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Time is running out for the EU to meet its 100 MW ocean energy deployment target by 2025 – but it isn’t too late, says a new report released today by Ocean Energy Europe. Secure, decarbonised and affordable energy is a top EU priority, and this should be reflected in the timely implementation of its Offshore Renewables Strategy.

Governments around the world have recently stepped up the development of ocean energy, via revenue support in the UK and Canada, a €500m package in the US, and deployment plans in China’s 5-Year Plan. Europe has not matched the pace and risks losing its competitive advantage. But more than enough European ocean energy projects are lined up – just a few crucial funding and coordination actions are needed to get them in the water.

Ocean Energy Europe signed a joint letter supporting the objectives of the REPowerEU Plan to phase out Europe’s dependency on fossil fuels faster and increase investments in climate innovation to deliver energy savings, diversification of energy supplies, and an accelerated roll-out of renewable energy.

However, we believe that bolder action can be made, and specifically that concrete strategies should be put in place to accelerate the deployment of the clean technologies we need to enable a renewable-heavy energy mix. Long-duration energy storage, innovative renewables and smart grid technologies in particular need clear and binding targets.

Read the full letter

Ocean Energy Europe (OEE) welcomes the European Commission’s REPowerEU initiative, which at its heart has a massive and accelerated roll-out of renewables. The Commission recognises that this is Europe’s only path to escape fossil fuel dependency and to rapidly decarbonise.

Much of REPowerEU focuses on important steps to speed up permitting processes. A new law will recognise renewable energy as ‘an overriding public interest’. And renewable projects can be fast-tracked in new ‘Go To’ areas.

But REPowerEU also recognises that Europe must remain a global leader in renewable energy technology – and this is backed up with new funding later this year.

The text confirms that the Innovation Fund’s large-scale call this autumn will have a doubled budget of circa €3bn and 3 separate funding windows.

Renewable activities are particularly suited to 2 of these windows – which focus on ‘innovative clean tech manufacturing’ and ‘mid-sized pilot projects for validating, testing and optimising highly innovative solutions’.

The outcome of The North Sea Summit gathering the heads of the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, and the European Commission is a decisive and historic step. It paves the way for green energy production amongst the democracies sharing the marine space of the North Sea.

We encourage both the Danish and Dutch governments and parliaments to also integrate wave energy in the energy strategy for the North Sea region by setting both national and regional deployment targets. Targets will accelerate and streamline the integration of wave energy into the offshore renewables mix.

Wave energy is a central part of Europe and the North Sea region’s future renewable energy system. The EU’s Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy includes a 40 GW target for ocean energy and highlights the North Sea as a renewable energy hotspot. And adding wave energy aligns well with the vision for the North Sea Marine Spatial Plan and can count on stakeholder support from other sea space users.

Download the full statement

The Innovation Fund is the EU’s most impactful tool to drive clean energy innovation. But its award criteria put renewable projects at a structural disadvantage.

This is contrary to the original policy intent. And it undermines the REPowerEU objective of substituting fossil fuels with renewables.

We therefore call upon the Commission to:

1. Dedicate the 3rd call large-scale calls to renewable energy categories only – to restore confidence in the Fund within these sectors and correct for earlier calls

2. Adjust the rules of future calls so renewable energy projects may compete

3. Create calls for intermediate-sized projects – with capital expenditure of between €7.5m and circa €60m

Read the full letter

ICOE-OEE 2022, the leading global event on ocean energy, announced today that the Basque Energy Agency, Ente Vasco de la Energía (EVE), is participating as platinum sponsor. In recent years, EVE has made a firm commitment to marine renewable energy, and the event will enable it to showcase the Basque Country’s proud industrial heritage and its potential in ocean energy.

The Basque coast is an ideal site for the development and testing of wave energy devices and the region has the technological and industrial expertise needed to position itself as a global reference in this field. EVE is promoting two leading projects in ocean energy: The Biscay Marine Energy Platform (BiMEP) and Mutriku wave power plant. Delegates of ICOE-OEE 2022 will be able to visit both facilities as part of a technical tour during the event. 

BiMEP is a unique, grid-connected open-sea test area off the coast of Armintza, which demonstrates and validates wave energy converters and floating wind power platforms. 

For the medium and longer-term, the clean technologies that are already proven at demonstration scale must be replicated, so that they can begin to compete on the market with existing technologies by 2025. These include renewable hydrogen production and its transport infrastructure, deep industrial decarbonisation for cement, steel and chemicals, new forms of renewable power such as floating offshore wind and ocean energy supported by long-duration energy storage and deep improvements to the electricity grid to handle intermittency.

Read the full letter

Ocean energy deployments are back to pre-pandemic levels, with Europe installing over ten times as much tidal energy capacity and three times as much wave energy compared to 2020. Investment interest in the sector also rose, with a slew of announcements by large industrial players and public authorities. Statistics published today by Ocean Energy Europe show that ocean energy is back on track, despite Covid-19 restrictions still affecting activity last year.

Both the wave and tidal energy sectors installed significantly more capacity in 2021 than the previous year, adding 1.39 MW and 3.12 MW respectively worldwide. While Europe still dominates global tidal stream activity, more and more wave capacity is being installed outside Europe, often driven by significant government support.

An increase in private investment and the entrance of important industrial players into the sector reflect the growing appeal of ocean energy to investors, power producers and manufacturers. In 2021, the sector signed deals with GE Renewable Energy, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K-Line), Chubu Electric Power, TechnipFMC and Schneider Electric. Governments in the UK, Italy, Spain and the USA also committed significant new funding to ocean energy and innovative renewables.

The renewable energy share target in the revised EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) should be raised to 45%, and should include more diverse sources, say the European Parliament’s EPP Group and Markus Pieper MEP, the directive’s Rapporteur. Dr Pieper’s report introduces an incentive for governments to invest in innovative renewable energy technologies, such as ocean energy, via a new sub-target.

Ocean Energy Europe applauds this announcement, and calls on MEPs and Member States to adopt these new targets in their entirety – to give Europe greater energy independence and accelerate decarbonisation.

At least 5% of Europe’s new renewable energy capacity should come from innovative renewable energy sources between 2025 and 2035, according to the report. This single action, the Pieper report continues, will “safeguard Europe’s industrial competitiveness” in renewables and make a vital contribution towards reaching climate neutrality by 2050.

The call for abstract submissions for ICOE-OEE 2022 is now OPEN! Submit your abstract online via our online platform.

Share your most recent achievements, successes, technical developments, and lessons learnt during this world-renowned joint conference on ocean energy. The deadline for submissions is March 31, 2022, with results announced by end of May 2022.

SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT