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- 37.8 GW of offshore wind capacity in operation across 150 wind farms (7,178 turbines)
- About 80 installation vessels in Europe; only five handle 14–15 MW turbines; port upgrades take 6–10 years
- Decommissioning in the 2030s, about 366 turbines in 2035 and 540 in 2038, draws on the same vessels, ports, and finance
Europe’s offshore wind pipeline totals 411 GW across 386 projects, yet infrastructure gaps threaten delivery timelines. The bulk of projects, 84%, are still in planning or feasibility stages, according to a report by the Energy Industries Council (EIC), the world-leading association for the energy supply chain.
The EIC UK & Europe Offshore Wind report, released today, flags severe infrastructure and supply chain constraints. Out of about 80 specialist installation vessels operational in Europe, only five can handle 14–15 MW turbines. Port expansions require six to ten years from permit to operation, clashing directly with project timelines. FIDs and port capacity must align with auctions to land 2030 numbers, as projects now hinge on commitments with ports, grid and the supply chain.
According to the report, which draws on data from EIC’s proprietary energy project and supply chain databases, the UK leads Europe’s operational offshore wind capacity with 15.6 GW, followed by Germany at 9 GW and the Netherlands at 5.5 GW. Europe holds 43% of global capacity and commissioned 2.7 GW of the 4.2 GW added over the past year (excluding China). By basin, the technology split is clear: fixed-bottom still dominates the North Sea and Baltic, whereas floating – now 37% of the pipeline – is essential for the Mediterranean and Southern Europe. Europe has 37.8 GW already operating across 150 wind farms (7,178 turbines).
Against this backdrop, a close look at continental Europe's key players shows that Germany faces headwinds despite 31.1 GW in development. “Negative bidding” in auctions is expected to raise costs for consumers/supply chains. In Germany, prices fell sharply (€1.8m/MW in 2023 to €0.18m/MW in 2025), a trend that can strain margins and slow delivery as seen with the latest auction receiving no bids. However, infrastructure limits are also a major brake on reaching the 30-GW target, with only 21.6 GW expected by 2030.
Meanwhile, France advanced floating wind via its 2024 auctions, awarding the world’s first subsidy to a commercial floating development, and Norway awarded a fixed-bottom CfD (€99.4/MWh) in 2024 to the Sørlige Nordsjø II project. The CfD is a national government mechanism that supports low-carbon electricity projects by guaranteeing a fixed “strike price” for the power they generate.
These national snapshots sit within an EU push to unblock bottlenecks and speed build-out. The drive is based on three levers, including the Wind Power Package, the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), and the Clean Industrial Deal. The focus is on faster permits, auction reform, and access to finance. Under the NZIA, at least 30% of annual auctioned capacity must be awarded on non-price criteria, meaning projects are judged not only on cost but also on factors such as supply chain resilience, sustainability, innovation, and job creation.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing €6.5 billion in counter-guarantees for wind manufacturers and €250 million for mid-sized green manufacturing, with port upgrades at Esbjerg, Cuxhaven, Cork, and Bilbao in scope. A second pressure track is decommissioning in the 2030s, with about 366 turbines in 2035 and 540 in 2038 due to come offline. That load draws on the same vessels, ports, and finance.
“The numbers tell a simple story, which that is Europe has scale in the pipeline, but delivery hinges on ports, vessels, auctions and faster investment decisions. Where those align, capacity arrives. Where they don’t, targets slip,” said report co-author, Sharanya Kumaramurthy, EIC Market Intelligence Manager (CAPEX).
The report was also written by Christopher Shirley, EIC Market Intelligence Manager (Supply Chain) and Thomas Bacon, Market Intelligence Manager (OPEX & Decommissioning).
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According to the report, Chinese Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) outpace Europeans on annual installations, with manufacturing capacity roughly four times Europe’s (82 GW vs. 20 GW). They supply turbines to Germany and Italy, with Mingyang planning to manufacture its 18.8-MW turbine model in Italy (under an MoU with Renexia) to supply projects like Med Wind.
The report warns against repeating Europe’s solar experience (95% Chinese module market share) without robust auction design and industry support. Rebecca Groundwater, EIC’s Global Head of External Affairs, said: “Policy must lock in a predictable run of work and enable supply-chain finance. Use non-price criteria well, accelerate port upgrades, and keep capital flowing through EIB and national tools. That's how Europe converts a 411-GW pipeline into steel in the water.”
To view the full report, please visit: https://www.the-eic.com/MediaCentre/Publications/Reports
