Clean Energy Technology Observatory, Ocean energy in the European Union : status report on technology development, trends, value chains and markets : 2024

Ocean energy has been acknowledged in the context of the European Energy Union as a fundamental research and development priority to achieve the 2050 climate objectives. The European Green Deal, which aims to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent, included ocean energy in the technologies necessary for a transition to climate neutrality. Since then, ocean energy has been supported by multiple policy frameworks, including the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), the Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy, Horizon Europe, the European Union's Blue Economy Strategy, and the State Aid Guidelines for Climate. These policies have created a favourable environment for the development and deployment of ocean energy technologies, which have the potential to contribute significantly to the European Union's energy mix and decarbonisation goals. The aim of this report is to provide an update of the state of the art of ocean energy technology, highlighting the progress made in recent years and the challenges that still need to be overcome. The report provides an analysis of R&D trends, focusing particularly on the technology progress made in EU-funded research until the end of 2023. It assesses the current status of ocean energy technologies, including tidal, wave, and other forms of ocean energy, and evaluates their potential to contribute to the European Union's energy mix.