Offshore wind is set to play a major role in the world’s energy mix according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), the ‘Offshore Wind Outlook 2019’. The IEA predicts that global offshore capacity may rise 15-fold by 2040.
The IEA thinks European offshore wind capacity will reach 130-180 GW by 2040. They say falling costs and ‘remarkable technological progress’ - bigger turbines and floating offshore wind - will drive progress. They say offshore wind is already as stable a form of power generation as coal and gas in many places, given its high capacity factors. The European Commission’s eight scenarios for 2050 show Europe needs between 230 and 450 GW of offshore wind by 2050 to decarbonise its energy system. Currently over 60,000 Europeans now work in offshore wind.
