Offshore wind farms provide a significant amount of the energy generated by wind turbines and play a vital role in the transition to clean energy.

This year, a multitude of new sites are scheduled to be awarded for wind farm construction. The shift towards a more sustainable future can be seen on a global scale, with various countries seeing major upcoming opportunities regarding wind power generation.

We’re taking a look at some of the many plans for offshore wind in 2023 and beyond…

 

USA:

Starting with the USA, we’re seeing great strides towards greener energy, with two designated Wind Energy Areas being announced in the Gulf of Mexico for offshore wind development. Traditionally, the Gulf of Mexico has been heavily focused on the exploitation of oil and gas, therefore making the introduction of offshore wind capacity a strong step towards the energy transition. The expected future capacity for the installed wind farms at these two Wind Energy Areas (WEA) is estimated to power approximately 3 million households –that’s a lot of power! One of these WEA is located around 24 nautical miles from the coast of Galveston, Texas and the other located approximately 56 nautical miles off Lake Charles Louisiana.

Norway:

Home to one of the world’s largest floating wind farms, Norway is due to take a significant step in offshore wind, opening 4.5 GW of new areas. The Norwegian government plans to tender two offshore wind areas by the end of the first quarter of 2023, which has generated interest from several offshore wind, oil and gas players.

Colombia:

The Colombian government published a resolution last year to set the country on the path of awarding its first offshore wind permits for 2023. Colombia’s roadmap estimates that the country has the potential of installing almost 50 GW of offshore wind capacity across more than 12,000 square kilometres of areas identified for offshore wind development.

This is a big step for Latin America, with Colombia’s award of the first offshore wind permit generating significant interest from developers.

Ireland:

Over in Ireland, the Irish government recently approved terms and conditions for the country’s first auction to supply electricity from offshore wind under the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (a government initiative that provides support to renewable electricity projects in Ireland).

Ireland currently has 25MW of operating offshore wind capacity via its only wind farm, however there are plans to acquire up to 2.5 GW of capacity moving forwards. The development is expected to pick up pace as the Irish government improved rules and regulations within the last couple of years in order to streamline the permitting process and development time.

Lithuania:

September 2023 will see the launch of Lithuania’s first offshore wind tender, with the project established to have an installed capacity of 700 MW and is expected to be operational as of 2028.

Estimates suggest 700 MW of offshore wind capacity in the Baltic Sea will produce up to 2 TWh of green electricity per year, ensuring up to a quarter of Lithuania’s electricity demand.

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As the demand for offshore wind continues to grow, so will the need for experts to maintain and enhance the wind turbines. GEV Wind Power offers exceptional wind turbine blade maintenance services globally and provides the most time and cost effective solutions.

We look forward to seeing how the wind industry continues to expand as developments progress worldwide, supporting the collective efforts towards a more sustainable future.