The offshore wind market is still not where it needs to be to hit 2030 targets. Current forecasts put us at 316 GW of installed capacity by the end of the decade–64 GW short of the initial goal set by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).
Yet despite lagging behind its goals, the industry is pushing harder than ever before to get more development in the pipeline. Despite economic, geopolitical, and logistical challenges that are tying up production in several key markets, offshore wind is set to have its strongest year yet.
According to research firm Rystad Energy, the European market is expected to add 4.3 GW of wind capacity by the end of the year, breaking the 3.9 GW record it set in 2019.
Growth will be driven by the UK market. The region will contribute a sizable 3.2 GW of overall added capacity. Installations from several nations will make up the difference. Aside from the UK, offshore wind leaders Finland and Spain, as well as emerging markets France and Italy, will push Europe over the 3.8GW benchmark. Below are the offshore wind farms that are blowing us past record highs.
Hornsea Two (UK)
The title of the world’s largest offshore wind farm has changed hands fairly frequently in the last decade, a testament to the sector’s strong growth. This year, Hornsea Two takes it from neighbour Hornsea One, who nabbed it from Ireland’s Walney Wind Farm.
Hornsea Two sits at the top with a projected capacity of 1.4GW. That’s enough to supply 1.3 million homes, or about half of London. The power will come from 165 SG 8.4-167 DD SGRE turbines, which dot an area approximately 462 square kilometres wide. A single rotation of just one of these machines can generate enough energy to cover the needs of a home for a day
Moray East (Scotland)
Moray East is a 100-turbine site that went into full operation last April 2022. But even before all its turbines had been installed, the wind farm had already produced 1.4GW of energy in under a year–enough to power every home in Edinburgh and Aberdeen for a year. Moray West, a second neighbouring installation, is expected to extend the project’s service area to 650,000 more Scottish households.
At full output, Moray East is expected to generate a maximum of 950MW, which it’s projected to deliver at £57.50 per MWh. The wind farm’s pricing is by far one of the most competitive compared to existing wind farms. “Its unique engineering, cutting edge technology and location have reduced the cost of renewable power by two thirds in comparison with most offshore wind farms built to date in the UK,” says Marcel Sunier, project director of Moray East.
Triton Knoll (UK)
Triton Knoll is a project nearly two decades in the making. Awarded to developer RWE in 2003 by the Crown Estate, construction began in 2018 and was finished without delay last year, weathering particularly turbulent storms in the North Sea and a global pandemic.
With its 90 turbines installed and spinning, Triton Knoll is a significant win not only for decarbonising the UK’s energy grid, but for Europe’s net zero ambitions. The farm has a maximum capacity of 857 MW, making it one of the largest in the region. The energy it can produce can meet the electricity needs of around 800,000 UK homes annually.
Saint Nazaire Offshore Wind Farm (France)
As part of its push to become carbon neutral by 2050, France has pledged ambitious goals for its nascent offshore wind market. The mission is to create a capacity of around 40 GW by 2050.
The Saint Nazaire offshore wind farm, located 12km off the coast of Guérande, is a big step towards hitting that goal. Powered by 80 Haliade 150-6MW turbines, it’s expected to grant France 480 MW in offshore wind capacity and supply 20 percent of the surrounding region’s electricity needs.
Kaskasi (Germany)
Germany holds the third largest capacity for offshore wind, sitting right below China and the UK. Yet despite its position as a global leader, the nation has struggled to expand in recent years. Last year, it installed zero offshore wind turbines, making 2021 the first year in a decade that the nation’s capacity stood at a standstill.
Kaskasi, a 324MW installation found north of Heligoland, marks a reawakening for German offshore wind. Once the project’s 38 SG 8.0-167 DD SGRE turbines become fully operational at the end of the year, it’s expected to generate enough clean energy for 400,000 households. Turbines at Kaskasi are also the world’s first to be fitted with Siemens Gamesa’s recyclable blades.
Hywind Tampen (Finland)
Hywind Tampen’s 11 turbines and 88 MW capacity seems paltry next to the gigawatt contributions of other farms on the list. However, the reason for the wind farm’s inclusion of notable developments to go live this year goes deeper than quantity.
About 260 to 300 metres deep, to be exact. Once operational, Hywind Tampen will become the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm, as well as the first one to power oil and gas platforms. Floating wind is a key technology in the future of the market. It will allow developers to break away from the constraints of finite shallow seabeds, and cast their ambitions out to the open sea where winds are stronger and competition for space is less stiff.
Beleolico (Italy)
Located off the coast of Taranto, Beleolico is Italy’s inaugural offshore wind project, and the first to rise in the Mediterranean. It’s an important step towards green energy for the nation and Europe in general, as Italy is one of the region’s heaviest consumers of fossil fuels. About half of its energy comes from natural gas.
Once fully operational, Beleolico can produce a maximum of 30MW–enough to supply 60,000 homes with green energy. Ten MySE 3.0-135 turbines from Ming Yang are operating on-site. This is the first European project secured by the Chinese turbine manufacturer.
