GWEC Calls for Faster Offshore Wind Deployment as Global Capacity Nears 100 GW

The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) has called on governments worldwide to accelerate offshore wind deployment and treat offshore wind projects as critical energy infrastructure, warning that a faster build-out is necessary to strengthen energy security and reduce exposure to future energy market shocks.

The industry is approaching a major milestone of 100 GW of installed offshore wind capacity globally, according to GWEC’s 2026 Global Offshore Wind Report, released on 9 June at the APAC Wind Energy Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The report shows that 9.3 GW of new offshore wind capacity was grid-connected worldwide in 2025, a 16 per cent increase compared to the previous year and the third-highest annual total on record. Global installed offshore wind capacity reached 92.5 GW by the end of 2025.

GWEC forecasts that annual offshore wind installations will double in 2026 and continue growing rapidly over the next decade, with more than 327 GW of new capacity expected to be added by 2035. This would bring cumulative global offshore wind capacity to 420 GW.

“Predicted to reach a compound average annual growth rate of 24% between 2026 and 2030, offshore wind is set to become one of the world’s fastest-growing mainstream energy technologies”, GWEC said in a press release on 9 June.

According to the report, more than 50 GW of offshore wind projects are currently under construction worldwide, while annual installations are expected to exceed 50 GW per year by 2035.

China remained the world’s largest offshore wind market in 2025, commissioning 6.6 GW of new capacity and increasing its total installed offshore wind capacity to 48.4 GW.

Europe added nearly 2 GW across the UK, Germany and France, with the UK accounting for just over 1 GW of new installations.

Despite the positive outlook, GWEC said project development continues to be hindered by permitting delays, grid constraints, supply chain bottlenecks and shortcomings in auction design.

The organisation noted that around 25 GW of offshore wind projects outside China have already secured permits and planning approvals but are still awaiting final investment decisions, often due to unresolved grid connection, auction or subsidy arrangements.

To address these challenges, GWEC outlined an eight-point action plan that includes faster permitting procedures, increased investment in grid and port infrastructure, improved auction frameworks, stronger government-industry cooperation, expanded financing mechanisms and measures to strengthen supply chains.

The report also calls on governments to classify offshore wind, alongside supporting infrastructure such as transmission networks, energy storage facilities and ports, as nationally significant infrastructure projects to help reduce regulatory delays and improve investment certainty.

“Built at scale, offshore wind is a unique strategic asset and one of the best available utility-scale renewable power sources for a clean and secure power system”, said Rebecca Williams, GWEC’s Deputy CEO.

Offshore wind capacity now accounts for 7.1 per cent of total global wind installations, with China, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Taiwan representing more than 90 per cent of the global market. The average size of offshore wind turbines installed in 2025 exceeded 10 MW for the first time, reaching 10.3 MW.

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