DNV is leading a Joint Industry Project (JIP) focused on investigating the impact of standardization and industrialization strategies on North Sea offshore wind development.
Rising to the Challenge
The wind industry has experienced rapid technological advancements over the past 10–15 years. As the cost benefits of increasing turbine size begin to plateau, alternative strategies are needed. By exploring standardization and industrialization rather than continual upscaling, the industry can unlock:
- Evolution rather than revolution — refine existing designs, tools, and methods
- Commitment to standardization — limit turbine component sizes to allow supply chain industrialization
- Production automation — increase volumes and enhance quality and reliability
- Improved performance — better reliability and reduced risk premiums
JIP Phase 1
Starting in September 2025, the JIP's first phase investigates: "What is the impact on North Sea offshore wind industrialisation and standardization by periodically stabilizing wind turbine capacity and staying within the limits of the current supply chain?"
Scope and Methodology
The first phase combines industry stakeholder insights with quantitative modelling to assess the benefits of industrialization and standardization in European offshore wind:
- Develop a realistic assessment of the benefits of industrialization and standardization
- Assume a stable current-generation turbine size (~15MW)
- Evaluate efficiency gains under conditions of technological stability and predictable deployment
Key findings
The study concluded with the following findings:
- Industrialization is the main cost reduction opportunity
- Stable and predictable market demand is the primary enabler of industrialization
- Long-term project visibility supports investment in: manufacturing facilities, ports and installation assets, workforce development and process optimization
- Current project-by-project execution creates significant inefficiencies
- Greater standardization of turbine design envelopes, interfaces, and execution strategies is required to unlock serial production and supply chain optimization
The Role of Renewables.Architect
Renewables.Architect is powering the detailed analysis work for this JIP, enabling comprehensive cost impact modelling of supply chain and equipment changes on future wind farm projects — modelling various configurations, locations, and standardization scenarios at scale.
Industry Participation
DNV has initiated this JIP with a Steering Group representing the full European offshore wind value chain, including:
- EEW Special Pipe Constructions GmbH
- Fred Olsen Windcarrier ASA
- Groningen Seaports N.V.
- Iemants N.V.
- Jan de Nul N.V.
- Van Oord Offshore Wind B.V.
- Vattenfall Vindkraft A/S
- Vestas Wind Systems A/S
The public JIP report was released in September 2026, accompanied by a launch event at WindEnergy Hamburg.
Interested parties are invited to reach out for future involvement — contact renewables.architect@dnv.com or visit the DNV Joint Industry Projects page.