- Ocean energy, also referred to as marine renewable energy, marine power, marine energy, and ocean power, refers to the energy carried by ocean waves and tides.
- Oceans cover over 70% of the Earth’s surface, making them the world’s largest solar energy collectors.
- Ocean energy is a form of renewable energy that uses the ocean's tides, waves, winds, currents and thermal elements to generate energy.
- The movement of water in the world’s oceans creates a vast store of kinetic energy, or energy in motion. This energy can be harnessed to create electricity to power homes, transport and industries.
- The ocean can produce two types of energy: thermal energy from the sun's heat, and mechanical energy from the tides and waves.
- The term marine energy encompasses both wave energy and tidal energy obtained from oceans, seas, and, in general, other large bodies of water.
- Ocean tides constitute a clean and inexhaustible energy source, free from the climatic irregularities which are a constraint on wind and solar power.
- Marine energy is similar to hydroelectric power, although that term usually refers to energy generated by dammed rivers or waterfalls.
- Ocean energy is mostly in an experimental stage but some of its component technologies have the potential to become mainstream energy sources and are now being trialed.
- The oceans have a tremendous amount of energy and are close to many if not most concentrated populations.
- Ocean energy is preferable to wind because tides are constant and predictable and water’s natural density requires fewer turbines than are needed to produce the same amount of wind power.
- The oceans represent a vast and largely tapped source of energy in the form of fluid flow (currents, waves, and tides—also termed hydrokinetics) and thermal and salinity gradients.
- One of the world’s most suitable sites is the estuary of the river Rance, in western France, where the difference between high and low tides averages 8.17 metres, peaking at 13.5 metres during the equinoxes.
- Sometimes Wind power (offshore) is also included in the list of renewable ocean energies.
- The cost of electricity from ocean energy is of the order of about a factor two compared to other electricity renewable energy sources.
- Ocean energy has the potential to deliver ten million terra-watt hours of electricity per year.
Interesting facts about Ocean energy
