What is an Offshore Wind Company?

An offshore wind company helps turn wind at sea into electricity. Some develop and operate entire wind farms; others manufacture turbines, install foundations and cables, provide vessels, maintain assets, or supply the specialist people needed to deliver each project safely.

The sector keeps expanding worldwide. The Global Wind Energy Council reported that 9.3 GW of offshore wind capacity was connected to the grid during 2025, pushing global capacity closer to the 100 GW milestone. That growth is opening up opportunities across engineering, construction, marine operations, commissioning and long-term maintenance.

 

What is an offshore wind company?

An offshore wind company is a business involved in developing, constructing, supplying, operating or supporting wind farms located at sea. The term doesn’t describe a single business model; it covers project developers, utilities, turbine manufacturers, marine contractors, engineering consultancies, vessel operators, cable specialists, operations and maintenance providers, and recruitment companies.

At the centre of it all is the offshore wind farm: a group of turbines that convert wind energy into electricity. Power is gathered through subsea cables, passed to an offshore substation where needed, exported to shore, and connected to the electricity grid.

 

What does an offshore wind company do?

The work depends on where a company sits in the project lifecycle. Typical responsibilities include:

• Site development and consenting: assessing wind resource, seabed conditions, environmental impact, grid access and commercial viability.
• Engineering and design: designing turbines, foundations, offshore substations, export systems and electrical infrastructure.
• Manufacturing and fabrication: producing blades, nacelles, towers, foundations, cables and other major components.
• Marine transport and installation: using specialist vessels and crews to install foundations, turbines and subsea cables.
• Commissioning and grid connection: testing mechanical and electrical systems before the wind farm becomes fully operational.
• Operations and maintenance: monitoring output, inspecting assets, completing planned servicing and responding to faults.
• Workforce and project support: recruiting, mobilising and managing qualified personnel across countries and project phases.

 

Are all offshore wind companies the same?

No. A single wind farm usually brings together many kinds of organisations, each responsible for a different part of delivery.

 

Company type	Primary role	Examples
Developer or operator	Secures rights, manages consent, finances the project and oversees construction or operation	Ørsted, RWE, Iberdrola, Equinor
Turbine manufacturer	Designs, manufactures and services offshore wind turbines	Vestas, Siemens Gamesa
EPCI or marine contractor	Installs foundations, turbines, substations and cables using specialist vessels and equipment	DEME and other offshore contractors
Specialist supply-chain company	Provides survey, engineering, fabrication, cables, ports, vessels, inspection or technical services	Survey firms, cable makers, vessel owners and consultancies
Recruitment and workforce partner	Finds, mobilises and supports skilled people for development, construction and operations	WRS

 

How is an offshore wind project delivered?

Every market and project differs, but delivery usually runs through six broad stages:

• Development and feasibility. Teams assess the wind resource, seabed, environmental constraints, route to market and grid connection.
• Leasing, consenting and finance. The developer secures the site, permits, commercial agreements and investment needed to proceed.
• Detailed engineering and procurement. Designs are finalised and suppliers selected for turbines, foundations, substations, cables, vessels and services.
• Fabrication and offshore construction. Components are manufactured, marshalled at ports and transported offshore for installation.
• Commissioning and handover. Systems are tested, connected to the grid and prepared for commercial operation.
• Operations, maintenance and eventual decommissioning. Teams manage performance, integrity and safety throughout the asset lifecycle, followed by life extension, repowering or decommissioning.

 

Which are the leading offshore wind companies?

There’s no single definitive ranking, because companies can be compared by installed capacity, development pipeline, turbine supply, vessel capability or regional presence. The organisations below illustrate the main parts of the industry rather than a league table.

• Ørsted develops, constructs and operates offshore wind farms, with more than three decades of sector experience.
• RWE works across development, construction, operation and maintenance, and currently operates 18 offshore wind farms.
• Iberdrola is an international developer and operator with offshore projects in several markets; at the end of the first half of 2026, it reported 2,621 MW of installed offshore capacity.
• Equinor applies decades of offshore energy experience to fixed-bottom and floating wind projects, including the Hywind portfolio.
• Vestas manufactures and services offshore turbines, including its V236-15.0 MW platform.
• Siemens Gamesa supplies offshore wind turbines and lifecycle services; the company reported 5,000 of its offshore turbines installed across 14 countries, exceeding 27 GW in total capacity.
• DEME is a marine engineering contractor working on offshore foundations, cable installation and turbine installation using specialist vessels.

 

What jobs do offshore wind companies hire for?

