The Emerging Role of Offshore Wind for Energy Security in Small Island Developing States© IRENA, 2026Unless otherwise stated, material in this publication may be freely used, shared, copied, reproduced, printed and/or stored, provided that appropriate acknowledgement is given of GOWA and IRENA as the source. Material in this publication that is attributed to third parties may be subject to separate terms of use and restrictions, and appropriate permissions from these third parties may need to be secured before any use of such material. CitationGOWA and IRENA (2026), The Emerging Role of Offshore Wind for Energy Security in Small Island Developing States. Global Offshore Wind Alliance and International Renewable Energy Agency, Copenhagen and Abu Dhabi. DisclaimerThis publication and the material herein are provided “as is”. All reasonable precautions have been taken by GOWA and IRENA to verify the reliability of the material in this publication. However, neither GOWA, IRENA, nor any of their officials, agents, data or other third-party content providers provides a warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, and they accept no responsibility or liability for any consequence of use of the publication or material herein. The information contained herein does not necessarily represent the views of GOWA, IRENA or their members. The mention of specific companies, projects or products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by GOWA, IRENA or their members in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The designations employed and the presentation of material herein do not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of GOWA, IRENA or their members concerning the legal status of any region, country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of frontiers or boundaries. AcknowledgementsAuthors: Anke Schoenlau (IRENA), Amisha Patel (GOWA)Reviewers: Gayathri Nair, Jaidev Dhavle, Nadia Mohammed (IRENA), Dorte Nita Simonsen (GOWA), Rensie Panda (National Energy Administration, Papua New Guinea), Anna-Marie Laura (Independent Policy and Strategy Consultant)Editor: Kathryn Thomas (GOWA)Cover and report design: Nathalie GuinamardCover image courtesy of Unsplash, artist: Jules BassoleilIRENA is grateful to the Government of Denmark for supporting this work.List of abbreviationsABAS - Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS AIS - Atlantic, Indian Ocean and South China Sea IORA - Indian Ocean Rim AssociationLCOE - Levelised cost of electricityMSP - Marine spatial planningNDC - National Determined ContributionsPCREEE - Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy EfficiencyPROERB - Pacific Renewable Ocean Energy Readiness ProgrammeSIDS - Small Island Developing StatesPAGE: 1 // 10The impacts of prolonged fossil-fuel dependency and a geopolitically changing world make the case for renewable energy transition hard to ignore. Wind, sun, and other renewable energy sources provide an opportunity for countries to strengthen energy security, reduce exposure to fossil-fuel price volatility and support economic resilience. Reliable and affordable energy systems also create the conditions for broader economic development. For emerging and developing economies, access to affordable finance to advance both renewable projects and related infrastructure can be a challenge. This is also the case for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), whose energy systems often face high generation costs due to limited domestic reliance on fuel imports and outdated infrastructure.Despite these challenges, SIDS have already demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing their energy transitions, having proactively established policy and regulatory conditions, and celebrated some first successes in renewable energy deployment. To further advance this transition at scale, SIDS need strong regional and international partnerships that can help address systemic barriers to finance, support feasibility assessments and grid investment, strengthen supply chains, and facilitate access to knowledge and experience from more mature markets.Many SIDS have strong offshore wind resources and could benefit from implementing a high capacity technology that does not compete for scarce land. That’s why some governments are already looking to offshore wind as a long-term option alongside other renewables. Whilst the transition will look different across SIDS, they share the opportunity to build more secure and resilient energy systems, and the need to address concrete actions in planning, supply chain and finance to continue course in the energy transition. This publication highlights the opportunities offshore wind can bring to SIDS and the key issues that need to be addressed in the coming years to enable long-term deployment. The Pre-COP31’s focus on the needs of Pacific nations provides an important platform to discuss and act on these priorities. As part of the COP Action Agenda, GOWA stands read...
