Offshore wind hits new heights, accounting for nearly a fifth of UK electricity generation

The Crown Estate’s latest UK Offshore Wind Report has highlighted the increasingly vital role offshore wind plays in the UK’s energy mix, delivering nearly a fifth of the nation’s electricity in 2025. 

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

The report comes as the UK’s offshore wind industry marks its 25th anniversary. In that time offshore wind has grown from two turbines to nearly 3,000 fully commissioned in 2025, producing up to 16.5GW of grid-connected capacity.  

This remarkable transformation underlines both the pace of the sector’s growth and its increasingly central role in the UK’s energy future - strengthening energy security, driving economic opportunity and supporting climate resilience. 

Continued growth across the offshore sector 

The report identifies a 93GW pipeline of fixed and floating offshore wind capacity in the UK, spanning sites that are operational, under construction, in planning or with identified future potential. 

This pipeline signals sustained confidence in the UK offshore wind market, building on significant recent breakthroughs. These include a record 8.4GW of capacity secured through Contracts for Difference in Allocation Round 7 – Europe’s largest ever offshore wind auction – and the successful award of seabed rights for 4.5GW of floating offshore wind capacity in the Celtic Sea. 

Together, these milestones reinforce the UK’s position as a leading global market for offshore wind and Europe’s frontrunner in the development of innovative floating offshore wind. 

Supporting energy security, economic growth and climate goals 

At a time of global volatility, economic uncertainty, rising prices and intensifying international competition, the strength of the UK’s offshore wind sector has never been more important. 

Offshore wind is strengthening the UK’s energy security while creating jobs, driving economic opportunity and delivering tangible benefits for communities across the country. Around 40,000 people are currently employed in UK offshore wind and that could rise to 94,000 by 2030. 

The sector is also making an important contribution to the UK’s climate goals. In 2025 alone, offshore wind displaced 20.8 million tonnes of CO2, underlining its role in supporting the transition to a lower-carbon energy system. 

The report summarises the scale and growing impact of the UK offshore wind sector:  

• Renewable energy accounted for 54% of UK electricity generation in 2025, up from 52% in 2024, driven by growth in offshore wind and solar. 

• The UK now hosts 46 fully commissioned offshore wind farms, 2,820 turbines and 42 substations.  

• A significant uplift in construction activity, with 11.4GW of capacity now under construction, including eight wind farms, 801 turbines and 11 substations, up from 7.8GW in the previous year. 

• The UK offshore wind supply chain comprises around 2,000 companies and factories, estimated to contribute £18.2 billion to the UK economy over the next 10 years. 

• Companies in the offshore wind supply chain are located across 70 parliamentary constituencies. 

Julia Rose, Head of Offshore Wind at The Crown Estate, said: “In just 25 years, offshore wind has grown from an emerging technology into a core part of the UK’s energy mix. Today, it is delivering clean energy for households, jobs within communities and contracts for businesses across the country, standing as one of the UK’s greatest industrial success stories in modern times. 

“Recent global volatility has reinforced the critical importance of energy security and a decarbonised system. The UK’s world‑leading offshore wind sector will be central to delivering both and we’re proud to play our part in its continued success.”