IIT Madras generates power from sea waves, aims to go commercial by 2024

Innovation may help India achieve climate change-related goal of generating 500 Gw of renewable energy by 2030

In a development that might help India achieve its climate change-related goal of generating 500 Gw (gigawatt) of renewable energy by 2030, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) have invented an ‘Ocean Wave Energy Converter’ that can generate electricity from sea waves.

Researchers expect to commercialise the innovation by 2024, in a move that could offer substantial gains for islands such as Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar, which can produce 40-50 Gw of wave energy. “India has a 7,500 km-long coastline capable of producing 54 Gw of power, satisfying a substantial amount of the country’s energy