Offshore wind has great potential as a renewable source of energy, experts say, but remains underutilized; its pace of development is slower than needed to meet set climate goals.As a sector, offshore wind is buffeted by global economic factors, such as inflation and supply chain constraints. That’s led to failed auctions and canceled projects in recent years.Other challenges at the national level, such as ensuring timely grid connections and ship and port capacity, have also emerged.These must be overcome if offshore wind is to scale, according to experts.
This is Part Two in a Mongabay series about trends in the offshore wind industry. Part One, published in April, described the sector’s untapped potential and gaps between installed energy generation capacity and climate goals.
The last year has highlighted both the vast potential of the growing offshore wind sector, and the major headwinds it must contend with.
On one hand, the United Kingdom, a major offshore wind market, produced nearly 20% of the electricity it generated from offshore wind alone in 2025. Some 3,000 turbines generated enough electricity to power around 15.5 million homes.
In 2025, 9.3 GW of offshore wind capacity was connected to the grid. By the end of 2026, it’s estimated that a further 18.8 GW will be added across the world. That would take total global capacity above 100 GW.
