New Energy World™
New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
Turn of the tide for wave energy converters
26/11/2025
8 min read
Feature
A bright yellow, energy-producing barge is one of a range of technologies that promise to unlock low-cost electricity from the sea after years of disappointment with wave energy converters. Selwyn Parker considers whether wave energy is ready to create a flood of renewable power opportunities.
Now undergoing full-scale testing prior to commercialisation, the NoviOcean hybrid system produces electricity from wave, wind, solar and tidal power in a quadruple play that Founder and Chief Executive Jan Skjoldhammer claims to be ‘the most cost-efficient and flexible system available’. After a decade of prototype development, Sweden-based NoviOcean has two full-sized hybrid converters in the works. The Alta, designed for high-wave regions, delivers a total 3,500 MWh/y, enough to power over 1,000 households, while the Medi is most suited for small to medium waves and produces 2,500 MWh/y.
Like NoviOcean, a number of ingenious tide and wave-harnessing technologies are on the brink of commercialisation. But first they must prove they can withstand the corrosion, battering and high cost that have dogged previous attempts to capitalise on the inherent energy in the world’s oceans.
Globally, at least a dozen projects are undergoing real-life testing. They include hybrid systems such as wave-rocked barrel-like vessels, bulb-shaped turbines, power buoys and desalinators, among others. Collectively, these technologies reflect strong progress over the last few years in turbine design, materials science, energy conversion, economies of scale and environmental impact.