By Eric Huang      Photo：Alfo Medeiros

The post-epidemic world has returned to the pursuit of environmental protection. In addition to the IMO’s continued carbon reduction targets for major shipping lines, the increasing emphasis on green energy is also reflected in the demand for wind power. There are three types of wind power generation systems: independent type, mains parallel type and hybrid system; among them, the independent type can supply the power required by the load alone without parallel connection with the power company's power distribution transmission network. The independent system stores the electricity generated by the wind power in the storage battery, and then provides a stable power supply to the load end. Wind power generation equipment can be placed in onshore wind farms or built in offshore wind farms, also known as offshore wind farms, which are usually located on the continental shelf and use wind energy to generate electricity.

Generally speaking, offshore wind resources are more abundant than those on land, and the wind direction is relatively stable, so that offshore wind power can provide more power than onshore wind power in the same period of time, and the facilities are far away from people's residences. The rebound is also smaller. In recent years, offshore wind power has become an indispensable role in the global energy transition. Offshore wind power originated in Denmark. The use of offshore wind power not only helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but also creates new job opportunities and promotes economic growth. For these reasons, many national and local governments around the world are increasing policy support to develop offshore wind power projects through project bidding, wind power lease area auctions, and financial incentives. The potential project capacity of this project pipeline totals nearly 320 GW. In the medium term, global offshore wind capacity could increase 3.5 times by 2027, from 50.6 GW in 2021 to 177.5 GW

Europe and Asia are the most mature markets in the offshore wind power industry, which is only about 20 countries strong, versus the 115 countries with established onshore systems. Many leading offshore wind equipment manufacturers and project developers are headquartered in these two regions. Despite its mature nature, the potential investment opportunities in the mature offshore wind market are enormous. Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium estimate that their joint offshore wind targets require a total investment of at least 135 billion euros (about $146.5 billion). In Asia, investment between 2026 and 2030 could reach $294 billion as countries race to achieve 2030 installed capacity. Currently, the largest number of offshore projects under construction are China, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, the Netherlands, Germany, and France.

The United States will naturally not miss this feast. The New York State Energy Research and Development Agency's (NYSERDA) third offshore wind tender in New York State has attracted eight new projects from six offshore wind developers around the world, including more than 100 proposals. Companies participating in this tender include industry leaders such as Ørsted, Eversource, Equinor, BP, RWE, National Grid, and others. New York State officials said, "The high volume of high-quality proposals from leading global energy developers is a testament to New York's ability to attract strong competitiveness and significant investment in the development of our clean energy economy, ports, and long-term domestic supply chains." Governor Kathy Hochul has pledged to invest up to $500 million in offshore wind infrastructure and supply chain needs to make the state a leader in building the U.S. offshore wind supply chain.

The Biden government has also made developing the wind power industry a priority. In 2021, the government set a federal target of 30GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030. In 2022, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) held successful offshore wind lease auctions on the East Coast and the California coast, and BOEM is now finalizing plans to hold its first offshore wind lease auction in the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, BOEM is continually working to simplify the permitting process, which has previously been a major hurdle for offshore wind projects in the United States.

Offshore wind power generation is becoming a trend as more and more countries turn to using offshore wind power systems to generate energy. Offshore wind generation equipment manufacturers and project developers, as well as companies in related industries such as steel manufacturing, shipping, ports and infrastructure, will benefit as capacity increases and the industry matures. As governments increasingly set their sights on offshore wind power, the boom in offshore wind power is no surprise.

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