Can Europe’s Ports Keep Up With Floating Wind?

The established FLOW Ports Alliance strengthens coordination among three key ports to ease capacity constraints and support faster floating wind deployment

26 Nov 2025

The FLOW Ports Alliance is increasing its efforts to align development plans across three key European ports as floating offshore wind projects move into larger commercial phases.

The group, which includes Associated British Ports, BrestPort and Shannon Foynes Port Company, aims to give developers greater certainty over where large platforms can be built, stored and deployed. Its approach has gained attention as multi-gigawatt pipelines require longer lead times and more predictable access to quayside space.

Floating wind projects need sizeable fabrication areas, specialised lifting equipment and long staging windows. Few ports can meet all these needs alone. The alliance has enabled its members to compare constraints, coordinate timelines and identify where joint work could reduce pressure on suppliers.

Analysts note that the alliance’s role is becoming more visible as Europe prepares for faster leasing rounds and overlapping construction cycles. Developers assessing long-term commitments must understand which ports can support platform assembly and how components will move through the system. The alliance’s framework seeks to reduce fragmentation that has previously complicated scheduling.

BrestPort’s expansion has become a key test of how this coordination can support industrialisation. Its ongoing upgrade of an offshore renewable energy terminal, designed for large floating structures, shows how investment can fit within a broader cross-port strategy rather than remain a national effort. Similar reviews are under way across the group as members assess how their layouts, vessel access and land links can complement each other.

Challenges remain. Permitting rules, seabed leasing processes and port geometries vary across jurisdictions, and floating wind designs continue to diverge, limiting standardisation. But members say that shared information and clearer alignment of long-term plans have begun to address these gaps.

Industry observers expect more ports to explore participation as coastal regions position themselves for future assembly and manufacturing roles. The alliance is seen as a potential model for how Europe can shift from pilot-scale floating wind to larger commercial deployment while maintaining competitiveness in a growing global market.