Top 10 European Offshore Wind Projects Defining the 2025 Energy Landscape

In 2025, the European offshore wind market is defined by a decisive push toward gigawatt-scale industrialization to achieve continent-wide energy security. This strategic shift moves beyond pioneering individual projects to developing massive, multi-gigawatt “energy hubs” in key sea basins. This trend is exemplified by the simultaneous construction on the 3.6 GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm in the UK and the emergence of new powerhouse markets like Poland, which reached a final investment decision for its 1.5 GW Baltica 2 project. The dominant theme for 2025 is the pursuit of energy independence through large-scale, centralized power generation at sea, a strategy heavily influenced by recent geopolitical volatility and ambitious, state-backed climate targets.

1. Dogger Bank Wind Farm (Phases A, B & C)

Developer(s): A joint venture between SSE Renewables, Equinor, and Vårgrønn.
Capacity: 3.6 GW (total across three 1.2 GW phases) (Dogger Bank Wind Farm: The World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm).
Location: United Kingdom, North Sea.
Status & Key Details: With phased construction and commissioning throughout 2025, Dogger Bank’s phases are progressively coming online. It is the world’s largest offshore wind farm under construction and will ultimately power approximately six million UK homes. The project utilizes GE Vernova’s powerful Haliade-X turbines (World’s largest offshore wind farm powers 6 m UK homes – ABB).

2. Nordseecluster (including Nordlicht I & II)

Developer(s): RWE.
Capacity: 1.6 GW (total). The cluster comprises Nordlicht I (980 MW) and Nordlicht II (630 MW) (First components for Nordlicht I completed ahead of schedule).
Location: Germany, North Sea, approximately 85 kilometers north of Borkum island (Vestas wins firm order for the Nordlicht 1 offshore wind project in …).
Status & Key Details: Under active development and construction, the Nordseecluster is a flagship project for RWE. A firm order for turbines for the 980 MW Nordlicht I project was placed with Vestas in March 2025, a key step toward helping Germany achieve its 30 GW offshore wind target by 2030 (German offshore wind power – output, business and perspectives).

3. Borssele Wind Farm Zone (I-V)

Developer(s): A consortium including Ørsted, Shell, Eneco, and Mitsubishi/DGE.
Capacity: 1.6 GW (Wind energy in Europe: the continent’s largest wind farms). Some sources cite a total of 1, 502.5 MW (Top 12 Biggest Offshore Wind Farms in The World – Marine Insight).
Location: Netherlands, North Sea, 22-24 km off the coast of Zeeland.
Status & Key Details: This cluster of five adjacent wind farms is fully operational in 2025 and serves as a cornerstone of the Dutch offshore wind strategy. It was a key contributor to the Netherlands surpassing its 4.5 GW offshore capacity target by the end of 2023 (Wind | Shell Global).

4. Baltica 2

Developer(s): PGE and Ørsted.
Capacity: 1.5 GW (1, 498 MW) (Offshore wind making waves as Polish FID lifts capacity …).
Location: Poland, Baltic Sea.
Status & Key Details: Reached a critical Final Investment Decision (FID) on January 29, 2025. This decision solidified the project’s financing and is a major milestone for Poland’s emerging offshore wind market. It is a key part of the country’s plan to install around 18 GW of offshore capacity by the mid-2030 s (Polish offshore wind: capitalising on the second wave – Riviera).

5. Sofia Offshore Wind Farm

Developer(s): RWE.
Capacity: 1.4 GW (Offshore Wind | Discover renewables at RWE).
Location: United Kingdom, North Sea.
Status & Key Details: This major project is under construction throughout 2025, further solidifying RWE‘s position as a leading global offshore wind developer (Top 10: Wind Power Companies | Energy Magazine). It is located on Dogger Bank, highlighting the strategic importance of this North Sea area for large-scale energy generation.

6. Norfolk Vanguard West

Developer(s): RWE.
Capacity: 1.38 GW (1, 380 MW) (Vestas Receives 1380 MW Offshore Wind Turbine Order from RWE).
Location: United Kingdom, North Sea.
Status & Key Details: In advanced development, with significant procurement activities occurring in 2025 ahead of a February 2026 firm turbine order placed with Vestas for 92 of its V 236-15.0 MW offshore wind turbines (RWE and Vestas Sign agreement for Vanguard West Offshore Wind …). The project is part of the larger Norfolk Zone.

