The Top 5: Largest Commissioned Wind Farms in the World

The global wind industry installed 10.8 GW of new offshore wind capacity in 2023. This increased the global total to 75.2 GW of capacities. This growth came despite macroeconomic challenges in key markets. The commissioning of several large-scale wind energy farms worldwide highlights the impact of increasing policy momentum, which is driving the expansion of offshore wind projects across continents.

Looking ahead, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) projects that 410 GW of new offshore wind capacity will be installed over the next decade. Most of this capacity is expected to come online between 2029 and 2033, as the industry experiences rapid growth. Achieving these targets will require enhanced collaboration between governments and industry, alongside streamlined and effective policy and regulatory frameworks.

The anticipated growth will also be fuelled by emerging offshore wind markets, including Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brazil, Colombia, Ireland, and Poland. In these regions, policy advancements and an unprecedented focus from governments, industries, and civil society are creating favourable conditions for large-scale offshore wind development.

GWEC predicts that the current 24 percent annual growth rate will continue until 2030, provided the current policy momentum is maintained. Along this path, many new large-scale wind farms are expected to emerge. Here is an overview of five of the world’s largest wind energy farms currently powering communities with sustainable, wind-based green energy.

#1 Hollandse Kust Zuid Wind Farm

Total Capacity: 1.5 GW

Hollandse Kust Zuid is an offshore wind farm located in the North Sea, 18 to 36 kilometres off the Dutch coast. It features 139 Siemens Gamesa turbines, each with a capacity of 11 MW, giving the project a total capacity of over 1.5 GW. This makes it the largest offshore wind farm in the Netherlands and one of the largest globally. According to Vattenfall, the farm’s annual electricity output is equivalent to the consumption of 1.5 million households.

Construction of the wind farm began in July 2021, and it became operational in September 2023. The project includes two 700 MW offshore transformer platforms, named HKZ Alpha and HKZ Beta. Hollandse Kust Zuid is also one of the largest subsidy-free wind farms in the world, made possible by favourable market conditions in the Netherlands.

#2 Borssele Wind Farm 

Total Capacity: 1.5 GW

The Borssele Wind Farm Zone (BWFZ) consists of five wind farm sites (WFSs): I, II, III, IV, and V, with a combined capacity of 1,502.5 MW. The project lies in the North Sea, off the coast of Zeeland, Netherlands. It took several phases to develop this project. Construction began in 2019, and commercial operations commenced in November 2020.

Advanced turbines across different phases add to the virtues of the wind farms. Borssele I & II (A) feature 91 Siemens Gamesa turbines, each with a capacity of 8 MW, while Borssele I & II (B) include 3 Siemens Gamesa turbines of the same capacity. The Borssele III and IV phases utilise 38 and 39 Vestas turbines, respectively, each offering a higher capacity of 9.5 MW. Borssele V comprises 2 Vestas turbines, each with a capacity of 9.5 MW. Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and Vestas Offshore Wind are responsible for the project’s operations and maintenance.

Recently, Octopus Energy Generation, a prominent European renewables investor, acquired a 10 percent stake in the Borssele III & IV phases. Partners Group on behalf of funds managed by Octopus, including the Sky fund purchased this stake. The acquisition highlights the increasing interest in large-scale offshore wind projects, a key component of the global energy transition.

#3 Hornsea 2 

Total Capacity: 1.4 GW

Hornsea 2 was recognised last year by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest wind farm by capacity, surpassing its predecessor, Hornsea 1, which has a capacity of 1.2 GW. Built by Danish energy company Ørsted, Hornsea 2 has a capacity of 1,320 MW and is located 89 kilometres (55.3 miles) off the coast of Yorkshire, UK. The wind farm’s 165 turbines became fully operational on 31 August 2022. At peak performance, the turbines generate enough electricity to power 1.4 million homes.

The Hornsea zone continues to expand, with Hornsea 3 (2.9 GW) and Hornsea 4 (2.6 GW) approved for development. These projects will bring the total capacity of the Hornsea cluster to 8.1 GW, further solidifying its position as a global leader in offshore wind energy.

Recently, Ørsted entered a partnership with Brookfield, its institutional partners, and Brookfield Renewable, which acquired a 12.45% minority stake in four of Ørsted’s operational UK offshore wind farms: Hornsea 1, Hornsea 2, Walney Extension, and Burbo Bank Extension. Together, these wind farms have a combined capacity of approximately 3.5 GW, showcasing the growing investment in renewable energy infrastructure.

#4 Hornsea 1

Total Capacity: 1.2 GW

Hornsea 1 was the world’s first offshore wind farm to exceed 1 GW in capacity. Interestingly, it held the title of the largest offshore wind farm. This was before its sister project, Hornsea 2, became operational in 2022. The wind farm features 174 turbines, each with a capacity of 7 MW.

Located in the North Sea, Hornsea 1 generates green electricity to power over a million UK homes. It has a total capacity of 1.2 GW and spans an area of 407 square km (157.2 square miles). Ørsted and Jupiter Offshore Wind Limited, each holding a 50% stake jointly own this project. Operational since 2019, Ørsted’s East Coast Hub in Grimsby maintains Hornsea 1. 

#5 Qingzhou offshore wind farm 

Total Capacity: 1 GW

The Qingzhou Offshore Wind Farm is located in deep waters off the coast of Guangdong Province, China. Yangjiang Offshore Wind Power Company owns this project. This includes 92 MySE 11-230 typhoon-resistant hybrid-drive turbines, an onshore substation, and a 500 kV offshore substation. 

The wind farm consists of two phases. One is Qingzhou 1 with a capacity of 400 MW. And the second one is Qingzhou 2 with 600 MW. These bring the total capacity to 1 GW. It is a milestone project as the first in the world to feature a 500 kV HVAC offshore substation. This is in addition to a 500 kV three-core subsea cable. Orient Cable (NBO) supplied the subsea cable, further showcasing innovative advancements in offshore wind technology.