Offshore wind projects need technical, marine, commercial and support specialists throughout their lifecycle. Common roles include:

• Development and consenting: project developers, environmental consultants, consenting managers, marine planners, geophysicists and geotechnical engineers.
• Engineering and procurement: structural, mechanical, electrical and cable engineers; package managers; procurement specialists; and contract managers.
• Construction and installation: installation managers, offshore construction managers, client representatives, lifting specialists, cable personnel, surveyors and commissioning engineers. (WRS also supports wider construction)
• Turbine and asset operations: wind turbine technicians, high-voltage technicians, blade repair technicians, control-room personnel, planners and asset managers.
• Marine and vessel operations: masters, deck officers, dynamic positioning officers, engineers, ETOs, crane operators, riggers and deck crew, part of WRS’s offshore and maritime
• Safety and quality: HSE managers, advisors, inspectors, quality engineers and permit-to-work specialists.

 

What qualifications are needed to work for an offshore wind company?

Requirements vary by role, employer, country and project. Employers may look for a combination of:

• A relevant trade, engineering, marine, technical or project management qualification.
• Role-specific technical competence in areas such as high voltage, mechanical systems, electrical systems, lifting, inspection or subsea cables.
• Recognised safety training; Global Wind Organisation standards are widely used for technicians in construction, installation, operations and maintenance.
• Offshore medical fitness and any project-, vessel- or jurisdiction-specific certification the employer requests.
• Strong safety awareness, communication skills and the ability to work in rotational or internationally mobile assignments where required.

Always check the vacancy description before paying for training, since the exact certificates and validity requirements differ between roles and projects.

 

How should employers choose an offshore wind recruitment partner?

An effective recruitment partner should understand both the technical role and the realities of offshore mobilisation. It’s worth assessing:

• Sector knowledge: experience across offshore wind, marine operations, cables, survey, turbine installation and O&M.
• Talent reach: access to relevant, pre-screened professionals across the regions where the project operates.
• Mobilisation capability: support with compliance, visas, payroll, medicals, travel and project-specific onboarding.
• Delivery model: the ability to support individual hires, full project teams, contract mobilisation and permanent recruitment.
• Safety and quality controls: clear checks for competence, certification, documentation and readiness to mobilise.

 

How WRS supports offshore wind companies

WRS connects offshore wind employers with engineers, technicians, marine personnel and project specialists across the full project lifecycle. Our support spans permanent and contract recruitment, candidate screening, mobilisation, compliance, payroll and international workforce management.

For professionals, our offshore wind recruiters open up global opportunities and offer guidance on role requirements, project conditions and mobilisation. For employers, we build project-specific recruitment strategies designed around schedule, location, technical scope and workforce demand.

Looking for skilled people or your next role? Speak to the WRS offshore wind team or browse offshore wind jobs.

 

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Frequently asked questions

What is an offshore wind company?

An offshore wind company is a business involved in developing, building, supplying, operating or supporting wind farms at sea. It may be a developer, utility, turbine manufacturer, marine contractor, engineering company, vessel operator, maintenance provider or specialist recruitment partner.

 

Which companies are leaders in offshore wind?

Well-known developers and operators include Ørsted, RWE, Iberdrola and Equinor. Major turbine suppliers include Vestas and Siemens Gamesa, while marine contractors such as DEME support offshore installation. The answer depends on whether leadership is measured by capacity, pipeline, technology, vessels or regional presence.

 

Is an offshore wind company the same as an offshore wind developer?

Not always. A developer secures sites, consents, finance and commercial agreements, and usually coordinates the overall project. The wider term “offshore wind company” also includes manufacturers, contractors, vessel operators, service providers and workforce partners.

 

What jobs are available with offshore wind companies?

Roles include project managers, engineers, surveyors, environmental specialists, turbine technicians, high-voltage technicians, commissioning engineers, HSE professionals, offshore construction personnel, marine crew, cable specialists, planners, commercial managers and asset managers.

 

Do I need offshore experience to work in offshore wind?

Not for every role. Some employers recruit transferable skills from maritime, oil and gas, utilities, engineering, construction and other renewable energy sectors. Offshore positions may still require specific safety training, medical fitness or seagoing certification, so check each vacancy carefully.

 

How can I find offshore wind energy jobs?

Search a specialist offshore wind energy jobs page, keep your CV focused on relevant technical and project experience, and make certifications easy to verify. Registering with a sector-focused recruiter such as WRS can also help you hear about contract and permanent opportunities across multiple employers and locations.

 

How can an offshore wind company hire specialist workers?

By working with an offshore wind recruitment partner that understands technical competencies, certification checks, international mobilisation, compliance and contractor care. That’s especially useful when a project needs scarce skills, large teams, or rapid mobilisation across different countries.

 

About the author

Apurva Agrawal is an SEO Specialist at Worldwide Recruitment Solutions (WRS), with three years of experience driving digital growth and visibility within the global recruitment sector.

This guide was developed in collaboration with and verified by Melissa Walsh, Marketing and Brand Manager at WRS, ensuring the workforce data and service methodologies reflect WRS’s global standards and positioning.