliver sustainable prices which recognise the system and social value of offshore wind energy.

The sustainability challenge

The offshore wind industry is poised to become one of the most important custodians of the world’s oceans. It is vital that the industry recognises that the projected growth brings with it increased responsibility. 

The report investigates the challenges the sector faces to be responsible actors in the Ocean, what companies are already doing with institutions around the world, and the off-sea challenges around a net zero supply line. 

Discover the Data

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Contacts

Alex Bath

Communications Director
[email protected]