Unlocking the Mediterranean potential: Wave energy flux and swell contributions in a semi-enclosed sea

The Mediterranean Sea, despite its relatively low wave energy resources and high water depths, presents a potential opportunity for wave energy conversion projects. This study utilised three decades of the Copernicus Marine Mediterranean Sea wave reanalysis to assess the wave energy resource at basin scale and its variability. For the first time, an examination of swell contributions to the total energy on a seasonal basis was conducted. A fit-for-purpose validation of the model against in-situ buoy data demonstrated its high accuracy in predicting significant wave height and mean wave period, affirming the model’s reliability for wave energy resource analysis. Notably, the Mediterranean region displays high variability in seasonal resource, with the western region being more energetic. The findings indicate significant swell contributions, suggesting the presence of mixed sea states. Furthermore, a detailed location-scale analysis revealed satisfactory site accessibility year-round, while cautioning that high-resource sites may be unsuitable due to considerable seasonal power variability. Despite these challenges this paper motivates the development of small-dimension, low-power floating devices for the Mediterranean wave climate, optimally operating within a narrow energy period bandwidth. • Detailed 30-year wave energy assessment in the Mediterranean Sea. • High accuracy of wave model predictions validated with in-situ buoy data. • North-western Mediterranean and Algeria identified as most energetic areas. • Significant seasonal swell contribution to total wave energy in the Mediterranean. • Year-round weather windows support feasible wave energy projects.