OES Annual Report 2021

Image: Orbital Marine Power

IEA-OES Annual Report 2021 outlines an annual overview of national policies, research and technology demonstration, and results of OES collaborative projects in the ocean energy sector in its member countries. IEA-OES, the Technology Collaboration Programme on Ocean Energy Systems under the International Energy Agency (IEA), is an intergovernmental collaboration between 24 countries.

The report finds that in 2021 policies have continued to evolve, including strategic plans and roadmaps with key actions for ocean energy, as well as research and innovation policies that help to develop emerging technologies. Regulatory schemes to simplify and improve the efficiency of permitting processes, and governmental support to offshore testing facilities have also been developed.

The year 2021 also saw sustained innovation and cross-border collaboration, leading to continued offshore testing and deployment of ocean energy prototypes. The report reveals that several projects achieved extensive operating hours and a growing range of devices are being tested at open sea.