Ørsted Realigns Group Strategy: Europe with a Focus on Offshore Wind and Continued Commitment to the U.S. Market Despite Risks
Fredericia (Denmark) - Ørsted is undergoing a comprehensive restructuring of the group and aligning its strategy with high-growth core markets. Central to this strategy are the completion of an extensive divestment program of onshore activities in Europe, a clear focus on offshore wind energy, and the expansion of activities in the United States.
Sale of the European onshore business - consolidation into a European company and continuation under CIP
Ørsted has signed an agreement with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) for the sale of its entire European onshore business. The transaction amounts to €1.44 billion and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2026. With this step, Ørsted is successfully implementing its planned asset divestment program. The portfolio includes onshore wind, solar, and storage projects in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Spain, with 578 MW in operation, 248 MW under construction, and an extensive development pipeline. Going forward, the projects will be continued as a new European company under CIP, including all employees, ongoing projects, and development activities.
Stefan Bachmaier, Managing Director Onshore Germany at Ørsted, said: “Our strong presence in Germany - supported by our projects, partners, and employees - has enabled us to develop around 800 MW of wind and solar capacity to date. Many more projects are under construction and in planning. We look forward to realizing these in the future within a new European partnership that will further advance renewable energies, strengthen our energy independence, and create greater local value creation on the ground.”
Share price and market reaction
The announcement of the sale of the European onshore business caused Ørsted shares, listed in the global RENIXX renewable energy index, to temporarily fall by around 2 percent to €19. Analysts view the strengthening of the balance sheet and the focus on offshore wind positively, but continue to see political and regulatory risks in the U.S., particularly for offshore projects such as Sunrise Wind and Revolution Wind. Despite the strengthened capital base, the share valuation remains sensitive to political developments and project progress.
U.S. business: Onshore independent - offshore wind projects resume construction after court rulings despite opposition from the Trump administration
Independent of the European onshore business, Ørsted continues to operate its U.S. onshore business, which has been managed as a standalone entity since October 2025. A new trade or brand name for this U.S. unit has not yet been announced. The portfolio includes existing wind, solar, and storage facilities that will continue to be operated and developed. At the same time, Ørsted is pushing ahead with the expansion of its offshore wind projects in the United States.
At the Revolution Wind offshore project off Rhode Island/Connecticut, with a total capacity of 704 MW, 65 Siemens Gamesa SG 11.0-200 DD turbines with a rated capacity of 11 MW each are being installed, expected to supply electricity to more than 350,000 households. On January 12, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a preliminary injunction allowing construction to continue while litigation against the BOEM suspension order (BOEM - Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) is pending. Ørsted emphasized that work will now resume “as soon as possible, with safety as the top priority.”
The Sunrise Wind offshore project off New York, wholly owned by Ørsted through Sunrise Wind LLC, has a total capacity of 924 MW. Sunrise Wind will deploy 95 Siemens Gamesa SG 11.0-200 DD turbines, each with a capacity of 11 MW, supplying electricity to around 600,000 households. On February 2, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a preliminary injunction allowing the immediate resumption of construction. Ørsted stated that project progress will continue at pace, with “safety as the highest priority.” Both projects rank among the largest offshore developments in the United States and secure Ørsted a strong position in the U.S. offshore wind market.
Outlook
With the successful completion of the European onshore divestment, a clear focus on offshore wind energy in Europe, and strategic positioning in the United States (onshore and offshore wind), Ørsted continues to strengthen its role as a global leader in the wind energy market. The recent preliminary court decisions allowing the resumption of offshore construction in the U.S. provide Ørsted with temporary planning certainty and enable project continuation while final rulings in the main proceedings are still pending.
The remaining political and regulatory risks primarily concern the U.S. federal level. The Trump administration can only exert influence over projects in federal waters (offshore) or on federally owned land, but not over wind projects or regulatory frameworks at the level of U.S. states. As a result, the Trump administration cannot block or delay the entire U.S. wind market, but it can affect individual offshore or federally owned land projects.
Source: IWR Online, Feb 02 2026