The International Energy Agency's Ocean Energy Systems Technology Collaboration Programme (IEA-OES) has released its Annual Report: An Overview of Ocean Energy Activities in 2025.
Published in its 25 anniversary year, the report reflects how a quarter century of multilateral collaboration has strengthened the technical, environmental and policy foundations of wave, tidal, ocean thermal and salinity gradient technologies, positioning ocean energy as a credible contributor to the global net zero transition.
In 2025, IEA-OES aligned its activities with the international vision set out in the roadmap "Ocean Energy and Net Zero: An International Roadmap to Develop 300 GW of Ocean Energy by 2050," structuring work around four strategic pillars: Market Pull, Technology Push, Infrastructure, and Regulatory Development. This coordinated approach reflects the growing recognition that technological progress must be matched by enabling frameworks, investment pathways and environmental stewardship.
Across member countries, ocean energy technologies demonstrated increasing maturity. Devices operated for extended periods in real-sea conditions, pilot arrays advanced toward pre-commercial scale, and regulatory and planning frameworks became clearer in several jurisdictions. The sector is progressively building operational evidence, investor confidence and integration with broader offshore energy strategies.
As IEA-OES marks 25 years of international collaboration in 2026, this Annual Report highlights the value of structured global cooperation in accelerating innovation while safeguarding marine ecosystems.
Matthijs Soede, Chair of IEA-OES, stated: "Twenty-five years ago, ocean energy was largely a research ambition. Today, we see technologies operating for longer durations, clearer regulatory frameworks, and growing international alignment. The progress documented in this report demonstrates that sustained collaboration is essential to transforming innovation into credible clean energy solutions."
The Annual Report 2025 provides detailed country updates and an overview of collaborative Tasks that underpin global ocean energy progress.
The full report is available here.
March 31, 2026
