Asian nations counting on offshore wind farms to meet clean energy goals are facing an increasing shortage of ships for installing massive turbines in the sea. As countries embark on a rapid build-out of wind power in the next decade, builders are having difficulty keeping up with the demand. The situation is only going to get worse as blades get longer and require bigger ships to handle them. Excluding China, there are currently only about 10 turbine installing ships and a few dozen commissioning service operation vessels (CSOVs ) operating worldwide, according to shipbroker Clarksons. By 2030, demand for turbine installers will outpace supply by about 15 vessels, while the gap for CSOVs will widen to more than 145 CSOVs from 30 currently, it estimates.
