Global offshore wind installations reached 27,213MW by the end of 2019, according to Global Offshore Wind Report 2019 by World Forum Offshore Wind (WFO).
5,194MW of offshore wind capacity went into operation during the last year, making 2019 a new record year in terms of new global offshore wind installations with a 24% growth as compared to 2018 , WFO said.
Worldwide, 16 new offshore wind farms went into operation during 2019 in China, UK, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, and Taiwan. 146 offshore wind farms are now up and running around the globe.
The UK remains the world’s biggest offshore wind market with 9.7GW of total installed capacity. Germany retains its second place with a total of 7.5GW of operational capacity. China, currently in third place, has 4.9GW of installed offshore wind power.
China and the Netherlands Leading Offshore Construction Charge
Looking at offshore wind farms under construction, China clearly leads the way, WFO said, with a total capacity of 3.7GW currently under construction.
The Netherlands is the second-largest market for offshore wind projects under construction with 1.5GW.
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 220MW, WFO said.
South Korea and France Emerge as Floating Wind Hot Spots
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 1GW.
With four floating offshore wind projects under development in the Atlantic Ocean as well as the Mediterranean Sea, France is the front runner in this new market, WFO said.
Gunnar Herzig , Managing Director, WFO, said: “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.”