2025 UK Ocean Energy Review

The Policy and Innovation Group at the University of Edinburgh, in collaboration with the Supergen ORE Hub, Wave Energy Scotland, and the Marine Energy Council, has released the 2025 UK Ocean Energy Review.

The annual report outlines the UK’s key policies supporting the ocean energy sector, including national and devolved strategies, available market incentives, and updates on public funding programmes. It highlights major developments in 2025, including the restructuring of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme. Tidal stream and wave will now compete in a joint pot without a ringfence. The report also covers the launch of the industry-led Marine Energy Taskforce, which is developing a roadmap for the sector together with the UK Government.

Providing an update on research and development support from key institutions, the report emphasises ongoing work. This includes an insurance solution for pre-commercial marine energy projects, and research into co-locating wave energy with floating offshore wind. In terms of R&D projects, several new EU-funded projects started in 2025. They focus on subsea components and connectors, control systems for wave farms, and the bankability of wave arrays.

Key test centres have also seen notable developments. EMEC applied to raise the consented capacity of its tidal test site from 10 MW to 50 MW, and Morlais began its grid expansion works. The report presents current operations at the main tidal and wave projects, including the MeyGen array, which has now delivered 84 GWh to the grid. It also outlines the upcoming deployments unlocked by CfDs and EU funding, including the first UK pre-commercial wave farm.

Click here to read the full report.