Energy Production From Ocean Waves In R&D Stage: Govt

Wave energy power station in the Port of Jaffa, Israel

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said that the work towards the production of renewable energy from ocean waves in India is still in a nascent state. The ministry recently brought up the issue before the Indian Parliament when asked about it.

Shripad Yesso Naik, the Minister of State (MoS) for the ministry, told the Lok Sabha (Lower House) that while some studies have suggested the potential of ocean wave energy, the country is yet to see further progress on this new form of renewable energy.

“Wave energy is still at a nascent R&D stage, the Ministry is implementing a “Renewable Energy Research and Technology Development Programme (RE-RTD)” through various research institutions and industry to develop indigenous technologies and manufacturing for widespread applications of new and renewable energy including wave energy in efficient and cost-effective manner,” he said.

Studies On its Feasibility

He told the House that the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, in association with Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited (CRISIL), conducted a study on “Tidal & Waves Energy in India: Survey on the Potential & Proposition of a Roadmap” in December 2014. As per this report, the tidal energy and wave energy potential are estimated at around 12,455 MW and 41,300 MW, respectively, he said.

He also cited some other studies and agreements that could lead to more concrete development of the green technology. He said, “BPCL and M/s. Eco Wave Power has signed an MoU to explore the potential of harnessing wave energy for renewable power generation. The agreement aims to assess the feasibility of producing renewable energy from ocean waves at identified locations near Mumbai.”

Global Case Studies

Globally, some countries have tried tapping into this technology to harness green energy. For example, the United Kingdom (UK) became one of the earliest adopters of the same. It adopted the world’s first commercial wave power device (LIMPET). The project was installed on the Isle of Islay in Scotland in 2000.

On the other hand, countries like Portugal tried their hand with its Wave Farm at Agucadoura, which proved to be the first experimental multi-generator wave farm. The US also explored wave energy with projects in locations like Hawaii, Alaska, and Roosevelt.