On average, approximately 40% of the world’s population lives within 40 kilometers (25 miles) of a coastline. This reality underscores the strategic value of wave energy, which can deliver low-carbon, grid or off-grid local power to provide a solution to water scarcity and meet the rising demand for electricity in the world’s Blue Economies.
With its unique ability to serve coastal, island, and remote communities and businesses, wave energy opens the door to a wide array of high-impact market opportunities. These range from powering critical infrastructure and desalination plants to supporting aquaculture, tourism, and low carbon industrial development.
Below is an illustration of key target markets where wave energy can play a transformative role:
Supplements the grid or provides off-grid resilient power for homes, schools, clinics, and small businesses. Reduces fossil fuel dependency, lowers emissions, and stabilizes energy supply and costs.
Off-grid desalination powered by wave energy can supply drinking water, sanitation, and small-scale agriculture without relying on fuel imports or expensive infrastructure.
Microgrids on floating platforms (e.g., aquaculture, offshore wind substations, oil rigs) using wave energy for continuous, unattended power – reducing need for diesel generators.
Rapid-deployment desalination systems powered by wave energy to support climate resilience and emergency response.
Energy independence and resilience – secure microgrids using wave power to maintain operations even if grid connections are lost.
Wave-powered desalination units for naval bases, remote surveillance stations, or island outposts.
Supplement grid-supplied electricity to power electric vessels, reduce costs, lower-emission energy and power cranes, cold storage, and logistics.
Wave-powered desalination for drip irrigation, especially for smallholder or high-value agriculture.
Power sustainable tourism without diesel generators or grid expansion..
On-site desalination fresh water for personnel, maintenance, and operations reduces the need to transport fresh water by vessel or pipeline.
Power for pumps, chillers, lighting, and sensors. Provides 24/7 clean power, even when solar/wind are intermittent.
Supplementary or backup desalination powered by local wave energy to lower costs and carbon footprint providing water for cleaning, cooling, processing, or ship services.
Baseload power to edge data centres, subsea cable landing sites, or floating/modular data centres – reducing dependence on diesel or grid power in remote or constrained locations.
Sustainable desalination systems to supply water without environmental degradation or high operational costs.
Power surface and subsurface sensors for meteorological data collection, navigation markers, maritime traffic, ocean monitoring and research.
Underwater docking stations to charge autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV). AUVs and UUVs are used for observation, surveillance, persistent monitoring, ocean observation, and inspections of subsea infrastructure.
Water supply: Used for parasite prevention, cleaning biofouling, desalting equipment, drinking water for crew, sanitation and food preparation, and emergency response.
Energy Supply: Reduce diesel consumption, reduce grid-supplied electricity as costs rise and provide energy resilience for production facilities.
Water supply: Off-grid desalination powered by wave energy can supply drinking water, sanitation, and small-scale agriculture without relying on fuel imports or expensive infrastructure.
Energy Supply: Supplements the grid or provides off-grid resilient power for homes, schools, clinics, and small businesses. Reduces fossil fuel dependency, lowers emissions, and stabilizes energy supply and costs.
Water supply: On-site desalination fresh water for personnel, maintenance, and operations reduces the need to transport fresh water by vessel or pipeline.
Energy Supply: Microgrids on floating platforms (e.g., aquaculture, offshore wind substations, oil rigs) using wave energy for continuous, unattended power – reducing need for diesel generators.
Water supply: Rapid-deployment desalination systems powered by wave energy to support climate resilience and emergency response.
Energy supply: Onboard energy storage can provide rapid supply of supplemental electricity.
Water supply: Wave-powered desalination units for naval bases, remote surveillance stations, or island outposts.
Energy Supply: Energy independence and resilience – secure microgrids using wave power to maintain operations even if grid connections are lost.
Water supply: Supplementary or backup desalination powered by local wave energy to lower costs and carbon footprint providing water for cleaning, cooling, processing, or ship services.
Energy Supply: Supplement grid-supplied electricity to power electric vessels, reduce costs, lower-emission energy and power cranes, cold storage, and logistics.
Water supply: Wave-powered desalination for drip irrigation, especially for smallholder or high-value agriculture.
Energy Supply: Power for pumps, chillers, lighting, and sensors. Provides 24/7 clean power, even when solar/wind are intermittent.
Water supply: Sustainable desalination systems to supply water without environmental degradation or high operational costs.
Energy Supply: Power sustainable tourism without diesel generators or grid expansion.
Energy Supply: Baseload power to edge data centres, subsea cable landing sites, or floating/modular data centres – reducing dependence on diesel or grid power in remote or constrained locations.
Energy Supply: Power surface and subsurface sensors for meteorological data collection, navigation markers, maritime traffic, ocean monitoring and research.
Energy Supply: Underwater docking stations to charge autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV). AUVs and UUVs are used for observation, surveillance, persistent monitoring, ocean observation, and inspections of subsea infrastructure.