Wave energy; crests and troughs

Wave energy has had a short but fascinating history, and faces an uncertain future. This paper examines the activities of various countries in research and development of wave energy programmes. The changes in the political fortunes of research teams have often been more extreme than the wave climates that they seek to harness. The potential contribution to energy supplies from wave energy technology is considerable, but is the technology economically viable and politically acceptable? The current state of developments will be reviewed and the prospects from small scale schemes to large floating arrays will be discussed.