| Wave & tidal power
A turbine being delivered for installation. Ocean energy is a vast global resource. Doug McLean/
Shutterstock.com
wave energy has the potential to generate more electricity than nuclear power currently does, while tidal can replace 13% of global gas generation. And looking to the future, efficiency gains will increase the energy extracted from known resources, as testing and demonstration of wave and tidal technologies continue to drive performance improvements. While the theoretical resource will remain unchanged, Ocean Energy Europe says increased technology maturity will lead to higher electricity output per device and boost overall generation potential. Indeed, technological innovation will also help unlock new geographical resources. New or modified devices will make it possible to generate electricity from areas not yet included in current resource assessments. The report gives the example of low speed tidal current technologies can generate electricity from weaker flows (below 2m/ sec) compared to conventional tidal systems. This will increase the number of viable deployment sites and overall generation potential.
Regional insight In a geographical context, Europe leads the world in ocean
energy and can supply 21% of its electricity demand. The UK and France have some of the best tidal spots in the world, making them prime locations for the first commercial farms and to industrialise the technology. By 2030, 420MW of tidal capacity is set to be installed or auctioned in the UK and France, kickstarting technical deployment across the continent. With the best wave resources in Europe can be
found in the UK, Portugal, Ireland and Spain. In fact wave energy can meet over 100% of electricity demand in both Ireland and Portugal, and over 55% in the UK. In the Americas, ocean energy can meet 36% of electricity demand, with the US and Canada having the highest surveyed potential. Wave power can meet over 20% of electricity demand in Brazil, while Chile has huge wave energy waiting to be tapped, which could provide over 300% of the country’s electricity demand. Canada is home to the strongest tidal currents in the world. Providing up to13% of the country’s electricity demand, tidal power can generate close to what Canadian nuclear is currently providing. And with the US Department of Energy investing US$983m in ocean energy since 2020, outstripping all European funding, it seems likely that the US could soon challenge Europe’s leadership in this sector.
Abundant resource There are also abundant wave and tidal resources cross
Asia and Oceania. Large wave resources exist across both continents, with the best potential in Australia and Japan. In fact, Australia has the highest theoretical wave energy potential on the globe and the best technical potential in Asia and Oceania, according to existing data. Tidal can meet 100% of electricity demand in the Philippines and over 50% in Indonesia, with both countries regarded as being the best location for tidal deployment in Asia. The thousands of islands between the Indian and Pacific
Share of electricity demand provided by ocean power
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
430% 70% 64% 36% 33% 14% 3% 17% 20% 9% 0.4% 40% 63% 55% 161% 327% Source: Ocean Energy’s Global Resource Assessment. June 2026 100% 144%
EUROPE – 14%
AMERICAS – 36%
ASIA AND OCEANIA - XX%
www.waterpowermagazine.com | September 2026 | 31
% of power demand
France Spain UK
Ireland
The Netherlands Denmark Norway Portugal
Canada
US Chile
Brazil
China Indonesia
The Philippines Japan
Australia New Zealand
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