Offshore wind energy capacity could reach 40 GW by 2020

September 22, 2014 0 By Stephen Vagus

Global offshore wind capacity is growing at a rapid pace

Offshore wind energy is gaining more attention. Many countries are beginning to show strong support for wind power, and the ocean holds a great deal of untapped potential that some countries are showing interest in. Powerful wind currents can be found flowing over the surface of the ocean. These wind currents are so strong because they have no geological barriers regulating their flow. As such, offshore wind turbines have the potential to generate a great deal of electrical power.

Report predicts that the world’s offshore wind power capacity will hit 40 GW by 2020, up from 7.1 GW in 2013

According to a new report from GlobalData, the world’s offshore wind capacity could reach 40 gigawatts by 2020. The report notes that global offshore wind capacity was at 7.1 gigawatts in 2013 and the wind market will experience a compound annual growth rate of 28% from now until 2020. Between the years of 2006 and 2013, the offshore wind market grew significantly, and some countries are trying to take advantage of the momentum that this sector has managed to attain.

Offshore wind is being heavily supported by the UK, Germany, and China

Offshore wind energy capacityOffshore wind power may become one of the world’s most prominent forms of renewable energy by 2020. This will largely be due to the efforts of the United Kingdom, Germany, and China. These countries have become home to some of the most ambitious wind energy projects in the world, or have supported the development of offshore wind farms with a significant amount of funding.

Wind power is making progress, but offshore projects face serious logistical challenges

Many of the world’s most ambitious wind projects are currently under development. It could be years before these projects reach a point where they can begin generating electrical power and feeding this energy into an existing energy grid. Moreover, how the electricity that these energy systems makes it into an energy infrastructure has become a point of concern. Transferring electrical power from offshore energy systems to an onshore power grid is not an easy or inexpensive task.

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