UK Offshore Wind Supplies Nearly 20% of Power

Offshore wind is playing an increasingly important role in the UK’s energy sector, supplying close to 20% of the country’s electricity in 2025.

According to the Crown Estate’s latest UK Offshore Wind Report, the nation now has a development pipeline totaling 93GW of fixed and floating offshore wind capacity. This figure includes projects that are already operational, under construction, in the planning phase, or identified for future development potential.

The growing pipeline reflects continued confidence in the UK offshore wind market and follows several major milestones, including the record 8.4GW of capacity secured through the AR7 Contracts for Difference (CfD) allocation round and the awarding of seabed rights for 4.5GW of floating wind projects in the Celtic Sea.

Offshore wind remains the UK’s largest renewable energy source, generating 52TWh of electricity in 2025, enough to power approximately 15.5 million homes.

The sector has expanded significantly over the past 25 years. From just two turbines at the start of development in the UK, the industry has grown to nearly 3,000 fully operational turbines in 2025, producing up to 16.5GW of grid-connected capacity.

The UK currently has 46 fully commissioned offshore wind farms, supported by 2,820 turbines and 42 substations. An additional 11.4GW of offshore wind capacity is under construction, including eight new wind farms, 801 turbines, and 11 substations. This marks a notable increase from the 7.8GW under construction the previous year.

The report also highlighted the sector’s economic contribution, noting that around 40,000 people are currently employed in the UK offshore wind industry. That figure could increase to 94,000 by 2030. In addition, the UK offshore wind supply chain now includes roughly 2,000 companies and manufacturing facilities, which are expected to contribute an estimated £18.2 billion to the UK economy over the next decade.