# Wave energy converters

Devices that turn the motion of waves into electricity.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_wave_power/

Capture · Water and ocean · No. 31

- Capture
- Output: Electricity
 Capture · Water and ocean · Foundation · Energy

Europe has installed 13.5 MW of wave machines since 2010, and 12.6 MW of them have already been pulled out.

Chart: Illustration: Wave energy converters

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Waves are wind energy stored in the sea. Machines absorb it by bobbing, flexing, rocking or squeezing air, with tested efficiencies from a few per cent to over 50%.

##### Three things to know

1. Five rival designs, from bobbing buoys to rocking seabed flaps, are all still at prototype or demonstration stage.
2. Spain's Mutriku plant hides 16 air turbines inside a harbour breakwater and generated 210 MWh in 2024.
3. Monitoring has never recorded a marine animal tangled in wave-device moorings, and noise at today's scale is treated as low risk.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Wind**Blowing over the sea raises waves
2. 2 **Waves**Rising, falling and surging water
3. 3 **Device**Buoy, flap, air column, ramp or attenuator
4. 4 **Power take-off**Air turbine, hydraulics or linear generator
5. 5 **Subsea cable**Carries electricity to shore

##### Go deeper pick a tab to open it in full

## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_wave_power/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_wave_power/correlation/index.md)
- [Efficiency](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_wave_power/efficiency/index.md)
- [Techniques](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_wave_power/techniques/index.md)
- [Resources and labour](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_wave_power/resources/index.md)
- [Impact on the biosphere](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_wave_power/biosphere/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_wave_power/links/index.md)