Germany Surpasses the 10,000 MW Offshore Wind Capacity Mark

Germany Surpasses the 10,000 MW Offshore Wind Capacity Mark
© Chirapriya / Adobe StockMünster (renewablepress) - With the official commissioning of three offshore wind turbines in the He Dreiht and Borkum Riffgrund 3 wind farms on February 26, 2026, Germany has surpassed the mark of 10,000 megawatts (MW) of installed offshore wind capacity. This is based on evaluations of the Market Master Data Register of the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) conducted by the Internationales Wirtschaftsforum Regenerative Energien (IWR) in Münster.

The expansion in Germany makes an important contribution to the joint development of the North Sea countries toward a clean, secure, and future-oriented energy supply in Europe.

“We are witnessing a turning point in Europe’s energy history. With the first oil production in 1971, the North Sea became the starting point of Europe’s oil supply. Later, Brent crude developed into a key benchmark price. Since the first electricity generation from offshore wind energy in 2002, the focus has fundamentally shifted. Today, the North Sea is transforming into a powerhouse for clean energy,” said Dr. Norbert Allnoch, head of IWR. “The North Sea is becoming the centerpiece of a climate-friendly, secure, and future-oriented energy supply in Europe.”

The North Sea countries have been working closely together for several years to systematically expand offshore wind power. Landmark meetings - including those held in Esbjerg in 2022 and in Ostend in 2023 - laid the political foundations and targets for coordinated expansion. Further summits followed.

Together, the North Sea countries currently have more than 36,000 MW (36 GW) of installed offshore wind capacity in the North Sea, the Irish Sea, and the Baltic Sea. Of this total, around 30,000 MW is located in the North Sea - corresponding to an annual electricity production of more than 110 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh). This keeps the North Sea at the center of offshore wind energy in Europe.

In terms of installed offshore capacity, the United Kingdom leads with around 16,000 MW, followed by Germany (10,000 MW), the Netherlands (5,400 MW), Denmark (2,700 MW), Belgium (2,300 MW), and Norway (100 MW).

In Germany, offshore wind farms (North Sea and Baltic Sea) generated a total of 26.1 billion kWh of electricity in 2025 (2024: 25.6 billion kWh) and fed it into the grid.

With the planned expansion to 300,000 MW (300 GW) of offshore capacity by 2050, the North Sea could in the future supply more than 1,100 billion kWh of electricity per year. This would cover the annual demand of several European countries, significantly reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports, strengthen Europe’s resilience, and develop the North Sea into the world’s largest offshore energy hub.


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Caption: Germany Surpasses the 10,000 MW Offshore Wind Capacity Mark
© Chirapriya / Adobe Stock


Münster, 27 February 2026


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