China poised to power huge growth in global offshore wind energy: report

LONDON -- The world's offshore windfarm capacity could grow eightfold by the end of the decade powered by a clean energy surge led by China, according to the latest report from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).

There will be stronger than expected growth for the offshore wind industry, which could reach 234 GW by 2030, from a global tally of just over 29 GW at the end of last year, said the report.

The council revised its forecasts up by 15 GW in its latest annual report on offshore wind power after the fastest ever growth in 2019, when new wind farms around the world added an extra 6.1 GW to the global tally.

Ben Backwell, chief executive at the GWEC, said offshore wind was "truly going global" as governments around the world "recognize the role that the technology can play in kickstarting post-COVID economic recovery."

The report found that 2019 was the best year on record for offshore wind, with 6.1 GW of new capacity added globally, bringing total global cumulative installations to 29.1 GW. China remains in the number one spot for the second year in a row for new installations, installing a record 2.4 GW, followed by Britain at 1.8 GW and Germany at 1.1 GW.

Britain held the top spot for the largest market for offshore wind at the end of last year with 9.7 GW in operation, followed by Germany with 7.5 GW and China with 6.8 GW.

The report highlights increased activity level in the Asia-Pacific region thanks to increased national ambition, led by China where 52 GW of new offshore wind capacity is expected to be installed by 2030.