Beyond Wind and Solar: Is the Tide Finally Turning for Wave Power in the Clean Energy Shift?
- Hanaa Siddiqi
- 1 hour ago
- 5 min read

Harnessing the power of the moon to run everyday life may sound like something straight out of science fiction, yet humans have been using tidal energy for centuries. The Romans were already using tidal mills to grind grain in the first century AD. Now, as the world races to transform its energy systems, waves and tides are being reconsidered as part of the renewable energy future.
One of the key strengths of tidal energy is its predictability. Unlike wind or sunshine, which can change without warning, the rise and fall of tides can be forecast centuries in advance with remarkable accuracy.
Waves, too, are more consistent than wind because they carry inertia, allowing them to maintain energy even when conditions change. This makes them a reliable complement to solar and wind power. The technology, however, is still in its infancy. Wave and tidal systems must withstand some of the harshest environments on Earth, from corrosive saltwater to powerful currents, and that makes them costly to build and maintain. The UK’s Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult believes that with the right breakthroughs, costs could fall by as much as 80 per cent by 2035.
La Rance Tidal Power Station
The idea of harnessing tidal energy may seem futuristic, but successful projects have been producing electricity for decades. On the estuary of the Rance River in Brittany, France, sits one of the world’s oldest and most iconic tidal power stations. The site benefits from a tidal range of more than 13 metres, one of the largest on the planet. Although the first designs date back to the nineteenth century, construction did not begin until the 1940s. The La Rance Tidal Power Station finally opened in 1966 and still provides around 500 gigawatt-hours of electricity each year, which is approximately 40 percent of the electricity used in the Brittany region.
The project introduced “bulb” turbines, which became a global standard. In total, the plant cost the equivalent of about seven billion US dollars in today’s money, but it has since produced more than 27,000 gigawatt hours of electricity. That output is worth more than $7.7 billion at 2025 prices, indicating that the investment has paid off over time.

In recent years, EDF has invested over 100 million euros in modernising the facility, replacing turbines, gates, and control systems, while installing new transmission cables. The plant’s capacity now stands at 240 megawatts, securing its role in France’s clean energy landscape.
Wave and tidal projects around the world
La Rance held the crown as the largest tidal energy project until 2011, when South Korea’s Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Plant took the title. With a capacity of 254 megawatts, it utilises a seawall constructed initially for flood prevention and water management. The plant began operations in 2012, and in addition to producing electricity, it has also helped improve local water quality by circulating millions of tonnes of seawater. Its observation tower now attracts over a million visitors annually, turning the site into both an energy hub and a tourist attraction.
"We need to accelerate the expansion of electrification through renewables to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.” Ignacio Galán, President of Iberdrola
Located off the coast of Scotland, MeyGen has been in operation since March 2018, delivering over 51 GWh of renewable electricity. “The project will be transformational for the tidal energy industry, delivering the world's first commercial-scale tidal array and securing MeyGen as the home of tidal energy,” SAE Renewables’ website says. The project’s second phase has been awarded a Contract for Difference for 59 MW, and a lease from the Crown Estate allows for up to 398 MW of capacity.
Elsewhere, companies are testing smaller, cutting-edge technologies. Ocean Power Technologies’ PowerBuoy, for example, has been deployed in the US, UK, Spain, and Australia, proving its ability to operate reliably in extreme ocean conditions. The company is developing both civilian and defence applications for wave energy, with commercialisation on the horizon.
In Wales, the Morlais Tidal Power Station is being developed to provide a “plug and play” model for tidal energy, making it easier and cheaper for other developers to enter the market. Once completed, the site could supply enough energy to power 180,000 Welsh homes.
In Scotland, Orbital Marine Power is at the forefront of developing floating tidal turbines. Its O2 machine is currently the world’s most powerful tidal device, and the company plans to expand with a 30 megawatt project at Westray Firth. The long-term vision is to create arrays of multiple floating turbines that could be replicated globally.
Does marine energy have a place in the transition?
The International Renewable Energy Agency has set a target for 90 per cent of the world’s electricity to come from renewables by 2050. Solar, wind, and hydro dominate most strategies, while marine energy remains largely absent from the plans of major players. That is partly because of the high costs. In 2025, producing electricity from waves or tides costs approximately $ 350 per megawatt-hour. By comparison, natural gas costs about $ 36, and wind energy costs $50 in Europe.
NextEra Energy aims to reach 81 GW of renewables and energy storage capacity by 2027. In its 2024 sustainability report, John Ketchum, the company’s President and CEO, said: “Today, our vision is focused on deploying even more renewables and storage, which in the future we expect to be supplemented by green hydrogen as a way to convert gas turbines to generate emissions-free baseload generation.”
Iberdrola aims to achieve 95 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2030. "We need to accelerate the expansion of electrification through renewables to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels,” says Ignacio Galán, President of Iberdrola. “Tripling renewables by 2030 is feasible and will mobilise investments of US$2.2bn a year.”
Yet progress is possible. Just 16 years ago, solar photovoltaics cost nearly $500 per megawatt-hour. Today, large-scale solar projects generate electricity at around $0.50, a reduction of almost 90 percent. Advocates believe marine energy can follow a similar trajectory. According to the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, under the right conditions, costs could fall to approximately $ 67 per megawatt-hour by 2035. That would make it competitive with nuclear power and a potentially vital addition to the world’s clean energy portfolio.
Marine energy may not yet be mainstream, but history shows that technologies once deemed too costly can become central pillars of the global energy system. The question now is whether waves and tides can follow the same trajectory as wind and solar, transforming an ancient practice into one of the successive great revolutions in clean power.
Sue Barr, Chair of the UK Marine Energy Council, said: “With over 90 MW of potential tidal energy projects due to deliver projects across Scotland and Wales in the coming years, there is a clear signal that tidal technology is moving towards a commercially viable future.

“Our ambitious UK target of 1 GW of installed capacity by 2035 means it is imperative we can define the levers and strategies which can strengthen delivery of tidal stream technology into our energy system.”
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