Offshore wind marked a record year of activity in 2015 with over 3.7 GW brought online, Navigant Research said.
In its Offshore Wind Market Update report, the company reported that preliminary confirmed project commissioning in all global markets shows that offshore wind reached nearly 12 GW of cumulative capacity by the end of 2015, up from 995 MW installed globally in 2014.
Over 65% of the annual capacity was installed in Germany, where a large number of wind turbines installed in 2014 were fully energized and grid-connected in 2015. Other key markets contributing to the capacity are the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and China.
The major offshore wind market driver globally is the demand for clean and diversified energy sources from an increasing number of governments. This is especially significant for the energy markets that are located near areas of strong offshore wind potential, particularly the North Sea and Baltic Sea in Europe, Navigant Research said, adding that the potential is also ripe along the northeastern seaboard of the United States.