Global offshore wind energy installed capacity increased by 9.3 gigawatts (GW) last year, reaching 92.5 GW, according to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).
The Global Offshore Wind Report 2026, released on Tuesday, indicated that the newly added capacity represented a 16% year-on-year increase, making it the third-highest annual installation volume in the history of offshore wind development.
According to the report, China maintained its dominant position in the sector, accounting for the largest share of new installations for the eighth consecutive year.
The country added 6.6 gigawatts of new capacity, bringing its total offshore wind capacity to 48.4 gigawatts by the end of 2025.
The report noted that China's offshore wind market has transitioned from feed-in tariff mechanisms, which ended in 2021, to a grid parity model and, more recently, to a market-based renewable pricing system.
In Europe, approximately 2 gigawatts of new offshore wind capacity from five wind farms across three markets were commissioned last year, accounting for about one-fifth of global additions.
"In the Americas, the United States remained the only country in the region with operational offshore wind farms," the report said.
The 806-megawatt Vineyard Wind 1 project was delayed after the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a stop-work order on national security grounds in December 2025, pushing completion into the first quarter of 2026.
The report stated that, despite the delay, the project is now operational.
By Gulsen Cagatay
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr
