New research has revealed the number of planned new offshore wind farms is growing fast worldwide, despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
The pipeline of projects is up 47% since January, according to renewables industry association RenewableUK, as shipowners are beginning to realise the potential of the sector.
The organisation's latest Offshore Wind Project Intelligence report reveals the total capacity of offshore wind projects that are operational, under construction, approved or in development stands at 197.4 gigawatts (GW). That is up from 134.7 GW in mid-January.
Of this, 50.5% is in Europe — a total of 99.6GW.
The UK retains its top spot with a total pipeline of 41.3 GW — up 12% since January, when it stood at 36.9 GW.
Chinese advance
The association said China, which is one of the major builders of wind turbine installation vessels (WTIVs), has leapt from fourth place into second, with a significant 80% increase from 14.5 GW to 26.1 GW.
The US has held on to third place, with 10% growth to 17.8GW — and a Joe Biden win in next week's presidential election could potentially add to the scope for expansion there, due to a $2trn pledge to decarbonise the economy.
Brazil has emerged from nowhere to go straight into fourth place, with 16.3GW. The country has announced 10 offshore wind projects since the start of the year.
Taiwan stays at number five, with a 65% increase from 9.2GW to 15.2GW. Shipowners including Solstad Offshore and P&O Maritime have secured charters there for construction and maintenance work in recent months.
Shipping analysts have been highlighting the potential for the sector this year, with vessel capacity tipped to fall short of demand from 2024.
Norwegian owner OHT has finalised an order this month for up to four new WTIVs in China.
China Merchants Industry Holdings will build two firm next-generation ships, with options for another pair.
Scorpio Bulkers likes the prospect of wind work so much that it is selling its entire bulker fleet to fund orders for up to four WTIVs of its own at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in South Korea from 2023 or 2024.
Norway's OIM has also signed a deal for the first LNG-fuelled wind-turbine ship at CIMC Raffles in China.
Enormous appetite
Melanie Onn, deputy chief executive at RenewableUK, said: "The global appetite to develop new offshore wind projects remains enormous, despite the pandemic this year, as this research proves.
"The UK and many other countries are counting on the rapid growth of the offshore wind sector to be a key driver in the worldwide green economic recovery."
Onn, a former member of parliament with the UK's Labour Party, added that the UK remains the biggest market for offshore wind in the world.
Capacity is set to quadruple over the course of this decade following the UK Conservative government's commitment to power every domestic home with offshore wind by 2030.
"As well as providing clean, low-cost power, our industry will continue to revitalise coastal communities, grow the UK supply chain and export our offshore wind goods and services around the world, as our unrivalled expertise is now in huge demand globally," Onn said.
In terms of operational capacity, the UK still has the most in the world at 10.4 GW, with Germany in second place on 7.7 GW and China in third with 4.6 GW. Belgium is next on 1.8 GW, and Denmark fifth with 1.7 GW.
