2025 UK Ocean Energy Review

K. Grattan, S. Olsson, D. R. Noble, and H. Jeffrey, Policy and Innovation Group, The University of Edinburgh. Feb., 2026.  

The Policy and Innovation Group at the University of Edinburgh, alongside the Supergen ORE Hub, Wave Energy Scotland, and the Marine Energy Council, is pleased to announce the publication of the 2025 UK Ocean Energy Annual Review.
 
2025 marked a year of growing momentum for the UK ocean energy sector, set against a wider national push to accelerate the transition to a clean, secure and resilient Net Zero energy system. Ocean energy continues to strengthen its role within this shift, not only as a tool for decarbonisation, but also as a strategic opportunity for industrial growth and long-term regional economic development.
 
This year’s Review highlights how tidal stream is entering its first phase of commercial deployment, gearing up to deliver the pipeline that has been secured through the UK’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) mechanism. With over 120 MW of tidal stream capacity now slated for deployment by 2029 – in addition to the 8.3 MW already in the water – the UK remains at the forefront of global tidal stream development and deployment. The report also reflects continued advancements in wave energy innovation, alongside the R&D programmes and test infrastructure that sustain the UK’s international leadership in early-stage ocean energy development.

Click cover to download the UK Ocean Energy Review 2025

We are once again pleased to include a foreword from Michael Shanks MP, Minister for Energy at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, who reflects on the growing recognition of ocean energy’s role in delivering clean power and supporting long-term industrial growth.

“Ocean energy supports many of this government’s broader aims to support good jobs, strengthen regional economies and deliver clean energy in a way that empowers communities for decades to come. This Review not only shows how far the sector has come, but how much further it can go. I welcome its findings and look forward to working with partners across the UK to ensure that ocean energy continues to advance and contribute meaningfully to the delivery of a resilient, prosperous clean energy future.”

The sector's progress throughout 2025 is further underlined by Professor Henry Jeffrey, Head of the Policy and Innovation Group at the University of Edinburgh and one of the authors of the report, who said:

“2025 has been a defining year for the UK ocean energy sector, marking the early transition from small-scale demonstration towards the delivery of production-scale devices — particularly in tidal stream. I am delighted to see this momentum matched by meaningful industrial development.
Throughout the year, developers and delivery partners have continued to strengthen the capabilities required for commercial delivery, signalling a new phase of sector maturity as the industry gears up to build, procure and deploy devices at scale. Increasingly, companies have now proven technologies in the water, strengthening investor confidence and reinforcing the UK’s credibility as a global leader in tidal innovation. Wave energy has also continued to advance, with the announcement of the first wave energy array in UK waters representing a major milestone for the wider sector. 
This broader momentum was further reflected in the launch of the UK Marine Energy Taskforce in June -- an industry-led initiative supported by Minister for Energy Michael Shanks -- signalling growing government recognition of ocean energy’s role in delivering industrial growth and unlocking the UK’s vast marine resource.”

This report is an expansion of the UK chapter of the International Energy Agency Ocean Energy Systems (IEA-OES) Annual Report, written by the Policy and Innovation Group in collaboration with the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero.
 
This report has been produced by Kristofer Grattan, Simon Olsson, Donald R. Noble and Henry Jeffrey from the Policy and Innovation Group at the University of Edinburgh. This report was possible thanks to the input of organisations including the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Scottish Government, Welsh Government, Supergen ORE Hub, Wave Energy Scotland, Marine Energy Council, European Marine Energy Centre and many more.

The report is available to download here.