Top 5 offshore wind power countries in the world

Wind power is one of the fastest growing green energy sources today. Unlike onshore wind power, offshore wind power is less constrained by factors such as land occupation and noise pollution. China’s offshore wind increment accounts for 80% of the world’s total, which also makes China surpass the UK to become the country with the largest cumulative installed capacity of offshore wind energy in the world. This article will introduce the top 5 offshore wind power countries in the world.

Top 5 offshore wind power countries in the world

China

In the past 15 years, China’s offshore wind energy has grown from scratch, and has entered a period of rapid development from the exploration and cultivation period. The layout of wind power has also gradually developed from intertidal zones and shallow seas to deep and distant seas. As of the end of 2021, China’s cumulative wind power installed capacity was 26.38 GW, accounting for 48% of the world’s total offshore wind energy installed capacity, ranking first in top 5 offshore wind power countries in the world, also China is one of the top 5 home energy storage system countries in the world.

According to the latest data, China’s marine clean energy development is currently gaining momentum. In 2021, the new grid-connected capacity of offshore wind energy in the country will be 16.9 million kilowatts, a year-on-year increase of 4.5 times, and the cumulative capacity will rank first in the world. In 2022, wind power will enter the first year without state subsidies, and the era of parity has come.

On February 22, 2022, the 13 MW typhoon-resistant offshore wind turbine independently developed by China and with completely independent intellectual property rights rolled off the production line in Fuqing, Fujian. This is by far the wind turbine with the largest single-unit capacity and the largest impeller diameter in Asia.

United States

Among the top 5 global offshore wind power countries, the goal of wind power in the United States is to deploy 30GW of offshore wind energy by 2030 and reach 110GW of offshore wind energy installed capacity by 2050, and its development process shows no signs of slowing down. Based on current project progress, the U.S. offshore wind energy sector expects to install approximately 60GW of offshore wind energy capacity by 2035.

According to reports, by 2035, 15 GW of offshore floating wind power generation capacity will be built. The 15 GW of floating offshore wind energy will provide enough electricity to power more than five million homes, helping the government to reach its target of 30 GW of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030.

In terms of cost, the United States aims to reduce the cost of floating wind technology by more than 70% to $45 per megawatt-hour by 2035. The large-scale application of floating wind power technology will create new development opportunities in places such as the coasts of California and Oregon, and the Gulf of Maine.

Brazil

Compared with onshore wind power, offshore wind energy saves land, has more stable wind resources, higher power generation efficiency, and less impact on people’s lives. With its vast continental shelf and strong coastal winds, Brazil in top 5 offshore wind power countries in the world has huge potential for offshore power generation. According to data, as of November 2021, Brazil has built 751 wind farms, equipped with more than 8,800 wind turbines, and the installed wind energy capacity exceeds 20 GW.

Wind power has become Brazil’s second largest source of electricity, and about 45 million people use wind power to provide electricity. In addition, Brazil has 965.89 MW of wind energy projects in the testing phase. The country is expected to have at least 32 GW of installed wind power capacity by 2026.

In recent years, multinational energy companies have also been vigorously developing offshore wind energy projects in Brazil. Equinor, Norway’s national energy company, is a global pioneer in offshore wind energy. Seeing Brazil as a potential market, it plans to build an offshore wind farm in the states of Rio and Espirito Santo. The total installed capacity of the project is planned to be 4 gigawatts, which can provide electricity to 2 million local residents. The project will consist of 320 generators, about 20 kilometers from the coast, and the water depth is 15-35 meters.

Vietnam

Many international organizations believe that Vietnam has great potential for offshore wind energy development. The seabed in southern Vietnam is relatively shallow and the structure is strong, which is suitable for construction projects. The development of offshore wind energy can help improve labor force levels, upgrade port infrastructure and stimulate supply chains.

In addition, Vietnam’s wind power market is very attractive. Investing in this area is very beneficial to the national economy, energy security, energy diversity and reducing dependence on imported energy, especially fossil fuels. Currently, COP is implementing the Luo Gan Offshore Wind Energy Project in Binh Thuan Province. The installed capacity of the project is 3.5 gigawatts.

After completion, it will provide enough electricity for about 7 million households in Vietnam and create more job opportunities. The total investment of the project is approximately US$10.5 billion, which will directly contribute more than US$4 billion to the Vietnamese economy. Vietnam is now one of the top 5 offshore wind power countries in the world.

United Kingdom

Recently, the British government has focused its future energy policy on nuclear energy and offshore wind energy. It plans to triple nuclear power capacity by 2050 and increase offshore wind power capacity to 50 gigawatts (GW) by 2030. Offshore wind plays a vital role in the UK government’s commitment to decarbonize electricity generation by 2035 as part of the UK’s net-zero emissions target.

Offshore wind energy in the UK has been a compelling green growth success story. Compared with ten years ago, the price of offshore wind energy is less than one-third of that time. For the UK, offshore wind energy is now still cost-competitive with new generation fossil fuels. Recently, Hornsea 2, the “world’s largest” offshore wind farm, located about 55 miles (90 kilometers) off the coast of Yorkshire, England, officially opened.

This concludes the introduction of the top 5 global offshore wind power countries in the world. In the process of global energy green transformation, the importance of the wind power industry has gradually become prominent. With the development of land resources gradually approaching saturation, offshore wind power will become the focus of the development of the global wind power industry in the future.

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