China controls more than half of the world’s operating offshore wind capacity, while the United Kingdom has emerged as one of the biggest construction and investment markets outside China. Germany, the Netherlands and Taiwan remain established offshore wind leaders, while Poland, France, South Korea and Japan are positioning themselves for the next phase of growth.
Global offshore wind capacity reached 92.5 GW at the end of 2025, after 9.3 GW was connected during the year. China alone commissioned 6.6 GW, representing about 71 percent of global additions, and increased its operating fleet to 48.4 GW.
China therefore accounted for approximately 52 percent of global offshore wind capacity.
The GWEC Global Offshore Wind Report 2026 shows how concentrated the industry remains: China, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Taiwan together accounted for 90.3 percent of global offshore wind capacity at the end of 2025.
But operating capacity tells only part of the story. More than 50 GW is under construction globally, while investment, auctions and project pipelines indicate which countries could emerge as the next offshore wind leaders.
China Leads with 48.4 GW of Offshore Wind
No country comes close to China when offshore wind leadership is measured by operating capacity.
China ended 2025 with 48.4 GW, after installing 6.6 GW during the year. It has led annual offshore wind installations globally for eight consecutive years.
Its advantage extends beyond turbines in the water. China has developed a large domestic ecosystem covering turbines, blades, towers, foundations, subsea cables, offshore substations, ports and installation vessels.
Scale is also driving turbine technology. The average offshore turbine installed globally during 2025 reached 10.3 MW, crossing 10 MW for the first time. China moved further in 2026 with installation of its first 20 MW offshore turbine.
Large projects, domestic manufacturing and a deep supply chain therefore give China a deployment advantage that other markets are struggling to match.
UK Has 11.5 GW Under Construction
The UK is China’s strongest offshore wind counterpart when construction and investment rather than existing operating capacity are considered.
By June 2026, the country had a record 11.5 GW under construction, according to RenewableUK. Its broader development portfolio reached 91.4 GW across 137 projects.
The distinction matters. The 91.4 GW pipeline includes projects at multiple stages and should not be directly compared with China’s 48.4 GW already operating.
Investment forecasts nevertheless demonstrate the UK’s ambitions. The RenewableUK Global Offshore Wind Pipeline forecasts £493 billion of global offshore wind investment over five years, with approximately £100 billion associated with UK projects.
Of the expected UK spending, around £81 billion is forecast as capital expenditure on wind-farm construction, with another £18 billion covering development and operating expenditure.
UK Auction Adds 8.44 GW
The UK construction pipeline is also supported by long-term Contracts for Difference.
Allocation Round 7 awarded 8.44 GW across fixed-bottom and floating offshore wind.
The UK Allocation Round 7 results included 6.865 GW of fixed-bottom offshore wind for England and Wales at a clearing price of £91.20/MWh in 2024 prices.
Another 1.38 GW of Scottish offshore wind cleared at £89.49/MWh, while 192.5 MW of floating offshore wind secured £216.49/MWh.
The significantly higher floating-wind price illustrates the technology’s current cost premium while providing developers with the revenue visibility required to advance projects toward financing and construction.
Germany and Netherlands Anchor North Sea Expansion
Germany and the Netherlands remain central to Europe’s offshore wind industry.
Germany is expected to attract around £41 billion of offshore wind investment over the next five years, making it one of the world’s largest prospective investment markets.
Its importance extends beyond generating capacity. Germany has a substantial engineering, manufacturing and maritime industrial base supporting projects across the North Sea.
The Netherlands has similarly integrated offshore wind development with wider North Sea energy and transmission planning.
Together with the UK, these countries form the core of Europe’s mature offshore wind ecosystem. Europe, however, continues to install substantially less offshore wind annually than China.
Europe commissioned nearly 2 GW from five offshore wind farms across three markets in 2025, with the UK contributing 1,049 MW.
