Global offshore wind capacity is set to soar from 92.5 GW in 2025 to 420 GW by 2035.
Yet, nearly 25 GW of shovel ready projects remain stalled by grid constraints, auction delays and financing hurdles.
Governments must fast-track permitting, reform auctions and treat offshore wind as critical infrastructure, say experts.
Governments must fast track offshore wind deployment to shield economies from future fossil fuel shocks, as nearly 25 gigawatts (GW) of projects that are ready for construction remain stalled due to grid constraints, auction delays and financing bottlenecks, according to the Global Wind Energy Council's (GWEC) Global Offshore Wind Report 2026.
The report projected that global offshore wind capacity will increase more than fourfold from 92.5 GW at the end of 2025 to 420 GW by 2035, with 327 GW of new capacity expected over the next decade. In 2025 alone, 9.3 GW of offshore wind capacity was added worldwide, marking the third highest annual installation year on record.
However, deployment is not keeping pace with the urgency of energy security concerns, the report warned, particularly as recent disruptions in global fossil fuel supply chains have exposed the vulnerabilities of import dependent economies.
"We expect to see exceptional growth over the next decade leading to a quadrupling of the world's offshore wind capacity. Built at scale, offshore wind is a unique strategic asset and one of the best available utility scale renewable power sources for a clean and secure power system offering high, predictable electricity generation," said Rebecca Williams, deputy chief executive officer, GWEC.
Despite record growth expectations, offshore wind development faces multiple structural barriers. The report found that only 11.4 GW of offshore wind capacity was awarded globally through auctions in 2025, just one fifth of the record volume procured in 2024.
Around 25 GW of offshore wind projects outside China have already secured planning approvals and permits but are still awaiting final investment decisions. These projects remain stuck due to delays in grid connectivity, auction outcomes and subsidy arrangements.
GWEC identified delayed auctions, grid bottlenecks, permitting backlogs, policy uncertainty, supply chain constraints and rising financing costs as major obstacles to deployment.
"Offshore wind is a natural fit for many countries but there are still too many solvable challenges that are delaying more projects being built. The planning and grid connection process can be painfully slow and beset with risks for developers and investors," Williams said.
She added that greater attention was needed to ensure market mechanisms such as Contracts for Difference (CfDs) were designed to deliver bankable projects.
To accelerate deployment, GWEC urged governments to implement an eight point action plan. The recommendations include recognising offshore wind, along with associated grids, storage and ports, as critical national infrastructure; strengthening government industry partnerships; countering misinformation; creating deliverable auction frameworks; speeding up permitting processes; increasing financing support; scaling supply chains; and investing in industrial electrification.
According to GWEC, granting offshore wind projects critical infrastructure status could reduce regulatory delays, lower project risks and cut financing costs.
"Prioritising and fast tracking offshore wind as nationally significant energy security infrastructure would be a key step to provide protection from regulatory delays and reduce financing costs, ultimately helping to lower bills for consumers," Williams said.
The report argues that offshore wind is increasingly being viewed not only as a climate solution but also as a strategic energy security asset.
Over the past five years, the world has experienced two major energy crises, first following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and more recently due to disruptions linked to conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to GWEC, the Strait of Hormuz disruption affected nearly 20 per cent of global oil supplies, with around 80 per cent of those flows destined for Asia.
The report estimates governments across 82 economies spent about $1.5 trillion subsidising fossil fuels during the 2022 energy crisis. GWEC noted that amount could have financed roughly 500 GW of offshore wind capacity in emerging and developing economies.
"The world's continued dependence on fossil fuels, and under dependence on renewable energy, has exposed a major faultline in national economies," Williams said in the report's foreword.
With more than 50 GW of offshore wind capacity currently under construction globally, GWEC expects annual installations to double in 2026, triple by 2031 and exceed 50 GW annually by 2035.
The sector is projected to record a compound annual growth rate of 24 per cent between 2026 and 2030, making offshore wind one of the fastest growing mainstream energy technologies globally.
China remained the world's largest offshore wind market in 2025 for the eighth consecutive year, commissioning 6.6 GW of new capacity and taking its cumulative offshore wind capacity to 48.4 GW.
Europe added nearly 2 GW across the United Kingdom, Germany and France. The United Kingdom commissioned 1.0 GW, Germany 0.5 GW and France 0.4 GW.
Globally, offshore wind capacity reached 92.5 GW by the end of 2025, accounting for 7.1 per cent of total installed wind power capacity worldwide.
China now accounts for 52 per cent of global offshore wind capacity, while Europe holds 42 per cent, with cumulative installations exceeding 38 GW.
The report also noted that the average offshore turbine size crossed the 10 megawatt threshold for the first time in 2025, reaching 10.3 megawatts.
GWEC estimates that the electricity generated from existing offshore wind installations could power the equivalent of 102 million homes worldwide.