Asia will this year replace Europe as the world’s largest offshore wind region, said the industry’s global lobbying body as it raised its forecasts for 2030 worldwide deployment – including for floating turbines – tempered by warnings that pressures on the supply chain could still hobble the sector.

The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) said a booming Chinese offshore sector and the emergence of nations such as Vietnam has put Asia on course to become the world’s largest regional market by cumulative capacity by the end of 2022, a status Europe may not regain until 2031.