Offshore Wind 2025: A Record‑Breaking Year
Global offshore wind installation reached a new milestone in 2025, with record levels of new capacity installed. Additionally, several new installation vessels entered the market, increasing the overall capacity to deliver projects. Together, these shifts show an industry that is still growing – and steadily preparing for even bigger builds ahead.
6,773 MW Installed – The Highest Ever
In 2025, global offshore wind reached 6,773 MW of newly installed capacity. This surge was driven by wider deployment of next‑generation turbines above 13 MW, which accounted for 67% of all turbines installed.
Strong Foundation Installation Activity
A total of 644 monopiles and 145 jackets were installed. DEME’s Orion and Seaway7’s Seaway Strashnov were among the most active vessels, installing 100 and 89 monopiles respectively.
Major Boost in Installation Vessel Capacity
Eight new jack‑up vessels were delivered in 2025, significantly expanding global installation capabilities. These included four new Cadeler units, one for DEME, additions in the APAC region, and a U.S.‑compliant vessel for Dominion Energy.
Installation Trends: Larger Turbines and Longer Durations
Turbine installation activity accelerated in 2025, led by a handful of dominant OEMs and contractors. At the same time, installation timelines stretched as turbine sizes grew and projects moved into more complex markets. The result is a sector scaling quickly, but with clear signs of rising execution challenges.
Siemens Gamesa Leads Global OEM Activity
Siemens Gamesa installed 62% of all wind turbines in 2025, with its SG 14 platform leading the year. Vestas and GE Vernova followed with substantial activity across Europe, APAC, and the United States.
On‑Position Installation Durations Hit New Highs
Installation durations increased significantly across the industry:
- Average duration: 3.85 days
- Median duration: 2.61 days
- U.S. projects averaged around 6.20 days due to new‑market ramp‑up and weather constraints
- Growth in turbine size and more complex markets, especially in the U.S., contributed to this trend.
Cadeler Dominates Global Turbine Installation
Cadeler installed 230 turbines in 2025, capturing nearly half of global turbine installation activity. Jan De Nul and DEME followed with strong performance across multiple markets.
O&M Trends: Reliability Challenges in Focus
Offshore wind operations faced mounting pressure in 2025 as reliability challenges intensified across the global fleet. Failure rates climbed to new highs, resulting in a rise in jack-up interventions. The data describes a sector managing both aging assets and the growing pains of newer, larger turbine platforms.
Record‑High Failure Rate
The global offshore wind fleet recorded a failure rate of 8.2% in 2025 – the highest in more than a decade. Aging turbines were a key driver, especially the Siemens Gamesa G4 (3.6/4.0 MW) platform, which experienced failure rates reaching 18% in year 12.
O&M Jack‑Up Interventions Reach 571
O&M interventions increased by 14% compared to 2024. The rise was driven by both mid‑life turbine wear and early‑life challenges on newer wind farms.
ZITON Remains Market Leader
ZITON completed 262 jack‑up interventions in 2025, a new record for the company and the offshore wind O&M sector. Its expanded six‑vessel fleet has increasingly been deployed on larger turbine platforms.
Regional Highlights: Offshore Wind 2025 Overview
In 2025, offshore wind projects advanced steadily across the globe. In Europe, major sites like Dogger Bank and Baltic Power made strong progress on foundations and turbines. Meanwhile, in APAC and the U.S., projects reached key milestones, from record-fast foundation installs in Taiwan to the first turbine installations in Virginia and Vineyard Wind 1.
Europe
- Baltic Power progressed to 80% monopile installation and 30% turbine installation.
- Dogger Bank A had only two turbines remaining by year‑end.
- EnBW He Dreiht reached 48% turbine installation using the new Vestas V236‑15 MW platform.
APAC
- Taiwan’s Hai Long 2 project completed turbine installation by Q4.
- Greater Changhua 2b & 4 delivered some of the fastest foundation installation durations globally.
United States
- Coastal Virginia completed all 176 monopiles and installed its first turbine in early 2026.
- Vineyard Wind 1 completed 50 full turbine installations, with additional progress on tower‑and‑nacelle assembly.
What’s Ahead for Offshore Wind in 2026
A New Record Year Expected
The industry anticipates around 900 turbine installations in 2026—set to be the highest ever. Global installed capacity for the year is expected to exceed 10,000 MW.
Next‑Generation Vessels Coming Into Operation
Several major new vessels are scheduled to begin commercial work in 2026, including:
- Cadeler’s Wind Ally
- DEME’s Norse Wind
- Maersk Offshore Wind’s Sturgeon
These vessels are designed to handle the largest turbine classes to date.
Monitoring Reliability Will Be Critical
After the sharp rise in failure rates in 2025, 2026 will determine whether this becomes an industry baseline or a temporary spike.
The offshore wind 2025 landscape reflects a sector maturing rapidly: installing larger turbines, expanding vessel capacity, improving installation strategies, and facing new O&M pressures. As the industry moves into what is expected to be a defining year in 2026, understanding these shifts is essential for developers, investors, and supply chain players.
Want to Learn More?
Read the full report by clicking the button below or contact Lars-André Bugge Tobaben by writing an email to lat@sea-impact.com to access the full data.