Taiwan Leads Asian Offshore Wind Outside China
Taiwan has established itself as the most important mature offshore wind market in Asia outside mainland China.
It joined China, the UK, Germany and the Netherlands among the five markets responsible for 90.3 percent of global offshore wind capacity at the end of 2025.
Taiwan’s strategy has also encouraged local participation in foundations, marine engineering and electrical infrastructure.
Its importance goes beyond domestic capacity. Taiwan provides an important test of whether large-scale offshore wind can develop successfully in an Asian market without China’s enormous domestic manufacturing ecosystem.
Poland, France, South Korea and Japan Target Growth
A second group of countries is attempting to move from large development pipelines toward commercial-scale construction.
Poland is emerging as an important Baltic Sea market as major projects advance toward construction. Successful delivery could establish another major European offshore wind market outside the traditional North Sea cluster.
France combines fixed-bottom development with increasing interest in floating wind, which could eventually open deeper offshore areas unsuitable for conventional foundations.
South Korea has substantial offshore wind ambitions and commissioned additional capacity in 2025, but the key test will be converting its large project pipeline into financed developments.
Japan also has substantial offshore resources and floating-wind potential, although deployment remains considerably smaller than in China and Europe’s leading markets.
For all four countries, pipeline size alone will not determine success. Permitting, auctions, grid connections, financing and supply-chain availability will determine how quickly proposed capacity becomes operational.
US Shows Why Pipeline Size Can Be Misleading
The United States provides one of the clearest examples of the difference between offshore wind potential and actual deployment.
RenewableUK ranks the US as having the third-largest offshore wind portfolio under construction after the UK and China, but its broader outlook has become substantially more uncertain because of the policy environment.
Projects also face relatively high financing, construction and supply-chain costs compared with China.
For investors, announced gigawatts and lease areas therefore provide only a partial picture. Projects with permits, contracted electricity sales, financing, equipment orders and active construction offer a stronger indication of future capacity.
Offshore Wind Costs Could Decide the Winners
Country rankings will ultimately be influenced by economics.
IRENA’s Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2025 puts global weighted-average offshore wind LCOE at $78/MWh, compared with $33/MWh for onshore wind and $44/MWh for solar PV.
Offshore wind requires foundations, subsea cables, substations, export infrastructure, specialized vessels and substantial financing before electricity generation begins.
Countries with mature supply chains, established ports, predictable auctions and lower financing costs therefore possess an important competitive advantage. This helps explain why deployment remains concentrated even as more countries enter the industry.
More Than 50 GW Is Under Construction
The near-term global outlook remains substantial.
GWEC reports more than 50 GW of offshore wind under construction globally. Another roughly 25 GW outside China is considered ready to build but awaits factors including final investment decisions, grid arrangements, auctions or other support mechanisms.
RenewableUK expects global operating offshore wind capacity to reach approximately 230 GW by the end of 2030, compared with 92.5 GW at the end of 2025.
That would represent well over a doubling of the global offshore wind fleet in five years.
Who Will Lead Offshore Wind by 2030?
China appears likely to retain its global leadership through 2030. Its 48.4 GW operating fleet, dominant share of annual additions, manufacturing capacity and domestic supply chain provide a substantial head start.
The UK is positioned to remain one of the largest markets outside China, supported by 11.5 GW under construction, new auction awards and substantial projected investment.
Germany and the Netherlands should remain core European markets, while Taiwan has established a strong position in Asia outside mainland China.
Poland, France, South Korea and Japan could reshape the rankings if they successfully convert development pipelines into financed and constructed projects.
The United States retains enormous offshore wind potential, but its experience demonstrates why pipeline numbers need to be treated cautiously.
The offshore wind race through 2030 will therefore not be won by countries announcing the most gigawatts. The leaders will be markets capable of turning pipelines into financed, contracted, constructed and grid-connected projects.
China currently leads that race by a wide margin, while the UK and Europe’s North Sea markets provide the strongest counterweight.
SHAFANA FAZAL
