The Ocean Energy Potential and Effective Alternative to Meet up Future Challenges of Energy Demand and the Step toward the Sustainable Development: A Review

Abstract

The world is heavily dependent on the conventional power plant for generating electrical energy. The hydroelectric power plant, Diesel-fired power plant, and coal-fired plant are conventional, the source of fuel for conventional power plants are oil, petroleum, natural gas, and coal. These power plant burns fossil fuel such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal to generate electricity. Fossil fuels take millions of years to form and due to their continuous extraction to meet the growing energy demand they are depleting much faster than the new stocks are generated in addition this fossil fuel contains a high concentration of carbon. Therefore energy generated by the burning of fossil fuels releases a high amount of carbon into the environment. There are numerous countries still relying on conventional sources for electricity generation. The dependency on fossil fuels arises the problem of pollution, global warming, ocean acidification, and depletion of a natural reservoir of fossil fuels and resulting in increased tariffs and energy crises. It’s time to shift focus on various available alternative sources of energy termed such as solar, wind, and ocean known as nonconventional sources of energy for energy generation. But due to the lack of awareness and under development stage these non-conventional sources are not fully adopted. Among all of them, ocean energy is found as one of the best alternatives that have the potential in itself to solve the currently growing energy issue, pollution, oceanic acidification, global warming, and energy demand. The ocean is a naturally available and enormous source of renewable energy which has a huge potential to meet the current energy demand as well as the future energy demand without posing any harm to the environment. The energy extracts directly from ocean waves despite the burning of fossil fuels therefore it is known as a source of clean energy. This paper is a review of the basic concept, present status, and prospects of ocean energy around the world.