GWEC and World Bank Group announce plans to cooperate on development of global offshore wind power markets

The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and the World Bank Group (WBG) have announced plans to work together on efforts to develop offshore wind in emerging markets. This follows the World Bank Group’s launch of a new program to fast-track the adoption of offshore wind energy in developing countries, supported by funding from the government of the United Kingdom.

ESMAP is a partnership between the World Bank and 18 partners to help low and middle-income countries reduce poverty and boost growth, through environmentally sustainable energy solutions. The IFC is the world’s largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector in developing countries.

As part of their cooperation, a WBG representative will sit on the GWEC Offshore Wind Task Force and contribute to the activities of that group. A GWEC representative will also sit on an advisory committee to be set up by the WBG.

Recently released preliminary data from GWEC’s Global Wind Report showed that in 2018, new offshore installations of 4.49 GW led the global offshore market to grow by 0.5%, reaching a total installed capacity of 23 GW. For the first time, China installed more offshore capacity than any other market (1.8 GW), followed by the United Kingdom (1.3 GW) and Germany (0.9 GW). GWEC forecasts that offshore wind will become an increasingly global market if governments remain committed, and projects and investments continue, with annual installations in Asia potentially reaching 5 GW or more each year.

The GWEC Offshore Wind Task Force was established in September 2018 and is chaired by Alastair Dutton, who worked for the UK Crown Estate, BEIS and BP. Its purpose is to advise governments on regulatory frameworks and tendering systems for offshore wind; measure and highlight the economic and social benefits of offshore wind and the deployment of local supply chains; foster technological innovation and the testing of new turbines, installation techniques and operations and maintenance (O&M) strategies, including promoting the benefits of digitalisation; spread best practices and transfer knowledge from Europe and other established markets to new and developing markets; and, create appropriate forums to promote the growth of the global offshore wind industry, from seminars and technical workshops to conferences and exhibitions. Henrik Stiesdal, the former Siemens Windpower CTO and the “father” of the offshore wind energy industry, acts as GWEC Ambassador for the Offshore Wind Taskforce.

GWEC is a member-based organisation that represents the entire wind sector. The members of GWEC represent over 1,500 companies, organizations and institutions in more than 80 countries, including manufacturers, developers, component suppliers, research institutes, national and regional wind and renewables associations, electricity providers, finance and insurance companies.