Offshore Wind Development Program

Led by ESMAP in partnership with the World Bank Group’s IFC (International Finance Corporation), the Offshore Wind Development Program accelerates the deployment of offshore wind in emerging markets to boost economic growth, job creation, and the transition to sustainable energy sources.

Launched in 2019, the program helps governments with strong offshore wind potential establish the policies, regulatory frameworks, and processes needed to develop a pipeline of bankable projects and attract private investment.

The program is supporting governments in more than 10 countries, drawing on the proven approaches and lessons outlined in its Making Offshore Wind Work publication (2025).

Offshore Wind Development Program

From technical analysis and spatial planning to building the policy and institutional foundations, the program supports countries to realize their offshore wind potential.

Program Objectives

WATCH: Program lead Sean Whittaker introduces the work of the Offshore Wind Program.

Program Evolution

Three side-by-side cards present a three-stage program timeline: Education, 2019–2023, focused on mapping technical potential, developing global resources, and organizing study tours; Roadmaps, 2021–2025, focused on developing country-specific roadmaps, engaging decision-makers, and setting targets and policies; and Country Action, 2024–2028, focused on supporting roadmap implementation, facilitating data acquisition, and financing for public and private sectors.

Global Impact

Driving policy change: Five countries, Brazil, Colombia, the Philippines, Romania, and Vietnam, have integrated offshore wind into their national energy strategies.

Scaling ambition: Offshore wind targets and project proposals now exceed 500 GW across 11 countries, compared to no offshore wind ambitions in 2019.

Global Knowledge

The Program shares global experience and best practices to help countries make informed decisions to accelerate offshore wind development.

Key Publications

Webinars

Our webinars offer valuable insights and highlight key case studies from the offshore wind industry. View the recordings for discussions on designing policies, processes, and regulatory frameworks tailored to specific local, national, and regional contexts.

Partnerships

The Program has formed strategic partnerships with the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and the Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA) to connect emerging markets with global industry expertise, accelerating offshore wind development through knowledge sharing and collaboration.

Country Resources

ESMAP’s country roadmaps and studies provide governments with a clear, evidence-based analysis to develop offshore wind by identifying priority actions, investment needs, and enabling policies tailored to national contexts.

Publications

Impact Story: Offshore Wind in the Philippines

The case study highlights how the World Bank Group ’s ESMAP program has helped catalyze the offshore wind sector in the Philippines since 2019. 

Through technical assistance, such as resource assessments, a national roadmap, policy and regulatory support, study visits and capacity building, ESMAP is working to strengthen conditions for investment and development.