With 101 operational wind farms totaling 30 GW, the North Sea surpasses the South and East China Seas in installed capacity. It also has a significant pipeline of projects under construction or in early development. Six countries with operational offshore wind in the North Sea contribute to this total: the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and Norway, ranked by total capacity. This collective effort maximizes economic output, as the region’s extensive shallow seabeds are ideal for fixed-bottom offshore turbines.

New installations continue to break records

Offshore wind in the North Sea grew by around 1.6 GW in 2025 from three sites: Moray West and Neart Na Goithe in the UK, and Goode in the German North Sea. This more than doubles the capacity added in 2024 but remains in line with the ten-year average deployment rate. A steady pace is key to sustaining a prosperous sector, supporting employment and skill development.

With 7 GW under construction, the North Sea’s world-leading capacity will continue to expand. This pipeline includes record-breaking sites: Dogger Bank (phases A, B, and C) will be the world’s largest at 3.6 GW when complete. The average size of wind farms under construction now exceeds 1.2 GW.

Although the South China Sea hosts the largest single offshore wind farm—Yangjiang Shaba, 1.7 GW (phases 1–5)—the North Sea is home to four of the five largest offshore wind farms in the world, including Hollandse Kust Zuid (1.5 GW), Hornsea 1 (1.2 GW) and 2 (1.3 GW), and Seagreen (1 GW).

Recently, the UK confirmed 7.5 GW of new offshore wind in the North Sea through the government’s latest funding round. On 14 January 2025, 8.4 GW of new projects were awarded Contracts for Difference (CfD), with 7.5 GW located in the North Sea across five wind farms. This brings the UK’s total installed, under-construction, or contracted offshore wind capacity in the North Sea to 32 GW.

Collaboration in the North Sea can maximize Europe’s energy security benefits

Collaboration is essential for the joint health of the North Sea offshore wind sector. Despite world-leading scale, the sector faces challenges with pricing and supply chains. Rising costs, intermittent deployment due to turbine size changes, and pressure to reduce expenses have challenged the European offshore wind supply chain.

Some of these issues extend beyond Europe, but supporting local supply chains with regular, standardized orders for components, turbine sizes, and farm connections presents a direct opportunity for North Sea nations.

Policy standardization has proven effective in the North Sea. The successful two-way auction approach to new offshore wind was first introduced in the UK and has since spread internationally. Across the continent, it is now used in Denmark, Ireland, Poland, and France, with Belgium also committed.

The North Sea is not just a deployment hub: coastal nations host substantial manufacturing, operation, and maintenance capacity. However, differences in national approaches and individual projects impact the supply chain. Developers have suggested standardizing component sizes and orders across Europe to maximize project experience, provide steady factory demand, and reduce long-term costs.

Long-distance interconnectors ensure clean energy benefits are shared

The North Sea is a key location for cross-border electricity infrastructure, helping balance clean grids across the basin. It currently hosts 7 GW of offshore interconnectors across seven projects, with more under development, including the NeuConnect project (1.4 GW) between the UK and Germany. Long-distance connections reduce the impact of local weather and demand peaks.

Offshore hybrid assets, combining generation and transmission infrastructure, allow cost-effective energy sharing between countries while creating a more meshed and secure marine grid. Only one such project is currently operational in Europe—Kriegers Flak in the Baltic Sea—and while several are planned for the North Sea, none are expected online before 2032. Joint planning and funding remain the most impactful levers to promote hybrid assets, and the 2026 North Sea Summit is well-positioned to address this.

The regulatory framework remains fragmented, cost-sharing approaches unclear, and energy planning too nationally focused. The EU has issued guidance for joint offshore investments and developed a Marine Grid Development Plan, but EU-UK planning must become more integrated.

Electrification unlocks further benefits from abundant offshore wind

Despite offshore wind advances, Europe still relies heavily on fossil fuel imports, as electrification of non-energy sectors is slow. Currently, only one-fifth of EU energy demand is electrified, but significant opportunities exist in transport, heating, and industrial processes to reduce fossil fuel use and imports.

The North Sea region hosts a large share of Europe’s energy demand: half of Europe’s industrial energy consumption is in North Sea bordering countries. By combining new offshore generation with electrification, the North Sea could drive a modern, secure economy, despite long-term oil and gas decline.

Without electrification, offshore wind benefits for energy security are limited to the power sector. The EU grid is already over 70% clean, while only 1% of light transport is electrified. Combining electrification and renewable energy offers dual benefits: offshore wind provides low-carbon electricity for heating and transport, while electrification leverages flexible demand for variable wind energy. Developing both is essential for a modern, integrated North Sea electricity system.

Offshore wind helps stabilize electricity prices

High and uncertain energy prices threaten Europe’s priorities, from industrial competitiveness to household costs. Investing in domestic resources allows Europe to stabilize, control, and permanently reduce prices. Offshore wind contributes in two main ways:

1. Prices can be fixed for long periods (15–20 years) through Contracts for Difference (CfD), Europe’s preferred support mechanism.

2. Increasing low-cost renewable generation displaces expensive, less efficient gas plants, lowering market-clearing prices.

A total of 49 fixed-bottom offshore wind farms in Europe have secured CfD contracts, 19 operational by late 2025. Auction prices have mirrored technology cost trends, which fell about 70% between 2015 and 2020. Prices dropped from €150–250/MWh in early 2010s to a minimum of €60/MWh in 2020. High inflation and supply chain disruptions during the energy crisis raised costs, stabilizing auction prices at €80–95/MWh in recent years. Ørsted estimates that better government-industry coordination could reduce costs another 30% by 2040.

Despite recent rises, offshore wind CfD prices remain competitive. Eight projects commissioned since 2023 have an average strike price of €75/MWh, and those entering 2026–2032 average €90/MWh (€93/MWh excluding lower French grid connection costs). In comparison, Europe’s day-ahead electricity average in 2025 was €85/MWh, with Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands above this level. While electricity and gas prices may moderately decline, uncertainty remains; offshore wind ensures competitive electricity today while offering stability and energy independence.

The North Sea: a strategic European asset

The North Sea’s transition from historic oil and gas basin to global renewable powerhouse represents one of Europe’s most critical strategic opportunities. While the region already leads the world in offshore wind capacity, future success depends on deepening cooperation.

The 2026 North Sea Summit is an ideal platform to highlight this strategic importance and renew collaborative commitments. By synchronizing national policies, standardizing supply chains, and accelerating hybrid interconnectors, North Sea nations can move beyond fragmented national approaches toward a more unified, secure, and competitive marine energy system. This strategy will secure energy, reduce costs for millions of households, and cement the North Sea’s role as Europe’s “green powerhouse” for decades to come.