IEA-OES releases 2020 annual report on ocean energy

Ocean Energy Systems (OES), a technology collaboration programme within the International Energy Agency (IEA), has provided an overview of ocean energy activities in 2020 in its newly released annual report.

The report highlights the IEA-OES efforts to spur stronger international collaboration to tackle the ocean energy challenges, providing a sound and shared knowledge on numerous key issues.

It also provides an overview of progress made by IEA-OES in 2020, including summaries of ongoing projects and updated country reviews prepared by the delegates.

The updates for its member countries are related to policy changes, research and development, ongoing activities and projects, as well as planned deployments and initiatives.

Yann-Hervé De Roeck, the newly elected IEA-OES chairman from France Énergies Marines, said: “The natural potential of ocean energy is such that, if in some part of the world, the local situation (economic, regulatory, etc.) is favorable for a successful deployment of wave, tidal range/stream, oceanic current, OTEC or salinity gradient, these solutions can develop rapidly, as long as a group of recognized experts like the IEA-OES is able to shape international communication efforts”.

OES is the short name for the technology collaboration programme on ocean energy systems under the IEA.

The technology collaboration programme, a multilateral mechanism established by the IEA, was created with a belief that the future of energy security and sustainability starts with global collaboration.

The programme is made up of thousands of experts across government, academia and industry in 55 countries dedicated to advancing common research and the application of specific energy technologies.

The aim of OES is to advance research, development and demonstration of conversion technologies which harness energy from all forms of ocean renewable resources.