Under the deep blue seabed of the nearshore, a brand new clean energy track is growing. On October 22, 2026, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the National Energy Administration jointly released the "China Ocean Energy Development and Utilization Report 2026", which directly pushed the ocean energy industry, which had been stuck in laboratories and demonstration projects for many years, to the first tier of the global market with a set of real operational data.

Leading the world in terms of newly added market share

The report clearly discloses that China's cumulative installed capacity of ocean energy has reached 12.3 megawatts, with over 3.3 megawatts of new installed capacity added during the 14th Five Year Plan period, accounting for more than 30% of the total new installed capacity of ocean energy worldwide during the same period, making it the country with the largest scale of new installed capacity of ocean energy in the world. Unlike the scattered operation of small power test prototypes in earlier years, all of these newly put into operation units have reached the commercial standard of megawatt level, and their independent design, manufacturing, and long-term operation and maintenance capabilities have caught up with the most advanced international level.

Previously, there was no stable landing of remote island wave energy power supply scenarios worldwide. The domestically developed megawatt level device has taken the lead in achieving normalized operation. Ocean energy is no longer a technical concept that can only run in the laboratory, but has already provided stable and clean electricity for island residents far away from the mainland. The continuous iteration of trend energy and wave energy equipment has also given China a first mover advantage in the global competition for the commercialization of ocean energy.

Commercial landing base fully formed

The underlying support system for the domestic marine energy industry has been established, and the entire industry is no longer a fragmented research project fighting on its own. The distribution map of national key marine resources covering five possible species has been completed, and the industry has finally obtained a clear resource base. Subsequent project site selection and investment decisions no longer rely on vague estimation data.

The full chain testing and certification system, consisting of national level offshore testing facilities and third-party testing institutions, has been operating normally. By the end of 2025, the industry has issued a total of 47 formal industry standards, and more than 60 sets of power generation equipment have completed authoritative third-party inspection and testing. The full process rules from technology research and development to engineering implementation have been clarified. Combined with the guidance on large-scale utilization jointly issued by six departments, the implementation policies of supporting projects in coastal areas have been gradually followed up. The marine energy industry has crossed the early stage of technological exploration and officially entered the eve of commercial scale development. Keywords: ocean energy installation, energy news

The clean electricity that used to be hidden in the waves and currents is gradually becoming commercial electricity that can be stably connected to the grid. The commercialization story of China's marine energy industry has just begun.Editor/Cheng Liting