We’re back in the office after a great few days at Ocean Energy Europe last week, here’s a look at the team’s takeaways from the event…
A sector moving from advocacy to delivery
This year’s conference carried a clear sense of realistic optimism. The atmosphere was confident yet grounded, reflecting a sector that’s maturing and gaining real momentum, particularly for tidal stream energy.
Several projects are now approaching Final Investment Decision (FID), with Magallanes reaching FID for their first CfD project at EMEC. While there weren’t major headline announcements, there was an undeniable sense that commercialisation is no longer a distant goal — it’s now within reach. The discussions across policy, commercial, and technical tracks all echoed those from our Marine Energy Wales conference earlier in the year, pointing toward a sector moving from advocacy to delivery.
Made in Europe
The official theme, Made in Europe, highlighted the growing importance of local supply chains, the blue economy and reframing net zero as an economic opportunity, addressing misinformation that it harms growth.
Discussions tackled familiar challenges: grid constraints, co-location and marine spatial planning, with regional differences in approach. Wave and tidal energy remained central to discussions, but rather than being purely technical, we saw stronger policy and market framing.
An overarching trend was the shift from climate ambition to industrial strategy, with growing emphasis on jobs, manufacturing, and competitiveness.
Key takeaways
We left OEE with a sense of optimism and focus on commercial reality, particularly around tidal energy finance and the visibility of future pipelines to attract more private investment.
It was valuable to have all major tidal developers in one place, allowing alignment on common priorities. Moreover, the discussions reinforced the importance of our engagement as Marine Energy Wales with GB Energy, NESO, and The Crown Estate to shape the next phase of the UK pipeline.
Momentum is clearly building, but continued coordination between policy, investment, and industry remains essential.
How other countries are progressing with marine energy
Though UK remains the global leader in marine energy, France is rapidly catching up and Canada is showing renewed momentum. Ireland and the Netherlands are taking different routes, with Ireland facing some challenges while the Netherlands demonstrates a more state-coordinated approach to co-location and marine planning.
Many countries are now benefiting from clear national coordination, something the UK could emulate to maintain its lead. It was also encouraging to see a wider international commitment to scaling ocean energy as a key part of both net zero and energy security strategies.
Wales in context
Wales continues to punch above its weight, with a robust project pipeline and world-class tidal stream projects already underway. However, discussions underscored the importance of collaboration, particularly between Welsh and Scottish initiatives, to avoid internal competition that could dilute UK-wide progress against international peers.
While tidal energy remains a clear strength, Wales still faces challenges in attracting sufficient private investment and in broadening its project pipeline beyond flagship schemes. Wave energy, in particular, has seen slower progress, and reinvigorating this area could help rebalance the national technology mix.
Overall, Wales has established strong foundations and international credibility, but translating that ambition into large-scale deployment will require sustained investment, policy coordination, and long-term commitment.
Marine Energy Wales’ role in driving progress
Marine Energy Wales is well placed to continue playing a pivotal role in shaping the sector’s next phase of growth. By advocating for long-term pipeline visibility, MEW can help build investor confidence with the hopes to unlock greater levels of private capital.
Equally important is our role in bringing together developers, government, and funding bodies such as NESO, GB Energy, and The Crown Estate to align strategies and priorities. Strengthening collaboration across the UK and Europe will also ensure shared learning and coordinated progress.
As a trusted convenor and voice for the sector, we’re working to ensue the sector grows sustainably and speaks with a united voice. Ultimately, this work positions both Wales and the wider UK as credible, coordinated leaders in the global marine renewable energy market.