Deployment of Ocean Energy Technologies: Scope, Challenges & Opportunity

Abstract

The energy from ocean wave is a largely untapped resource that could play an important role in electricity
future as it had become one of the most challenging technological problems of the beginning of the 21st century to
extract of wave energy. But it is more consistent and predictable that of other renewable resource as wind and solar.
Hence significant growth has occurred in the number of devices developed for ocean energy conversion sin ce 2003.
Multiple countries are now becoming involved in technology research and development. As many of these technologies
near commercial deployment, some governments are proposing market support policies to reduce the current cost gap
and help accelerate the rate of commercialization. Although several pilot projects have been successfully deployed
worldwide, and some are grid connected, the economic production of electric power from wave energy remains to be
demonstrated. A key path forward will be integration of smart technologies that harness vast amount of sensors and
meteorological data to support wave farm operations.
The purpose of the paper is to develop an understanding about the various technologies used in the field of wave power
technology with the help of insight of principles employed in devices used in harnessing wind power energy and with the
examples of deployment of devices, incorporated by leading developers, onshore, near-shore and offshore. The
technology is still under development and the emphasis is to develop sustainable technology with minimization of impact
on environment and ecological balance, at the time to improve the factor of extracted power from wave having enormous
power potential.