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Offshore wind can deliver greater energy security, more stable prices, jobs and economic growth, and a positive impact on climate and nature

Energy security
Price stability
Jobs and growth
Climate and nature
How is Ørsted delivering?

Offshore wind: Delivering what imported fuels can't


Offshore wind provides homegrown energy at gigawatt scale, offering the security of independence from imported fossil fuels and a far greater degree of price stability, and benefits for biodiversity. It's already created tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs across local and national economies – and of course, a massive reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

 

This technology has become the cornerstone of many countries' renewable energy systems, balancing supply with solar and onshore wind. Thanks to its scale and efficiency, and the concentration of power-hungry cities and industries near to coastlines, offshore wind is also essential to meet the growing need for electricity. Demand is expected to double between 2025 and 2050, thanks to the electrification of industry and everyday life.

The task of generating energy is simply too important to rely on fuels imported from potentially hostile nations. Offshore wind can deliver a central part of the alternative.

What offshore wind can deliver

Close-up, upward view of a wind turbine tower with two blades against a pale blue sky.

+ Energy security

86 % of the world's population live in countries that are net importers of fossil fuels. When energy generation is based on burning these fuels, these countries’ ability to power themselves is ultimately at the mercy of foreign, potentially hostile, powers. By moving power production to renewables, these countries stand to gain true energy independence and security – and save on the potentially massive, and unpredictable, cost of importing fossil fuels. A mix of renewables is important here, but offshore wind has the most potential to provide large volumes of power to the population and industrial centres that need it. 35 % of the world’s population lives within 100 km of a coastline, giving them the potential to access offshore wind energy while minimising power loss through transmission.
Offshore wind turbine seen from a service vessel; technician in red PPE on deck.

+ Price stability

When power generation depends on oil and gas, geopolitical events can lead to huge price fluctuations in energy prices. By contrast, homegrown renewables offer a reliable supply of power, decoupled from global fossil fuel instability. Offshore wind plays a central role here, with greater and more constant windspeeds at sea, and the capacity to generate large volumes of power. Onshore wind and solar are cheaper, but more sensitive to changing weather and seasons. They also tend to have a smaller capacity. In northwestern Europe, all renewables, including offshore wind, are cheaper than all fossil fuels and nuclear, megawatt for megawatt, so they all have a role to play here.
Service vessel with crew in PPE beside equipment; offshore wind turbine in calm seas under a pale sky.

+ Jobs and sustainable growth

It takes person power to build, operate, and maintain renewable energy infrastructure. That means more direct employment, plus business for suppliers and sub-suppliers, for every gigawatt constructed. But beyond this, reliable, homegrown renewable energy can help sustain existing jobs in the long term, by supplying industries with the affordable, reliable, clean energy they need. This depends in part on the electrification of industries that traditionally rely on fossil fuels, and the ability of renewable energy developers to deliver the volumes needed to power their electrified processes. If both sides are achieved, this can become a positive feedback loop, multiplying economic benefits across society.
Underwater view of kelp fronds swaying in blue, backlit water.

+ Climate and nature

Renewable energy is the best tool the world’s already got for combatting the climate crisis. The scale and reliability of offshore wind make it the most important source of energy to meet the growing demand for carbon-free electricity. It generates the most consistent and greatest volume of power, with direct access to coastal areas to where there tend to be concentrations of population and industry. We also know that offshore wind can be built in a way that helps combat the adjacent crisis of biodiversity loss, protecting and enhancing habitats which are themselves an important part of the solution to climate change.


How is Ørsted delivering?

Wind technicians building

More than three decades at the forefront

We built the world’s first offshore wind farm in 1991, and drove forward the scale-up to gigawatt capacity
Offshore wind turbine

Largest operating offshore wind portfolio outside China1

As of mid-2025, we operate more than 10.2 GW offshore wind capacity across three continents
Offshore wind at a crossroads report

How can offshore wind deliver on its potential?

Our report outlines forward-thinking policies and industry commitments that could unlock the potential of offshore wind to provide Europe with affordable, secure, clean energy, generating jobs and enhancing energy independence.

Read more
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1 Installed Capacity for the group means renewable capacity accumulated over time for which commercial operation date (COD) has been achieved, and where the group has or has had an ownership share and an EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) role in the project, disregarding whether such capacity has subsequently been di-vested, in full or in part. Notwithstanding the foregoing conditions are not fulfilled, renewable capacities from acquisitions are also added to the installed capacity.  

2 Capacity under Construction for the group means renewable capacity under construction where a final investment decision (FID) has been made and where the group has or has had an ownership share and an EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) role in the project, disregarding whether such capacity was originally or has subsequently been divested, in full or in part.