From Oil to Wind Power: Germany Surpasses 10,000 MW Offshore Capacity - North Sea Becomes Europe’s Energy Hub

Münster (Germany) - With the official commissioning of new offshore wind turbines, Germany has exceeded the milestone of 10,000 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity. Crossing the 10-gigawatt threshold not only marks a national expansion milestone, but also represents another country-specific building block in the fundamental structural transformation of the North Sea from the historic center of European oil production into a central “green” energy hub in Europe.

North Sea coastal states are dynamically advancing the expansion of offshore wind energy, with installed capacity in the North Sea alone already reaching around 30,000 MW. At the political level, this development is coordinated through joint summits aimed at aligning area expansion, grid infrastructure, and system integration across borders. The goal is to sustainably strengthen the resilience and climate friendliness of Europe’s power supply.

Germany exceeds 10,000 MW mark in offshore wind power

With the commissioning of three new offshore wind turbines in the offshore wind farms He Dreiht and Borkum Riffgrund 3 on February 26, 2026, Germany reached the 10,000 MW mark for installed offshore wind capacity. This is based on evaluations of the Market Master Data Register of the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) conducted by the International Economic Forum for Renewable Energies (IWR) in Münster. By expanding offshore wind energy, Germany, together with the other North Sea coastal states, is making an important contribution to the joint forward-looking transformation of Europe’s energy system. German offshore wind farms generated a total of 26.1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2025 (2024: 25.6 billion kWh).

“ We are witnessing a turning point in Europe’s energy history. The North Sea is becoming the centerpiece of a climate-friendly, secure, and future-oriented energy supply in Europe,” said Dr. Norbert Allnoch, head of IWR.

North Sea on track to become the world’s largest offshore energy hub

Germany’s expansion is not merely a national energy project but is embedded in the systematic development of offshore wind energy in the North Sea by the coastal states. For years, they have coordinated offshore wind development, including through landmark meetings in Esbjerg in 2022 and Ostend in 2023, where political foundations and targets for coordinated expansion were established. Further summits followed.

Together, the North Sea coastal states currently have more than 36,000 MW (36 GW) of offshore wind capacity installed in the North Sea, the Irish Sea, and the Baltic Sea. With 10,000 MW, Germany ranks second behind the United Kingdom (16,000 MW), followed by the Netherlands (5,400 MW), Denmark (2,700 MW), Belgium (2,300 MW), and Norway (100 MW). In total, the North Sea coastal states operate around 30,000 MW of offshore capacity in the North Sea, corresponding to annual electricity production of more than 110 billion kilowatt-hours.

“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,” Allnoch added.

With planned offshore wind capacity of 300,000 MW by 2050, the North Sea could supply more than 1,100 billion kWh per year - enough to meet the energy demand of several European countries. This would significantly reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports, strengthen the resilience of the European energy system, and position the North Sea as the world’s largest offshore energy hub.

Source: IWR Online, 02 Mar 2026