7. Hornsea 2

Developer(s): Ørsted.
Capacity: 1.32 GW (Offshore wind: when wind power comes from the sea – Enel Group).
Location: United Kingdom, North Sea, 89 km from the coast.
Status & Key Details: Fully operational in 2025, Hornsea 2 was previously the world’s largest operational wind farm and remains an industry benchmark (UK offshore wind history). It utilizes 165 Siemens Gamesa 8 MW turbines and is a key asset in Ørsted‘s global portfolio of 10.2 GW of installed offshore capacity (Leaders in offshore wind – Ørsted).

8. Hornsea 1

Developer(s): Ørsted.
Capacity: 1.2 GW (1, 218 MW) (UK offshore wind history).
Location: United Kingdom, North Sea.
Status & Key Details: As the first offshore wind farm to exceed 1 GW, this fully operational project was a landmark achievement. It continues to be one of Europe’s largest single-site renewable power plants, comprising 174 Siemens Gamesa 7 MW turbines (UK offshore wind history).

9. Baltic Power

Developer(s): Northland Power and ORLEN Group.
Capacity: 1.1 GW ([PDF] 2025 Annual Report – Northland Power).
Location: Poland, Baltic Sea.
Status & Key Details: Under construction in 2025, with installation of some of Europe’s largest turbines underway. Each of the 76 turbines has a capacity of 15 MW (ORLEN commences installation of Europe’s largest …). The project, alongside Baltica 2, signals Poland’s arrival as a major European offshore wind market.

10. Thor Offshore Wind Farm

Developer(s): RWE.
Capacity: 1.1 GW (Offshore Wind | Discover renewables at RWE).
Location: Denmark, North Sea.
Status & Key Details: This major project is under construction in 2025 and is a key component of Denmark’s renewable energy strategy. As part of RWE‘s significant European construction pipeline, it reinforces Denmark’s historical leadership in the wind sector.

Europe Leads Q 1 2025 Offshore Wind Project Maturation
Europe dominated offshore wind project maturation in H 1 2025, reaching FID for 6.1 GW of capacity and commencing construction on 3.6 GW. Additionally, 2.8 GW of European projects began operations in the first half of the year, signaling significant progress despite overall sector ‘turmoil.”

H 1 2025 Surge Masks Potential H 2 Project Delays in Europe
The substantial H 1 2025 activity in Europe suggests robust policy support and investor confidence, particularly in project development and early-stage execution. However, the sharp drop in H 2 activity, especially in FID (6.1 GW to 0.4 GW), highlights potential seasonality or project deferrals impacting consistent growth.

(Source: Movements in offshore wind project maturity throughout 2025 …)

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From Single Sites to Industrial Hubs: A New Scale of Adoption

The market in 2025 has moved decisively beyond deploying single wind farms to adopting an industrial-scale, cluster-based approach. This is evident in the development of massive, contiguous zones like the Borssele Wind Farm Zone (1.6 GW) in the Netherlands and the forthcoming Norfolk Zone in the UK. This strategy creates “energy hubs” at sea, designed to function more like traditional, large-scale power plants. This industrialization is what enables the deployment of next-generation turbines, such as the 15 MW units being installed at the Baltic Power project (Poland’s late entry into offshore wind draws foreign investors to …). By maximizing power output per foundation, developers can achieve significant economies of scale, drive down the levelized cost of energy, and provide more consistent, baseload-like power to national grids.

Larger Turbines Drive Market Growth

This chart supports the section’s discussion of ‘next-generation turbines’ by showing how turbines rated above 8 MW and 12 MW are expected to dominate future market growth.

(Source: Global Market Insights)

The North Sea Nexus and the Rise of the Baltic

Geographically, Europe’s offshore wind activity in 2025 remains heavily concentrated in the North Sea, but with a notable expansion into the Baltic Sea. The United Kingdom continues its leadership, hosting five of the top ten projects, including the world’s largest, Dogger Bank (3.6 GW), and RWE‘s major developments, Sofia and Norfolk Vanguard West. Germany reinforces the North Sea’s dominance with its 1.6 GW Nordseecluster. However, the most significant geographic trend is the emergence of Poland as a major new market. The FID for the 1.5 GW Baltica 2 project and the ongoing construction of the 1.1 GW Baltic Power project collectively represent a massive investment and a strategic diversification of Europe’s offshore wind portfolio, creating a new industrial center in the Baltic Sea.

Northern Europe Dominates Operational Offshore Wind Portfolio
As of February 2025, the United Kingdom (51 farms) and Germany (32 farms) lead Europe in operational offshore wind farms, accounting for over 50% of the continent’s total. The top five nations (UK, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium) collectively host 131 out of 152 operational farms, indicating a highly concentrated market in Northern Europe.

