Top 10: Wave and Tidal Projects
Harnessing the power of oceans is not a new idea, but it has yet to reach its full potential.
In the first century AD, Romans used tidal mills to grind grain and this energy source looks to be making a comeback.
Tides and waves are highly predictable and renewable, making them an ideal energy source to transition grids away from fossil fuels.
These installations are built to withstand storms and rough seas, so they are often able to outlast other renewable projects like solar parks or wind farms.
Energy Digital has ranked 10 of the top wave and tidal energy projects.
10. JiangXia Tidal Power Station
Company: China Longyuan Power Group
CEO: Gong Yufei
Location: China
Capacity: 4.1 MW
This tidal barrage power station has been operational since 1980, receiving upgrades in 2014.
It uses six bulb turbine generator units to produce around 7 GWh of electricity each year.
Construction of this project began in 1974 with a capacity of 3.2 MW, upgraded to 3.9 MW in 2007 and further to 4.1 MW in 2014.
The project also has a 40 kW solar PV installation that produces around 45,000 kWh annually.
9. Uisce Tapa
Company: DP Energy
CEO: Simon De Pietro
Location: Canada
Capacity: 4.5 MW
Uisce Tapa, meaning fast water in Gaelic, is a project planned to provide energy to Nova Scotia Power.
It is a combined project to develop Berths E and C at the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy, Canadaâs leading research centre for in-stream tidal energy.
DP Energy plans to use the Andritz Hammerfest Hydro MK1 with an 18.4m diameter rotor and rated power of 1.5 MW.
The project is planned to expand to 9 MW.
8. East Foreland Tidal Energy Project
Company: Ocean Renewable Power Company
CEO: Stuart Davies
Location: Alaska, US
Capacity: 5 MW
The East Foreland project aims to generate clean, predictable renewable energy from tidal currents in Alaska’s Cook Inlet.
The inlet has some of the biggest tides in the world and accounts for more than a third of the US’s tidal energy resource.
The initial pilot is slated for a total capacity of 1.98 MW with plans to develop up to 5 MW.
It is estimated that the Cook Inlet has tidal resources of around 18 GW.
7. Sound of Islay
Company: SAE Renewables
CEO: Graham Reid
Location: Scotland
Capacity: 10 MW
The Sound of Islay is a 21km passage of water separating the islands of Islay and Jura on Scotland’s west coast.
Originally planned by ScottishPower Renewables, SAE Renewables purchased the project in 2016 and secured a marine license for up to 10 MW of turbines and associated infrastructure.
The project has full regulatory consent, a grid connection and a lease agreement from the Crown Estate.
The Sound of Islay site is well suited to tidal energy due to its strong tidal flows and sheltered conditions.
6. Nautilus
Company: SBS International
CEO: Mike Spencer
Location: Indonesia
Capacity: 12 MW
The Nautilus tidal energy project is centred off the coast of Lombok Island and being developed by SBS Energi Kelautan.
Phase 1 of the project is operational with a capacity of 12 MW.
It will use technology and equipment supplied by SAE Renewables and SMS International.
Plans for the project aim to expand it to 70 MW in phase two and further to 150 MW in phase three.
This project provides Indonesia with predictable, 24/7 renewable energy that can help to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.
5. MeyGen
Company: SAE Renewables
CEO: Graham Reid
Location: Scotland
Capacity: 67.5 MW
Phase one of the project is operational with four 1.5 MW turbines installed on gravity turbine support structures.
It has been in operation since March 2018 and has delivered more than 51 GWh of renewable electricity.
âThe project will be transformational for the tidal energy industry, delivering the world's first commercial scale tidal array and securing MeyGen as the home of tidal energy,â SAE Renewablesâ website says.
The projectâs second phase has been awarded a Contract for Difference for 59 MW and a lease from the Crown Estate allows for up to 398 MW of capacity.
4. Ada Foah Wave Farm
Companies: TCâs Energy
CEO: Anthony Opoku
Location: Ghana
Capacity: 100 MW
The Ada Foah Wave Farm is Africaâs first wave farm.
It began as a 400 KW pilot project developed by Swedish company Seabased in 2016.
The wave farm uses point absorber technology where buoys connected to linear generators move with waves to generate electricity.
In 2018, Seabased signed a contract with TCâs Energy to expand the project to 100 MW and potentially expand to create a wave energy park in the Gulf of Guinea with the potential to generate up to 1,000 MW of power.
Phases 2 and 3 of the project are in planning and concept phases, respectively, and phase 4, for a planned 86.02 MW of capacity, has been financed.
3. Morlais Tidal Power Station
Company: Menter MĂ´n
Managing Director: Dafydd Gruffydd
Location: Wales
Capacity: 240 MW
The Moralis project is set to offer a âplug and playâ approach to tidal energy developers, helping to reduce costs as operations scale up.
The site has the potential to generate enough energy to power 180,000 typical Welsh households.
Construction on the project began in 2022 with elements like an onshore substation already completed.
The Welsh Government invested ÂŁ8m (US$10m) for a stake in the project in February 2025, funding a phase that focuses on strengthening a grid connection at Parc Cybi, Holyhead.
Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, said: âOur investment will support Menter MĂ´n Morlais to scale up capacity, and develop an industrial cluster for tidal energy and innovation in north Wales, whilst delivering jobs and growth through its pioneering technology, keeping the value local.â
2. La Rance Tidal Power Station
Company: EDF
CEO: Bernard Fontana
Location: France
Capacity: 240 MW
The idea for the “Usine marémotrice de la Rance” was born in the 19th Century, but work did not begin on the project until 1943.
It began generating electricity in 1966 and today, the plant accounts for 40% of the electricity generated in the Brittany region – around 500 GWh per year.
The development of “bulb” generators began specifically for this plant, and they are now used all over the world.
In total, its development cost 620 million francs (around US$7bn in 2025).
The Rance Estuary has one of the world’s highest tidal ranges at 13.5 metres.
EDF has recently invested €100m (US$112.3m) between 2015 and 2025 to renovate the 24 bulb turbines, gates and automatic control systems alongside replacing the extra high voltage outgoing transmission cables.
1. Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Plant
Company: K-Water
CEO: Seogdae Yun
Location: South Korea
Capacity: 254 MW
The tidal power project in Sihwa Lake uses a seawall that was constructed in 1994 for flood mitigation.
It uses 10 bulb turbines and generates power on tidal inflows with a mean operating tidal range of 5.6 metres.
The project was built in 2011 and began operations in 2012 at a cost of US$650m.
The plant produces more than 550 GWh of electricity each year which could support the needs of a city of 500,000 people.
The original seawall was built in part due to water pollution, but the lake’s quality deteriorated due to limited natural inflows.
To address this, the plant now circulates around 145 million tonnes of seawater in and out of the lake.
A 75 metre high observatory has made the facility a popular tourist destination, with more than 1.4 million visitors each year.
It is also home to more than 145 bird species.
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