Wind

China spurs offshore wind bounce back as global half-year build quadruples on 2021: WFO

Some 6.8GW deployed offshore in first six months of 2022, with Asian superpower credited for 5.1GW that led a sharp upturn year-on-year, says industry body

The pioneering Taranto project in Italy entered service in the first half.
The pioneering Taranto project in Italy entered service in the first half.Foto: Getty/AFP via Getty Images/AFP via Getty Images/NTB scanpix

Construction of the world’s rapidly expanding offshore wind fleet ramped up almost four-fold in the first half of the year compared to 2021, with China accounting for 75% of global installations as total operational sea-based plant closed in on 55GW, according to latest calculations from the World Forum Offshore Wind (WFO).

Some 6.8GW of turbines were deployed offshore in the first six months of the year, with the Asian superpower credited with 5.1GW, WFO said in its Global Offshore Wind Report HY1 2022, a sharp upturn on H1 2021 when just over 1.6GW was built worldwide.

Behind China, the UK deployed 1.3GW, Vietnam almost 300MW and Italy 30MW, while 8MW off South Korea accounted for the rest. Almost 12GW of offshore wind capacity is currently under development globally.

“While China is clearly leading the global offshore wind growth it is excellent to see more and more countries around the world investing in offshore wind energy,” said WFO managing director Gunnar Herzig.

"In addition to the UK which extends its position as Europe’s biggest offshore wind market, the Netherlands is on an impressive growth path with 3GW already in operation and another 2GW under construction. This puts the Netherlands in third place globally in terms of offshore wind capacity currently under construction ahead of large European countries such as the UK, Germany or France,” Herzig told Recharge.

“The more international offshore wind as an industry becomes, the more robust it will be against economic turbulence.”

Thirty-three projects were brought into operation in H1 2022, 25 of which are off China – which now has almost 25GW in installed capacity, 45% of the worldwide total. Five were started-up in Vietnam, one off the UK – the world's largest wind farm to-date, the 1.3GW Hornsea 2 – one off South Korea and the first-ever off Italy.

The UK now has an operational 13.6GW of offshore wind, Germany a “stagnant” 7.7GW, and the Netherlands 3GW. Worldwide, 248 arrays are turning, 134 of which are located in Asia, 112 in Europe and two in the US.

WFO figures also highlight China’s sectoral leadership as being reflected in growth rates, with total capacity of 3.2GW now under construction, while Taiwan is in second place with 2.5GW, and the Netherlands third with 2.3GW.

The UK and France follow in fourth and fifth place, with 1.6GW and 1.47GW being built, respectively. Germany started work on two projects with a combined capacity of 599MW, following a two-year construction hiatus off its shores.

Global offshore wind witnessed a record 15.7GW in installations in 2021, again supercharged by China, WFO said in its last year-end report.
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Published 7 September 2022, 07:39Updated 7 September 2022, 08:37
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