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Global wind turbine firm order intake reached 215 GW in 2025, marking the second-highest annual total on record, according to the latest analysis by Wood Mackenzie.
Despite the strong overall figure, total order volume declined 8% year-on-year, primarily due to softer activity in China, where developers focused on executing existing backlogs and prioritising project delivery.
However, the year also witnessed a sharp 66% surge in international orders secured by Chinese Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), highlighting their accelerating global expansion strategy.
Chinese OEMs Accelerate Overseas Growth
As China’s domestic wind market matures, leading OEMs have increasingly shifted focus toward overseas growth regions. In 2025, that strategy translated into tangible gains. Firm order intake outside China rose 66% year-on-year and more than tripled compared to 2023 levels.
“Leading Chinese OEMs are increasingly gaining orders in high-growth markets in the Middle East, India, and Latin America, leveraging rapid 10 MW+ platform rollouts to win market share,” said Finlay Clark, Principal Analyst at Wood Mackenzie.
In the Middle East and Africa (MEA), developers favoured early availability of 10 MW turbine models to minimise costs on gigawatt-scale projects. As a result, Chinese OEMs captured 95% of regional capacity in 2025.
The shift was underscored in Saudi Arabia, where Goldwind secured a 3.1 GW order across two sites — the largest single turbine order ever recorded in the region.
Chinese OEMs Dominate Global Rankings
Chinese manufacturers occupied eight of the top ten positions in the 2025 global rankings, supported by strong domestic demand. Developers in China continued to account for around 70% of global wind turbine orders, even amid a softer year.
Goldwind led global order intake, followed by Envision Energy and Windey. Domestic projects contributed nearly 90% of total Chinese OEM intake, even as overseas orders expanded.
“China awarded over 150 GW of wind orders in 2025, a strong outcome despite a 15% YoY decline from the 2024 peak,” said Yuan Ren, Senior Analyst, Power & Renewables. “Power market reforms typically slow procurement, but the new price settlement mechanism supported revenue visibility. Sustained high intake reflected resilient onshore demand and wind’s stronger capture prices versus solar.”
Record Orders Outside China
Outside China, firm order intake reached a record 65 GW in 2025, boosted by a strong fourth quarter.
Europe delivered a notable upside surprise, with onshore orders rising more than 60% year-on-year. Regulatory reforms in Germany unlocked permitting activity, with 21 GW permitted in 2025 — double the 2024 level — accelerating turbine procurement.
Among non-Chinese manufacturers, Vestas led with 16 GW of orders. Nordex topped European onshore intake and secured a record 10 GW globally.
Pricing Stable Amid Policy Pressures
Turbine pricing remained broadly flat in 2025 and continued to stay elevated compared to 2022 and 2023 levels, despite intense market competition.
New policy measures increased procurement complexity and input costs. The European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and expanded US tariffs raised landed costs for steel-intensive components, making surcharges and compliance clauses more common in contracts. Under CBAM, turbine costs could rise by low single-digit percentages.
“Policy measures are creating upward pressure on input costs, but project economics continue to demand lower pricing. This tension between regulatory costs and market demands could accelerate the development of new onshore turbine technologies, particularly in Europe and the US,” Clark added.
Offshore Orders Decline
Offshore wind order intake fell 17% in 2025, as procurement slowed ahead of redesigned tender frameworks across Europe.
New and improved subsidy schemes are expected to roll out through 2026, potentially strengthening the award pipeline for OEMs. Among recent developments, Vestas secured an order for the 1.4 GW Norfolk Vanguard West project, supported by the UK’s Auction Round 7 in January.
Industry analysts expect offshore procurement momentum to recover as updated frameworks and subsidy mechanisms come into effect.
