Germany’s offshore wind sector supports 31,530 full-time equivalent jobs according to a study by wind:research for Bundesverband Windenergie Offshore. Economic benefits are distributed nationwide, with significant contributions from inland industrial regions such as North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg and Saarland, while northern Germany remains focused on project execution and operations.
Gross value added reached €14.6 billion in 2025. If the 70 GW offshore wind target for 2045 is achieved, employment could increase to around 120,000 and value creation exceed €50 billion.
The study identifies growing pressure on the domestic supply chain from international competition and highlights grid connection as a key bottleneck, with expected project delays averaging 3.2 years. A total of 893 companies are active in the sector, around one-third exclusively in offshore wind.
Model scenarios show that reducing the 2045 target to 60 GW could result in the loss of up to 50,000 jobs and around €20 billion in value creation, underlining the importance of stable expansion plans and investment in grid and port infrastructure.
