Offshore wind will demand 900,000 jobs by 2030

The wind energy sector in Spain employs around 30,000 people and it is expected that by 2030 that figure could double to around 67,000 jobs, according to a statement issued Thursday by the Spanish Wind Energy Association (AEE). In the #WindTalent day that has organized, the AEE recalled that, according to data from the International Renewable Energy Agency(Irena, for its acronym in English), there are "more than 12 million jobs for renewable energy in the world," according to Europa Press. The association stresses that for the development of offshore wind alone, the demand for personnel will triple by the end of this decade, increasing to 900,000 jobs worldwide from the current 300,000. Along those lines, he estimates that installed offshore wind power capacity will exceed 110 gigawatts (GW) by 2025 and 250 GW by 2030, "which will require a large number of skilled employees," he has stressed.

The new jobs relate to the development, manufacturing, construction, installation, and operation and maintenance of offshore wind farms. In addition, construction and development jobs are expected to account for the majority of employment over the next decade, while operation and maintenance jobs, driven by installed wind farm capacity, will account for about 12% by 2025. For its part, the ESA has also noted that, by 2030, wind turbine manufacturing will continue to create the largest share of jobs, accounting for 54% of the total.