2025: A Breakthrough Year for Marine Renewables Canada
If there’s one way to describe 2025 for Marine Renewables Canada (MRC), it’s this: momentum.
Across the country – and across our network – the marine renewable energy sector reached a turning point. Policies advanced, offshore wind gained serious traction, international markets opened up, and our community grew stronger than ever. Simply put, 2025 was a breakthrough year for MRC and for Canada’s marine renewable energy sector.
A Sector Gaining Real Momentum
For years, marine renewable energy in Canada has been steadily building toward something bigger. In 2025, many of those pieces finally started coming together.
A major milestone came with the proclamation of amendments to the Canada–Nova Scotia and Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Accord Acts, formally establishing a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy in federal offshore areas. This provides long-awaited clarity for developers and investors looking to advance projects in Canadian waters.
Offshore wind saw particularly strong progress in Atlantic Canada. Regional assessments were completed in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, Wind Energy Areas were designated, and Nova Scotia launched the first phases of its call-for-bids process – all important steps toward building a new offshore wind industry in the region.
At the same time, momentum continued across the broader marine renewable energy landscape.
In the Bay of Fundy, tidal energy development advanced with new Fisheries Act authorizations allowing the deployment of next-generation turbines, alongside an expansion of project capacity at the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE). The federal government also announced a $10 million investment in environmental monitoring, supporting research to better understand fish-turbine interactions and strengthen responsible tidal development.
On Canada’s west coast, innovation in wave and hybrid marine energy systems continued to move forward. The Yuquot Wave Energy Project, led by the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation, advanced feasibility work and secured conditional federal funding to integrate wave energy into a hybrid microgrid aimed at reducing diesel reliance and supporting community revitalization. Meanwhile, the Blind Channel Test Centre progressed as a national demonstration site combining tidal energy, battery storage, and solar power to showcase resilient clean energy systems for remote communities.
At the national level, the establishment of Canada’s Major Projects Office signaled a renewed focus on streamlining approvals for transformative energy infrastructure – including large-scale marine renewable projects that can deliver clean power and economic growth.
MRC: The Sector’s Unified Voice
Amid all this progress, Marine Renewables Canada continued to play its most important role – bringing the sector together and championing its growth.
In 2025, we advanced the (now released!) Marine Renewable Energy Sector Vision 2050, a long-term roadmap shaped by input from across our membership. This work sets out a clear path for how marine renewable energy can deliver clean power, economic opportunity, and energy security for Canada in the decades ahead.
Advocacy remained at the heart of our efforts. Throughout the year, MRC engaged directly with federal and provincial leaders, hosted policy roundtables, and contributed detailed submissions to key legislative and regulatory processes – ensuring the industry’s voice is heard as Canada shapes its energy future.
We also deepened our engagement with Indigenous communities and coastal regions. Building trust and collaboration is essential for responsible ocean development, and strengthening these relationships remains a priority for our organization.
Our Community is Growing
Another clear sign of the sector’s momentum? Our membership.
In 2025, Marine Renewables Canada reached a membership of 216 organizations and individuals, marking one of the strongest growth years in our history.
From developers and technology innovators to researchers, supply chain companies, and communities, our membership reflects the increasingly diverse ecosystem driving marine renewable energy forward in Canada.
Working groups also continued to play a vital role in connecting members and shaping policy priorities. The Offshore Wind Working Group, in particular, helped inform MRC’s advocacy and strategy as the offshore wind conversation accelerated nationwide.
Bringing the Sector Together
Events are where ideas turn into partnerships – and 2025 was a record year for engagement.
Across all MRC-hosted events, we connected more than 2,000 participants through conferences, regional events, and webinars.
The highlight of the year was the MRC 2025 Annual Conference & Exhibition in Halifax, which welcomed over 700 delegates from 16 countries and facilitated 228 business-to-business meetings.
The sold-out exhibition floor, diverse technical sessions, and the first-ever Indigenous Business Pavilion demonstrated the sector’s rapid growth and the increasing global interest in Canada’s marine energy potential.
Expanding Canada’s Global Presence
Canada’s marine renewable energy expertise is increasingly attracting international attention.
In 2025, MRC led a Canadian delegation to RenewableUK’s Global Offshore Wind Conference, helping Canadian companies showcase their capabilities and connect with established European markets.
We also launched new research into offshore wind supply chain opportunities in Latin America, highlighting emerging markets such as Brazil, Colombia, and Chile – and identifying pathways for Canadian companies to compete globally.
These initiatives are part of a broader effort to position Canadian innovation and expertise on the world stage.
Looking Ahead
Breakthrough years are exciting – but they’re also just the beginning.
The progress we saw in 2025 demonstrates what’s possible when industry, governments, communities, and researchers work together. With growing policy support, rising investor interest, and an expanding ecosystem of innovators, Canada’s marine renewable energy sector is entering a new phase of opportunity.
At Marine Renewables Canada, we’re proud to help lead that journey.
And if 2025 showed us anything, it’s that the tide is turning – and the future of marine renewable energy in Canada is brighter than ever.