Global Offshore Wind 2025 came at a pivotal moment for the sector. With rising political attention, new institutional reforms underway, and a backdrop of volatile market conditions, the conference captured both the promise and the pressure facing the industry.
While the tone across the two-day event was optimistic, it was also realistic. Speakers and delegates acknowledged that delivering the next phase of offshore wind will require more than the targets and ambition we have gotten comfortable with. To meet the national goals for net zero and economic growth, we must now focus on delivery – and that means getting the fundamentals right.
Five recurring themes emerged across sessions, speeches and conversations
1.Certainty
Certainty was the word on everyone’s lips. Secretary of State for Energy Ed Miliband opened his keynote speech by underscoring the ‘confidence and certainty’ which he had and wanted to deliver. The government is now more committed than ever to accelerating offshore wind and is making good progress by building capacity and reforming the connections process. But the policy and regulatory environment is not yet providing the confidence investors and developers need. Auction round changes, grid connection delays, and policy uncertainty are creating risk just when we should be building momentum.
When asked about the delayed Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA), Miliband admitted he’d “heard the message” but couldn’t give a clear answer. With CfD Allocation Round 7 looming and pricing reform potentially around the corner, uncertainty is becoming a brake on progress. The UK still has a chance to lead – but only if it can offer long-term stability and strategic clarity.
2. Collaboration
No one can deliver this alone. Developers, local authorities, supply chain partners, communities – we all have a role to play. Everyone I spoke to stressed the need for deeper, earlier collaboration to build trust, unlock innovation, and ensure benefits are shared.
GB Energy CEO Jurgen Maer hoped that his new institution could play the role of an “aggregator” or “convener” of all the forces in the room, NESO Chief David Willmott stressed the operator’s role as a long-awaited strategic planner for energy infrastructure, Miliband even referred to the skills which will be unlocked by his fledgling Office for Clean Energy Jobs. But with new institutions come new questions. At one point in his conversation with Renewable UK CEO Jane Cooper, the Energy Minister almost casually remarked that “what matters more than policy is the institutions that you build.” That’s certainly true, but too many new institutions with unclear responsibilities and powers can muddy the waters, and coordinating a complex market at the pace required demands clear leadership and direction.
3. Consistency
The sector doesn’t need perfection – but it does need predictability. In one panel, the conversation turned to project standardisation: common designs, shared timelines, and even standardised community benefit offers are needed to end delays and speed up consents. Some developers are understandably cautious – optimising for specific sites is key to commercial viability – but if we want to rapidly scale, the ability to ‘plug and play’ will be vital. Consistent regulation, consistent expectations, and consistent delivery: that’s the groundwork offshore wind now needs.
4. Capability
We talk a lot about gigawatts, but not enough about the people who’ll build them. The workforce challenge is pressing, especially in coastal communities where investment can be genuinely transformative.
Ed Miliband’s headline announcement of £1bn in public-private investment for offshore wind supply chains is a positive step. At the end of his speech, Miliband asked the industry to do four things, one of which was recognise and engage with trade unions. It felt slightly out of place, and in my conversations with those driving the industry I asked them what they made of it. I think it’s fair to say that his enthusiasm wasn’t always matched on that point.
What is clear is that capability isn’t just factories and ports: it’s people, training, and long-term industrial strategy. The upcoming Celtic Sea leasing round is a major opportunity. Places like Port Talbot need more than promises, they need a seat at the table.
5. Communication
Perhaps the biggest challenge of all. The sector must do more to tell its story – not just in terms of jobs and megawatts, but in language that resonates with communities, with voters, with the public. The threat to Net Zero isn’t just technical – it’s political. Reform UK’s rise shows that public support can’t be taken for granted.
One session was disrupted by a protestor accusing the industry of complicity in fossil fuels. “I get up every day and try to make offshore wind a success,” Equinor’s Head of Policy Charles Fox replied. It was a reminder that the sector is still fighting for legitimacy – and that authenticity, transparency, and place-based engagement are more essential than ever. We heard a lot about “catalytic public investment,” but the real catalyst for change might be a shared sense of mission and the acumen to communicate that mission in a compelling way.
The takeaway?
Offshore wind remains one of the UK’s great industrial hopes – a sector that could deliver clean energy, skilled jobs, and global leadership. But it’s entering a new phase: more complex, more contested, and more dependent on joined-up thinking.
The ambition is still there. Now we need certainty, collaboration, consistency, capability, and most importantly of all: communication.
Get in touch with oliver.gough@copperconsultancy.com if you’re keen to hear more.