Almost all north European countries have adopted offshore wind capacity targets for 2030, signalling a huge expansion of the industry over the next decade.

The commitments total 113 GW, which, if realised, would mean a more than fourfold expansion in ten years from the 24.8 GW in operation at the end of 2020. Of the 113 GW targetted, EU member states account for 70.3 GW, more than 10 GW higher than the EU level goal of 60 GW by 2030.

The most ambitious national target – 40 GW – has been adopted by the UK, which will require the installation of almost 3 GW on average each year over the next decade. While both the scale and speed of the increase present challenges for the industry, in many countries the pipeline of projects at various stages of development exceeds the targets set by government. Post-2030, the sector will have to achieve an even higher pace of development to meet the EU’s goal of 300 GW of offshore wind by 2050. According to the UK’s Committee on Climate Change, the UK‘s offshore wind requirement could be as high as 125 GW by 2050 to meet its net zero carbon target.