Ocean Energy Could Supply 13% of Global Electricity Demand

A new report from Ocean Energy Europe finds that wave and tidal energy could supply 13 percent of global electricity demand and 21 percent of current EU consumption. Described as the first global assessment of ocean energy resources, the study draws on more than 70 governmental and academic sources to map the strongest wave and tidal sites country by country. It positions ocean energy as a potential major renewable source alongside wind and solar, capable of helping decarbonise power systems, while noting that many regions have yet to quantify their resources and that current figures likely understate the sector's long-term potential.

 

Scale of the Global Resource

 

The report presents ocean energy as a substantial and largely untapped renewable resource. Its central finding is that wave and tidal energy could meet 13 percent of global electricity demand. Within the European Union, that figure rises to 21 percent of current consumption. This represents the first global assessment of its kind, consolidating data that had previously been scattered across separate national and academic studies. The scope of the analysis positions ocean energy as a serious contributor to future power systems.

The assessment also suggests these figures are conservative rather than definitive. The report notes that the global resource is set to grow as technologies improve and innovation opens up new geographical areas. Many regions have not yet quantified their wave and tidal resources, leaving significant gaps in the data. As a result, today's estimates likely understate the sector's eventual potential. This implies that the true scale of the resource could exceed the headline figures presented.

 

Europe's Leading Position

 

Europe emerges from the report as a region of exceptional potential. Ocean energy could produce 21 percent of European electricity, a share the report describes as greater than either fossil gas or hydroelectricity provides today. Technological progress and new studies have significantly raised Europe's assessed potential compared with earlier estimates. This upward revision reflects both improved technology and more thorough resource surveys. The findings frame Europe as well placed to capture a large share of the emerging global market.

Individual European countries show particularly strong resources in specific categories. The United Kingdom and France host some of the world's best tidal resources, according to the report. Wave energy alone could meet more than 100 percent of electricity demand in Ireland and Portugal. It could supply 55 percent in the United Kingdom and over 30 percent in Spain. These country-level figures illustrate how ocean energy could reshape national electricity supply in parts of Europe.

 

Read more: Living Seawalls Boost Marine Biodiversity on Hardened Coastlines

 

Opportunities Across the Americas

 

The report identifies considerable potential across the Americas. Ocean energy could meet 36 percent of electricity demand in the region as a whole. The United States and Canada have the highest surveyed potential among the countries assessed. Further south, Brazil and Chile could each cover 20 percent of their demand through wave energy alone. This spread indicates opportunities distributed across both North and South America.

The United States in particular is positioned as a rising force in the sector. The report notes that the country is rapidly increasing investment through substantial Department of Energy funding programmes. This level of support could allow the United States to challenge Europe's current leadership in ocean energy. The observation frames the sector as an emerging area of international competition. It suggests that early public investment may determine which regions secure long-term industrial advantage.

 

Asia, Oceania and Emerging Regions

 

Asia and Oceania are highlighted as holding abundant wave and tidal resources. Tidal energy could meet all of the electricity demand in the Philippines and more than half in Indonesia. Japan is installing its first tidal turbines, marking an early step into the technology. China has included the large-scale development of ocean energy in its 14th Five-Year Plan and is backing pilot projects through targeted funding. These developments point to growing government interest across the region.

The report also draws attention to regions where potential remains largely unmeasured. Africa and Small Island Developing States are noted as holding considerable unassessed potential. However, most countries in these categories have yet to quantify their resources. This leaves a significant data gap that obscures the full scale of opportunity. Addressing that gap is presented as an important step toward understanding the global resource.

 

Expert Perspectives and Next Steps

 

The report was launched during a webinar on 29 June featuring several institutional voices. Contributors included the International Renewable Energy Agency, the European Commission and Ocean Energy Europe. James Walker of IRENA emphasised that comprehensive resource assessments are an essential foundation for effective energy transition policy. He pointed to the need to expand data collection, harmonise assessment methods and help more countries understand their marine energy resources. This framing positions the report as a starting point for broader policy development.

Industry leadership stressed the shift from potential to deployment. Rémi Gruet, chief executive of Ocean Energy Europe, said the assessment confirms that ocean energy is not a niche technology. He argued that the resource is abundant and the technology is progressing, and that countries moving first will secure industrial leadership and export opportunities. The stated next step is to translate this global potential into commercial deployment. This underlines that realising the resource will depend on turning assessment into actual projects.