Eco Wave: What Role Can Wave Energy Play in Data Centres?

According to the International Energy Agency, the data centre sector's demand for electricity is shooting up by around 16% each year.

In an effort to cater to these power-hungry facilities sustainably, the industry is exploring all kinds of avenues. Lately, that search for clean, dependable energy has led some companies to the ocean.

Eco Wave Power, as its name suggests, is a company in the business of wave energy. The Israel-based firm is currently working with NVIDIA, where its AI and digital twin technologies are helping to refine the Eco Wave Power offerings.

The power of the sea

Energy providers and infrastructure developers are increasingly looking beyond conventional sources to meet growing demand. Eco Wave Power believes the answer may lie in the consistent motion of ocean waves.

Using NVIDIA Omniverse's digital twins, the company is building systems that convert wave movement into electricity. Its inclusion in the NVIDIA Inception programme’s Sustainable Futures initiative reflects a broader push to combine renewable energy generation with advanced computing.

As more data centres are located near coastlines for cooling and connectivity advantages, wave energy presents a localised, renewable power option that could reduce reliance on strained grids.

"Wave energy is one of the largest renewable energy sources that exists," says Inna Braverman, the Co-Founder and CEO of Eco Wave.

"Everybody wants it, but nobody can do it, so I looked at the current problems with harnessing wave power and I asked: How do we simplify it?"

Building practical coastal generation

Access to reliable electricity is always an obstacle that new infrastructure projects have to overcome. Grid connections can often take years to secure, especially in high-demand regions.

Eco Wave Power’s approach centres on generating energy at the edge of the grid, using existing marine structures such as breakwaters and sea walls.

Its system deploys floating devices that move with the waves, capturing kinetic energy. Key components such as control systems, hydraulics and electrical infrastructure remain onshore, improving resilience and simplifying maintenance.

This design addresses long-standing challenges in wave energy, particularly the difficulty of protecting equipment from harsh marine environments. By relocating sensitive systems to land, Eco Wave Power reduces operational risk while maintaining efficiency.

Wave energy also offers a distinct advantage over other renewables in terms of consistency.

"Wave energy is the least intermittent source of renewable energy," Inna says.

"Solar energy, for example, is great – but you have night, winter, cloud coverage and pollution that all impact production.

"With wave energy, you can generate around the clock."

How AI could help to scale wave energy

Beyond generation, Eco Wave Power is applying AI to improve how energy systems are designed, deployed and operated.

Digital twins created using NVIDIA Omniverse libraries enable engineers to simulate wave conditions, test infrastructure performance and refine system configurations before physical deployment.

Once operational, AI and accelerated computing analyse wave patterns, equipment behaviour and environmental data in real time. This supports predictive maintenance and helps maximise output, ensuring energy generation is both efficient and reliable.

Powering data centres with wave energy

A key focus for Eco Wave Power is the direct integration of renewable generation with energy-intensive infrastructure.

The company currently operates projects at Jaffa Port in Israel and the Port of Los Angeles in California, US, with further developments in Portugal, Taiwan and India. These sites demonstrate how wave energy can be deployed at scale in coastal environments.

According to Inna Braverman, the shift towards coastal data centre development creates a natural alignment between energy generation and consumption.

"We have a possibility to link AI factories directly to wave energy, because a lot of data centres are moving toward the coast," she says.

"They need cooling and water, so they're now located in ports."

In Los Angeles, pilot projects are exploring whether wave energy could fully power a data centre without relying on the grid. AI software forecasts wave conditions and schedules workloads accordingly, allowing more energy-intensive workloads to run during periods of higher energy availability.

Although still in development, these projects point to a future where wave energy plays a meaningful role in the global energy system.

"We exist, we work, we're grid connected and we have so much of this resource," Inna says.

"The energy is needed now, so I think we're in the right place at the right time and we're innovative, but we're not futuristic, and that's what sets us apart."