In 2004 progress towards market deployment of wave energy and marine currents energy technologies continued to be witnessed. Important achievements were the sea tests of the first three offshore prototypes. These are the 750kW Pelamis in Scotland, the 1MW AWS prototype off northern Portugal and the 1:4.5 scaled Wave Dragon prototype tests in Denmark that had started during the previous year. In Australia the preparation for the deployment of the nearshore parabolic-wall oscillating-water-column in Port Kembla approached the end, its deployment being planned for 2005.
Demonstration of marine current turbines continued. In the UK the bottom-fixed horizontal axis Seaflow 300 kW turbine pursued tests in North Devon as well as the reciprocating wing Stringray. In Italy the testing of the 130 kW ENERMAR vertical axis turbine in the Straight of Messina continued providing further development. Except for the Stingray, the results of the above tests gave the developers reasons to plan starting soon pre-commercial activity, having in view to approach competitiveness with electricity production from other renewable energy sources such as wind.
