Global offshore wind capacity grows 19% in 2019

According to data released by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory NREL recently, in 2019, the global installed capacity of offshore wind power reached 27,064 MW, an increase of 19%
over the previous year.

Only one commercial offshore wind farm is currently operating in the U.
S.
, but NREL's 2019 data shows that technology is advancing, prices are falling, and federal and state support for the U.
S.
offshore wind industry is increasing
.
By the end of 2019, the U.
S.
offshore wind project pipeline grew by 10 percent, while with federal and state approvals and offtake agreements signed, U.
S.
offshore wind capacity was 6,439 MW, a threefold
increase over the previous year.

State-owned investment has been a major driver
of offshore wind development in the United States.
Between 2018 and 2019, state procurement commitments increased by nearly 10,000 megawatts, exceeding the potential capacity
of current U.
S.
pipeline projects.

Walt Musial, head of offshore wind at NREL, said: "It's amazing how fast the growth the country is committed to is
.
These numbers show that the industry is moving
towards actual projects that may be built.
”

Technological advances have helped offshore wind projects run away from shore in 2019
.
The average distance to the coast of the installed projects is 47 km, while the project announcement indicates that this distance will increase to 70 km
by 2025.

The project is also located in deeper waters, with a capacity-weighted average depth of 31 meters
for the installed project.
Over the next 5 years, the average depth of offshore sites will increase to 43 metres
for projects that will begin operations in 2025, according to the project announcement.

"As the industry matures, projects are getting bigger and farther
away," Musial said.
”

Of the floating wind projects installed or announced in 2019, semi-submersible offshore wind platforms accounted for 89%
of the infrastructure.
NREL's research found that floating offshore wind, which is important for tapping deep-sea offshore wind resources, is also making progress
in the United States and around the world.
In 2019, Maine's Public Utilities Commission approved the latest power purchase agreement (PPA) for the 12-megawatt Aqua Ventus floating demonstration project, which will help the state develop its primary deepwater offshore wind resources and potentially usher in the development of
commercial floating wind in the United States.

Globally, up to 1,549 MW of floating offshore wind has reached the licensing stage, while by the end of 2019, the total global pipeline reached 7,663 MW
.

Industry analysts' forecasts suggest that the cost of global offshore wind will continue to fall
over the next decade.
By 2030, the cost of fixed-bottom systems is expected to reach an average cost of energy (LCOE)
of $50-75 per megawatt-hour (MWh).
In the U.
S.
, the price of PPAs and offshore renewable energy certificates has fallen by more than
40 percent.