🌊 1.
Market Momentum & Commercial Milestones
Eco Wave Power achieved regulatory clearance and began construction of its first
U.S. project at the Port of Los Angeles (Berth 70), aiming to deploy floaters for
wave-to-electricity conversion. In Israel’s Jaffa port, their grid-connected system
(EWP-EDF One) delivered peak outputs up to 40 kW and averaged ~13% capacity in
moderate wave conditions, with zero downtime reported in Q1 2025
rechargenews.com+7Eco Wave Power+7opb+7
.
Seabased inked deals to develop wave farms in Barbados and Bermuda, targeting
deployments from 2 MW up to potential expansion under regulatory sandboxes
Wikipedia
.
AW-Energy’s WaveRoller, part of the ONDEP consortium, received €19M EU funding
for an offshore array off Peniche, Portugal—a key pilot wave farm in Europe
Wikipedia+12Wikipedia+12Wikipedia+12
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🧪 2. Technology Highlights & Scaling
WavePiston (Denmark) deployed a 200 m, full-scale device off Gran Canaria in
early 2024. Its modular floating string collects wave motion via plates driving
hydraulic pumps; it can generate ~200 kW—enough for ~140 homes or 150,000 m³/year
desalination
Wikipedia
.
CETO (Australia / Carnegie Clean Energy) continues development of submerged
converters that generate electricity or desalinated water simultaneously. Ongoing
in Europe since EuropeWave, it remains one of the few ocean-tested technologies of
its kind
Wikipedia+1YouTube+1
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3. Research Facilities & Simulation Supports
NREL emphasizes the importance of mature test facilities to move ocean energy
from lab to real-world deployment—especially wave basins capable of mid-scale
testing
nrel.gov+1The Department of Energy's Energy.gov+1
.
University of Hawaiʻi (TEAMER initiative) is testing the Hālona point-absorber
design for charging AUVs and marine platforms. After scaled tests at OSU/TAMU
facilities, they plan open-water trials at WETS in Hawaiʻi
The Department of Energy's Energy.gov
.
🤖 4. AI, Modeling & Control Intelligence
CorPower Ocean’s WACE Project, in partnership with NTNU, focuses on AI-enhanced
control strategies to optimize wave energy converter (WEC) performance and reduce
Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) by boosting efficiency and power capture
CorPower Ocean+1rechargenews.com+1
.
A novel AI-powered digital twin with deep ensemble + LSTM modeling delivers
≥ R² 0.9 accuracy in wave height predictions while quantifying uncertainties better
than previous methods—thanks to explicit uncertainty calibration. Tested on OWC
systems in South Korea
Ocean Energy Europe+15arXiv+15The Department of Energy's Energy.gov+15
.
🚀 5. Research Breakthroughs
Triad resonance research shows wave height amplification by more than 30% is
feasible, potentially enabling higher energy capture—but care needed to manage
acoustic losses
Tech Xplore+1YouTube+1
.
Advanced control systems in China now leverage adaptive, predictive, and
nonlinear control methods (e.g. model predictive control, clamp control) to fine-
tune WEC response under variable wave regimes
sciepublish.com
.
Materials innovation: NREL’s HERO project demonstrates that a polyurethane
drive belt can enhance the durability and reliability of WEC mechanical systems
under harsh ocean conditions
nrel.gov+1nrel.gov+1
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University of Michigan received $5M DOE grants in early 2025 to improve testing
durability, reduce noise, and build near-ocean-scale prototypes for wave and
floating wind devices
Michigan Engineering News
.
🌐 6. Industry Outlook & Resources
The IPCC and Ocean Energy Systems estimate global potential at ~29,500 TWh/year
—nearly ten times Europe’s electricity consumption—and aim for 300 GW installed
capacity by 2050
Yale E360+2Ocean Energy Europe+2climateinsider.com+2
.
The IEA projects 87 TWh/year of ocean energy by 2050—a modest but growing
share; driven by policy support and energy mix diversification
Forbes
.
Despite persistent challenges—such as harsh marine environments, high capital
costs, uncertain permits, and slow standardization—the field is inching closer to
broader deployment. The opening of PacWave, the world’s largest wave energy test
site off Oregon, marks another milestone in making commercial-scale wave testing
feasible
opb
.
✅ Strengths & Challenges
✅ Strengths ⚠️ Challenges
High energy density—waves deliver more energy per unit than wind or solar
clean-energy-ideas.com+15theguardian.com+15onesteppower+15
Technical complexity—device durability, corrosion, and mooring fatigue remain
major hurdles
Continuous 24/7 generation, reducing intermittency
theguardian.com
Frontiers
High cost & permitting—deployments still expensive and slow to permit
Yale E360
climateinsider.com
Modular scalability—from buoy-scale to multi-device farms (e.g. WavePiston,
WaveRoller) Environmental concerns—marine habitat interactions require careful
assessment
Yale E360
AI & control advances driving efficiency improvements (e.g. WACE, digital twins)
Lack of industry standard convergence—multiple unaligned device types slow
maturity
🌍 Final Thoughts
Ocean wave energy research and development are making meaningful strides—moving
from prototypes to pilot projects and commercial demonstrations. Driven by advances
in AI control, resilient materials, and scalable modular designs, the industry is
poised for growth alongside wind and solar. However, achieving broader deployment
will depend on reducing costs, proving reliability, and navigating environmental &
regulatory complexity.
