China continues to firmly lead the global offshore wind sector, accounting for a staggering 78% of all newly added capacity connected to the grid last year. According to the newly released Offshore Wind Review and Outlook report from Shanghai, global offshore wind installation grew by 16% year-on-year to reach 9.252 gigawatts. Of this global total, China alone contributed 7.192 gigawatts.
Accelerating Market Share and Exports
This rapid expansion has pushed cumulative global offshore wind capacity to 92.475 gigawatts, with China commanding a 56% majority share at 52.042 gigawatts. Beyond domestic infrastructure, the nation’s wind turbine export capacity surged nearly 49% year-on-year to hit 7.734 gigawatts. This export volume prominently featured 49 specialized offshore turbines totaling 225,000 kilowatts.
According to Qin Haiyan, Secretary General of the Chinese Wind Energy Association, the technology is rapidly transitioning into a foundational pillar of the modern energy system. This shift marks a critical evolution from a localized, supplementary energy source into a high-capacity, baseline utility capable of powering major industrial hubs.
To support this transition, China is preparing for an unprecedented deployment phase over the next several years. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030), the country is projected to install more than 15 gigawatts of new offshore wind capacity annually.
This sustained, aggressive scaling is designed to push China’s cumulative installed capacity past the 100-gigawatt milestone by 2030. Achieving this target will not only cement Beijing’s dominance in the global renewables market, but it will also fundamentally reshape coastal energy grids by replacing fossil-fuel reliance with predictable, large-scale marine generation.
Future Strategic Expansion
Looking ahead, Beijing’s 15th Five-Year Plan outlines ambitious frameworks to scale up deep-sea operations and establish massive offshore wind hubs. These bases will span the Bohai, Yellow, East China, and South China Seas. With these coordinated deployment strategies in motion, China is on track to surpass 100 gigawatts of cumulative wind capacity by 2030.
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