Global 'Floating Wind Capacity' Rises by 9% in Last 12 Months

Global Floating Offshore Wind Capacity Grows 9%, Led by Projects in Italy, US, and UK: RenewableUK Report

Dan McGrail, Chief Executive of RenewableUK, Photo: X

According to a report published by RenewableUK, the global pipeline of floating offshore wind projects reflected nine percent growth over the past twelve months, expanding from 244 GW to 266 GW.

Currently, the number of global projects has increased from 285 to 316, according to the report. Types of pipelines with projects at different stages: fully operational, under construction, approved, in planning, or in early stages of development.

Globally, 102 MW of projects are under construction (four projects), 7.3 GW have been agreed upon or are in the pre-construction stage (22 projects), 21.6 GW are in the planning process (15 projects) and 184 GW are in early development or applying for a lease.

To date, the report outlines 245 MW of floating wind that is fully operational across 15 projects in seven countries. Among the three projects, Norway has the most with 94 MW, the UK is second with 78 MW (two projects), China has 40 MW (five projects), Portugal is fourth with 25 MW (one project), and Japan is fifth with 5 MW (two projects).

According to RenewableUK, Italy has the largest pipeline, with 16 percent of the global total (41.3 GW). Most of these projects are in the early stages of development, and the same applies to the United States, which is second with 13 percent (35.3 GW).

The UK is third with 12 percent (33.1 GW), followed by Spain with nine percent (24.7 GW) and Sweden with seven percent (18.2 GW).

“It is great to see the UK maintaining its position as a world leader in floating wind, but in an increasingly competitive global market the industry will now have to work even harder with the government to ensure we maintain the amount of floating capacity we have at each annual auction from now on. ”, said Dan McGrail, Chief Executive of RenewableUK, co-chair of the Floating Offshore Wind Taskforce.

"This will enable us to achieve the economies of scale we need to build a world-class supply chain and reduce costs as quickly as possible." In terms of other news from the floating offshore wind market, the world's first semi-submerged floating offshore wind farm, Windfloat Atlantic, exceeded expected production figures, achieving a cumulative output of 320 GWh.

Connected to the grid by late 2019 and fully operational in 2020, the wind farm consists of three platforms, each supporting an 8.4 MW Vestas turbine. These platforms are anchored to the seabed with chains on the onshore wind submission in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, via a 20-kilometer cable.

RenewableUK,  previously the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA), is the trade association for wind power, wave power, and tidal power industries in the United Kingdom. The energy landscape evolves, and renewables are increasing, contributing to annual power generation. Renewables are now at the core of our future power system and essential to future energy security. RenewableUK plays a crucial role in the energy transformation.