OMNI Features｜Offshore Wind Market Slump Forces Layoffs at CS Wind's Danish Base．China's Wind and Solar Capacity Surpasses Thermal Power for the First Time．Japan's First Barge-Type Floating Wind Turbine Enters Commercial Operation

｜Offshore Wind Market Slump Forces Layoffs at CS Wind’s Danish Base
South Korea's CS Wind Offshore has announced major layoffs at its flagship offshore monopile manufacturing facility in Lindø, Denmark, amid deteriorating market conditions. Despite recent investments to expand the site's capacity, the company is set to cut approximately 220 jobs, citing prolonged inactivity at the plant. Most employees at the Odense Port base will be affected.

The company attributes the crisis to "political interference and unfavorable commercial conditions," which have disrupted offshore wind projects across Europe. The setback comes shortly after CS Wind's 2023 acquisition of Denmark's Bladt Industries—a strategic move that had marked its global expansion into offshore foundation manufacturing.

｜China's Wind and Solar Capacity Surpasses Thermal Power for the First Time
According to the National Energy Administration, in the first quarter of 2025 in China, new solar and wind installations totaled 74.33 million kWh, bringing total capacity to 1,482 GW . This level exceeds the installed capacity of thermal energy the first time, which stands at 1,451 GW. In 2024, China added a record 357 GW of solar and wind energy to its grid, 10 times more than the United States, achieving its initial target of 1,200 GW 6 years ahead of the 2030 deadline.

Despite this rapid progress, coal remains a central role player. In 2024, China launched the construction of 94.5 GW of new coal-fired plants, accounting for 93% of global construction starts, according to a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and the Global Energy Monitor (GEM). Simultaneously, coal production continued to rise, from 3.9 billion tonnes in 2020 to 4.8 billion tonnes in 2024.

｜Japan's First Barge-Type Floating Wind Turbine Enters Commercial Operation
The Hibiki barge-type floating system, the first of its kind in Japan, has announced that the project entered commercial operation. It Features the Aerodyn SCD 3 MW two-bladed turbine installed on Ideol's Damping Pool floating foundation. Hibiki is the first steel barge-type floating wind turbine in Japan and the second to be commercialised in the country.

The project was part of a New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) demonstration project run by Glocal. Investors in the project’s special-purpose company also include Renewable Japan, KEMCO, Gojin Group, and Chugoku Electric Power. After the completion of the demonstration study at the end of March 2024, Glocal took over the entire project from NEDO and established Hibiki Floating Wind Power (HFWP) as the management and operating company of the wind farm and is responsible for O&M. The electricity generated by the 3 MW wind turbine will be supplied to Kyushu Electric Power Company.

Refernece: Recharge｜Energy News｜Offshorewind Biz