Uncertainty in the US offshore wind market has opened up a unique opportunity for Europe and APAC to accelerate offshore wind volume growth together.

This is according to Ramboll, a leading full-service wind consultancy, that recently strengthened its presence in APAC through the acquisition of K2 Management (K2M), a leading renewable energy consultancy with extensive operations and offshore wind expertise in the region.  

Tim Fischer, Director for Ramboll’s Global Wind Division, said: “Trump’s election has undoubtedly reduced the confidence in parts of the offshore wind industry for some time – but we need to recognize how shifting momentum can help us turn adversity into opportunity.”  

“Developers, investors and OEMs are already turning their attention back to home markets – offering a chance for Europe and APAC to work together on accelerating offshore wind growth. Improved collaboration between the two regions is critical to driving the necessary increases in volume needed to make a success of global offshore wind.”  

While Europe leads in many areas of offshore wind technology development and APAC is still in the early stages of development in many countries, collaboration is essential to increase the volume of projects in both markets and hit upcoming targets – and neither region can do it alone. To strengthen ties, and accelerate growth, Ramboll argues that Europe and APAC must take the following steps: 

1. Enhance supply chains and vessel fleets – Trump’s election will cause a temporary slowdown in US offshore wind supply chain development – creating a much-needed opportunity for Europe and APAC to plug emerging gaps in regional supply chains and vessel fleets and to apply more focus investments. While maximizing use of local supply-chains for each local region, APAC can benefit from Europe’s world-leading position in WTG and monopile foundation supply. At the same time, Europe can tap into APAC’s HV equipment supply chain as well as massive production capacities for large-scale, complex steel structures (jackets and substations).
2. Joint investments and market expansion – Investors and developers who might have backed and constructed US offshore wind projects may now seek joint ventures in high-growth markets like Taiwan, South Korea, UK and Germany. European and APAC governments can help facilitate the redeployment of capital and resources by providing funding and financial guarantees that help to de-risk offshore wind projects. Recent announcements of Japanese investors acquiring shares in European projects or company joint-ventures are already first signs of it.
3. Knowledge and technology sharing – Europe, with its decades of offshore wind experience, can share industry best practices with APAC in areas like project/turbine design, regulatory development and grid integration. This will be critical to ensuring APAC avoids the same pitfalls as Europe.  
4. Accelerating floating wind - Floating wind is central to the next phase of offshore wind growth. However, the technology is currently still seen as high risk and complex, and knowledge sharing on floating wind designs between Europe and APAC will be critical to speeding up development and adoption.   

“Ramboll is committed to helping wind developers and investors across the world accelerate their ambitions. By combining Ramboll and K2M’s extensive track records in wind energy, we will be able to meet the evolving demands of our global clients and support all aspects of wind project development,” added Fischer. “With our global presence in nearly 30 countries, we see ourselves as independent bridge builders of bringing the global offshore wind business together and support to accelerate its growth.” 

Over the last three years, Ramboll has successfully scaled its wind business from a primary foundation designer to a full-service wind consultancy combining advisory and engineering services. To further enhance its wind business and provide a truly integrated and global full-service offering to clients, Ramboll acquired K2 Management in August 2024.  

Ramboll's Global Wind Division now encompasses close to 1,000 experts across nearly 30 countries, with new local presence in Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, and Portugal. With the new setup, Ramboll has expanded its support both in Europe and APAC, facilitating further global knowledge-sharing and faster global adoption of offshore wind.