The world's top three offshore wind markets: the UK, Germany and China

Offshore wind energy is one of the least used resources in the world, less than one-tenth
of wind power.
But the Global Wind Energy Council expects it to account for nearly a quarter of the world's wind power by 2023, with the offshore wind market dominated by three countries: the UK, Germany and China
.

Measured by 40 criteria, the World Economic Forum's 2019 Energy Transition Index ranks the UK and Germany among the top 20 countries
.
China ranks 82nd, in part because of its continued reliance on fossil fuels
.
The report says a successful transition to clean energy depends on strong regulatory frameworks and stable policies, as evidenced by these three top wind countries
.

United Kingdom

The UK is a world leader in offshore power, with more installed capacity than any other country and accounting for 34%
of the total number of offshore installations.
By 2030, offshore wind will provide one-third of the country's energy needs and create 27,000 new jobs
.

Back in 2008, the UK replaced Denmark as the global leader
in offshore power generation.
This fact may come as a surprise to some Britons, as a survey last year found that half of British citizens believe their government is not doing enough
to combat climate change.

Industry group RenewableUK said the cost of new offshore energy in the UK had been cut in half since 2015, partly because of government policies
to encourage offshore wind and curb onshore wind.
Last year, the UK recorded its lowest carbon dioxide emissions
since 1888.

Germany

As one of the main markets for offshore wind power, Germany's first offshore wind farm, Alpha Ventus, only started generating electricity
in 2009.
Since then, it has rapidly grown to become one of the world's largest offshore wind producers with an installed capacity of 6.
4 gigawatts
.

Germany used its position between the North and Baltic Seas to install 136 new wind turbines last year, representing 28 percent
of the total number of offshore installations.
Germany is currently building an undersea HVDC system to connect Denmark and provide Denmark with North Sea offshore power to help the country achieve its zero-carbon goals
.

The cost of offshore power generation has fallen so much in recent years that last year the German government removed subsidies
for new offshore wind for the second year in a row.
However, cost cuts in generators have reportedly led to layoffs in some turbine manufacturers
' employees.

China

China is poised to become a global leader
in offshore wind.
Last year, the country installed and connected more capacity than any other country
.
China plans to double the growth rate of offshore wind capacity from the current 2 GW to 4 GW/year
by 2025.

Rapidly growing demand has driven China's booming offshore industry
.
The International Energy Agency said China's energy consumption grew by 3.
5 percent last year, accounting for a third
of global demand growth.

Jiangsu Province in eastern China is the leader of the country's maritime industry
.
In 2017, nearly half of China's new offshore wind capacity was settled in Jiangsu
.
In January, the province approved 24 new offshore projects totaling 6.
7 gigawatts at a cost of $18 billion
.
All of these projects will be operational
next year.