Current State and Opportunities in Marine Energy Converters
A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A3: Wind, Wave and Tidal Energy".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 May 2026
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In recent years, the marine energy sector has witnessed rapid development, with technologies achieving multi-dimensional breakthroughs. Global R&D focuses on five core directions—high-efficiency energy conversion technology, multi-energy complementary systems, intelligent control, new material applications, and commercial model innovation.
High-efficiency energy capture and conversion technology continues to iterate: it has evolved from single-point capture to array development and advanced from single-unit power generation to multi-unit coordination, and modular assembly has become the mainstream. Multi-energy complementary systems are accelerating integration, forming a comprehensive utilization pattern of wind, wave, solar energy, hydrogen production, refrigeration, and other energy sources. Intelligent control has been fully upgraded, with advanced technologies such as digital twin and AI-driven prediction and control deeply applied in R&D and actual marine condition scenarios. New materials are constantly making breakthroughs—anti-corrosion coatings with a longer service life, composite materials that are lightweight and more corrosion-resistant, and multi-functional materials adaptable to various scenarios have been widely implemented. Commercial models are continuously being innovated, and cross-border integration scenarios such as "marine energy + data center", "marine energy + offshore aquaculture", and "marine energy + observation" are gradually being implemented.
This Special Issue focuses on the frontiers of theories, design, control, testing, and application of marine energy development and utilization technologies. It aims to build a professional technical exchange platform and disseminate the latest research achievements and practical experience in the field.
Call for Papers
We seek papers on topics including (but not limited to) the following:
- Wave energy development and utilization technology;
- Tidal current energy development and utilization technology;
- Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) technology;
- Salinity gradient energy development and utilization technology;
- Offshore wind energy development and utilization technology;
- Offshore photovoltaic (PV) development and utilization technology;
- Multi-energy complementary technology;
- The R&D and application of new offshore materials;
- The application of AI and intelligent control technology at sea;
- Marine energy commercial application and optimization.
Dr. Yaqun Zhang
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- ocean energy
- multi-energy complementarity
- new energy
- power generation
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
