China has leapt to take second spot in global offshore wind project pipeline rankings, according to latest data from industry body RenewableUK that also marked the arrival of Brazil as a force in the sector.

The new data, published in RenewableUK’s latest Offshore Wind Project Intelligence report, reveals that the total capacity of offshore wind projects which are operational, under construction, consented, in planning or under development worldwide currently stands at 197.4GW, up from 134.7GW in mid-January. Just over half the pipeline (50.5%) is in Europe (99.6GW).

The report shows that the UK has retained its top spot with a total project pipeline of 41.3GW, up by 12% since January when it stood at 36.9GW. China has leapfrogged from fourth into second place with an 80% increase from 14.5GW to 26.1GW.

China is currently engaged in a frenzied offshore wind build-out as developers attempt to complete by the end of 2021 some 40GW of projects that are eligible for subsidies.

The US retains third place with a 10% growth from 16.2GW to 17.8GW. Brazil has emerged from nowhere to go straight into fourth place with 16.3GW – its ten offshore wind projects have all been announced since the start of the year. Taiwan stays at number five with a 65% increase from 9.2GW to 15.2GW.

Germany has dropped from second to sixth place due to a 29% decrease in its pipeline from 16.5GW in January to 11.7GW in October. The Netherlands is in seventh position with a 58% increase from 7.2GW to 11.4GW. In eighth place, Ireland’s pipeline expanded by 44% from 6.3GW to 9.1GW. Poland is in ninth position with 72% growth this year from 5.3GW to 9.1GW.

Vietnam was outside the top ten at the start of the year but is now in tenth place with 8.6GW, reflecting the growing importance of the offshore wind market in East Asia.

'Enormous appetite'

“The global appetite to develop new offshore wind projects remains enormous, despite the pandemic this year, as this research proves,” said RenewableUK’s deputy chief executive Melanie Onn. “The UK and many other countries are counting on the rapid growth of the offshore wind sector to be a key driver in the worldwide green economic recovery.”

RenewableUK said in terms of operational capacity, the UK still has the most in the world with 10.4GW, Germany is in second place with 7.7GW, China is third (4.6GW), Belgium fourth (1.8GW) and Denmark fifth with 1.7GW.

The UK body has also published an update of its Offshore Wind Project Timelines map, showing the location, capacity and status of every offshore wind project in UK waters, a pipeline of 67 projects, of which 38 are fully operational.

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China offshore wind pipeline soars as nation takes global number-two spot: report