Policy & Infrastructure Maturity Drive Regional Disparity in Deployment
This strong concentration highlights the critical role of mature regulatory frameworks, established maritime infrastructure, and consistent policy support in driving offshore wind deployment. Southern European countries, like Spain, Ireland, Portugal, and Italy, with only one operational farm each, face significant challenges in scaling infrastructure and navigating complex permitting processes.

(Source: Europe: number of offshore wind farms 2025| Statista)

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European Offshore Wind Project Locations

This map perfectly illustrates the section’s geographic focus, showing the concentration of projects in the North Sea and the expansion into the Baltic Sea.

(Source: La Tene Maps)

Beyond Pilots: GW-Scale Commercialization and Next-Gen Tech

The projects of 2025 demonstrate that offshore wind technology for multi-gigawatt developments is fully commercialized and rapidly scaling. The pipeline is filled with projects moving through mature development stages, from “under construction” to “fully operational.” The Final Investment Decision for Poland’s Baltica 2 in January 2025 is a powerful market signal, representing one of six major European projects financed in the first half of the year and confirming strong investor confidence (Offshore wind making waves as Polish FID lifts capacity …). Technologically, the standardization of ultra-large turbines like GE’s Haliade-X and Vestas’ V 236-15.0 MW shows the industry is coalescing around proven, high-output platforms. While these top projects are all bottom-fixed, significant progress in floating wind technology is setting the stage for the next phase of expansion, with projects like the 560 MW Green Volt farm approved in the UK, set to triple the world’s installed floating capacity (How many floating offshore windfarms are there in the world?).

Europe Leads 2025 Project Maturation

This chart directly confirms the section’s theme of market commercialization by detailing the capacity of projects reaching key 2025 milestones like Final Investment Decision (FID) and construction.

(Source: Aegir Insights)

Forward-Looking Insights: Energy Security and Interconnected Grids

The activity in 2025 lays the groundwork for Europe’s long-term energy strategy, which is heavily reliant on offshore wind. The primary catalyst is clear and consistent government policy, such as the UK’s Allocation Round 7, which awarded 8.4 GW of new capacity in early 2026, providing developers with the revenue certainty needed for massive capital commitments (UK awards 8.4 GW in Europe’s largest offshore wind auction ever). Looking ahead, the vision extends beyond individual farms to an interconnected, cross-border offshore energy grid. North Sea nations have articulated a goal of building 300 GW of capacity by 2050, effectively turning the region into “the world’s largest energy hub” (Offshore Wind Power: North Sea – the World’s Largest Clean Energy …). The competitive landscape is led by a handful of European utility giants, with Ørsted and RWE setting the pace through immense scale and proven project execution. Their ability to manage multiple gigawatt-scale projects simultaneously, secure financing, and drive supply chain efficiencies gives them a decisive advantage in this capital-intensive market.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the biggest trend defining European offshore wind in 2025?

The dominant trend in 2025 is the shift from pioneering individual wind farms to developing massive, multi-gigawatt “energy hubs” in key sea basins. This industrial-scale approach, exemplified by contiguous zones like the UK’s Dogger Bank and the Netherlands’ Borssele, is a strategic push to achieve energy security and independence through centralized power generation at sea.

Which project is the largest offshore wind farm under construction in 2025?

The Dogger Bank Wind Farm in the UK is the largest offshore wind project under construction in 2025. It is a massive 3.6 GW development, being built in three 1.2 GW phases. It is significant for being the world’s largest and will ultimately power around six million UK homes.

Besides the North Sea, what new region is becoming a major offshore wind market?

The Baltic Sea is emerging as a major new market, with Poland leading this expansion. The article highlights Poland’s arrival as a key player with two gigawatt-scale projects: the 1.5 GW Baltica 2, which reached a Final Investment Decision in January 2025, and the 1.1 GW Baltic Power, which is under construction.

Which companies are mentioned as the leaders in developing these large-scale projects?

The article identifies a handful of European utility giants leading the market. Specifically, it points to RWE and Ørsted as setting the pace. RWE is developing several of the top projects, including Nordseecluster, Sofia, Norfolk Vanguard West, and Thor. Ørsted is a key developer behind Hornsea 1 & 2, the Borssele zone, and Poland’s Baltica 2.

What technological advancements are enabling the scale of these 2025 projects?

The projects of 2025 demonstrate the full commercialization of multi-gigawatt developments, enabled by the standardization of ultra-large turbines. The article cites the use of GE’s Haliade-X and Vestas’ V236-15.0 MW turbines, with some projects like Baltic Power installing 15 MW units. This allows developers to maximize power output per foundation and achieve economies of scale.

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