The ocean energy sector has the potential to directly create 680 thousand jobs and save 500 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.
In their latest report, OES presents an updated international vision for ocean energy. The document presents the global state-of-the-art in ocean energy and predicts that the sector will directly create 680 thousand jobs and save 500 million tonnes of CO2 emissions by 2050.
Human life depends on the world’s oceans. They provide food, transport routes, leisure opportunities and energy. In a time of strong population growth and climate change, ocean energy has a greater role to play than ever before. The oceans accumulate huge amounts of energy that can be put to use in a clean, secure and cost effective manner. Tidal currents, ocean waves, temperature differences and salinity gradients can all be converted into useable energy given the correct technologies. There is potential for over 300GW of generation capacity to be installed by 2050.
The majority of ocean energy technologies are currently at the conceptual or prototype stages and growth of the sector over the last 15 years has been slower than predicted. However, recent modelling suggests that the rates of growth seen in the offshore wind sector in the last 20 years will be reproduced in ocean energy between 2030 and 2050. Tidal energy technologies are currently the most advanced, followed closely by wave energy, thermal energy and salinity gradient concepts.
Alongside detailed descriptions of each technology, the International Vision for Ocean Energy presents topics including: challenges to technology development; synergies with other sectors; technology transfer; and policies to support the development of the ocean energy sector.
