EnergyOMNI's Perspectives I Regional Offshore Wind Targets Overview

Edited by EnergyOMNI

The UK-based energy think tank Ember recently published a report titled "Offshore wind targets underpin acceleration to 2030 and beyond," noting that 27 countries worldwide have already set national offshore wind targets. In addition to national-level goals, several regional and local governments have also established their own targets.

In South Korea, under former President Moon Jae-in, the government set a 2030 offshore wind target of 14.3 GW. The current administration under Lee Jae-myung has proposed raising the target to 20 GW, although this revision has not yet been formally legislated. Several Korean regions have also announced their own offshore wind goals, such as Jeollanam-do Province aims for 30 GW by 2030, including 9 GW in Yeosu and 8.2 GW in Shinan. North Jeolla Province plans to install 2.5 GW between 2028 and 2029 and Ulsan targets 6 GW by 2030. With the Lee administration's strong push for offshore wind development, these local targets may be further updated or expanded.

In China, the country's recently updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) sets a 2035 target of 3,600 GW in combined solar and wind capacity. However, no official mid-term (2030) offshore wind target has been specified yet. Currently, 11 provinces have already established 2025 goals and are in the process of developing their 2030 targets.

China Provinces offshore wind target

Source: Ember

In the United States, 11 states have set its offshore wind targets. Among them, four have goals for before 2030, while most have mid-term targets between 2031 and 2040. During President Trump's second term, the federal government implemented several policies unfavorable to offshore wind, vowing to end the Green New Deal. Nevertheless, some state governments have continued to advance offshore wind development. For example, in September, the California State Legislature approved four budget bills for offshore wind port construction, and in October, the California Energy Commission (CEC) allocated additional funding to support floating offshore wind port development.

United States states offshore wind target

Source: Ember

The European Union set official offshore wind targets in 2024, aiming for 86–89 GW by 2030, 259–261 GW by 2040, and 356–366 GW by 2050. In addition, several regional goals have been established.

The North Sea region, the most mature offshore wind development area, plays a central role. In 2022, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands jointly signed the Esbjerg Declaration, pledging to reach 65 GW of installed capacity by 2030 and 150 GW by 2050. At the 2023 North Sea Summit, nine countries—Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom—announced plans to expand North Sea offshore wind capacity to 300 GW by 2050.

The Baltic Sea region has also emerged as a key area for offshore wind expansion. At the 2022 Baltic Energy Security Summit, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Denmark, and Sweden agreed to install 16.5 GW of offshore wind capacity in the Baltic Sea by 2030.