The construction and operation of European offshore wind farms supported around 180,000 full-time equivalent jobs and roughly EUR 26 billion in gross value added across Europe in 2025, according to a new analysis by Menon Economics and TGS | 4C. The effects, the study finds, reach well beyond the wind farms themselves and spread through an increasingly integrated European supply chain.
Of the 180,000 jobs, about 55,000 come from companies supplying goods and services directly to offshore wind projects — turbine and foundation makers, cable producers, installation vessel operators and engineering firms — while a further 125,000 are supported further upstream. In other words, each direct job supports roughly two more. The bulk of employment, around 155,000 jobs, is tied to the development and construction of new capacity, with operations and maintenance accounting for about 25,000.
Operations, however, punch above their weight in value terms. Of the EUR 26 billion in gross value added, around EUR 16 billion stems from construction and EUR 10 billion from the operational phase — including roughly EUR 7 billion traced to the power production itself. As more capacity comes online, the authors expect these long-term operational effects to grow even as investment-driven effects fluctuate with the pace of deployment.
The value is spread unevenly. Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands capture the largest shares, reflecting their established manufacturing and maritime supply chains. But the footprint reaches further: Norway, France, Poland and Belgium capture significant value through maritime transport, installation, manufacturing and technical advisory services — a sign of how integrated the industry has become.
For Baltic states scaling up their own offshore ambitions, the figures underline a practical point: a turbine installed off one coast can create work in shipyards, factories and engineering offices across the continent, including in countries still early in their offshore journey.
