Offshore wind farm locations: a global overview
Page date: Published 19 Dec 2024; updated 30 Sep 2026. 2 min read.
The article describes offshore wind as a growing renewable energy source and summarizes global development. It reports that offshore wind capacity was about 75 GW at the end of 2023 and cites a projection of 487 GW by 2033. The page says China accounts for nearly half of installed offshore capacity, while Denmark, Germany and the UK have been established European leaders. It also notes investment and expansion plans in the United States, South Korea and Japan. These figures and forecasts are attributed to the article and its linked sources.
Siting assessments consider wind speeds, water depth, distance from shore, marine life and shipping routes. Floating turbines can enable projects in deeper water. The article cites Hywind Tampen, about 140 km off Norway, as a floating wind farm built to power offshore oil and gas platforms, and says upgrades are expected to reduce Norwegian CO2 emissions by more than 200,000 metric tons annually (as described in the linked project source). It points readers to Esgian’s offshore wind map for installed and planned turbines.
Related links: Energy; Offshore wind; article on effects on whales and fishing; Equinor’s Hywind Tampen page.