Offshore Wind Power Blows into the Energy Market

Offshore Wind Power Blows into the Energy Market

Offshore wind power is one of the most exciting and fastest-growing industries in renewable energy. Without any landmasses in the way, wind offshore blows strongly and consistently without interruption. Furthermore, offshore provides ample space and fewer restrictions for installing massive turbines, making offshore wind an attractive energy alternative to support the electric power needs of our populous coastal communities. Offshore wind turbines may achieve a higher output, but their remote ocean locations present costly challenges to installation. Additionally, a salty and humid environment at sea means much more maintenance than their land counterparts. However, improved efficiencies from advances in technology as well as government support have encouraged rapid growth of offshore wind energy installations in the past few years.

During 2018, the global capacity of offshore wind energy grew by 24% for a total of 23 gigawatts (GW) of annual energy production capacity, according to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), an international trade association for the wind power industry. This explosive growth was partially fueled by the opening of the world’s biggest offshore wind farm off the coast of the United Kingdom. This wind farm can produce 659 megawatts (MW) annually, which is enough to power 590,000 homes. With this substantial addition, offshore wind power now provides nearly a tenth of the UK’s electricity. Indeed, the rapid acceleration of offshore wind energy installations inspires an optimistic outlook for this abundant renewable energy source.