Mauritius Ocean Energy Demonstrator

Mauritius imports nearly all its energy, mostly diesel and coal, making the island vulnerable to price shocks and climate impacts. But Mauritius is surrounded by a massive, largely untapped energy resource: the ocean. Tidal currents, waves, and temperature differences between surface and deep water all represent potential clean energy sources. The challenge is that ocean energy technologies are still emerging—they’re expensive, technically complex, and unproven at commercial scale.

The Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities is offering MUR 420 million (roughly $9.5 million USD) per demonstrator project to change that. This program funds consortia ready to deploy tidal, wave, or ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) technologies in Mauritian waters, prove they work, and build the local capacity to maintain and eventually commercialize them.

For consortia that bring together Mauritian firms, research institutions, and international technology providers, this program provides capital for ocean deployment, environmental monitoring, and community benefits. The goal is to demonstrate that ocean energy can work in Mauritius’ specific conditions—its currents, wave patterns, and marine environment—while building the blue economy workforce and protecting marine biodiversity.

What makes this program distinctive is the focus on demonstration, not just research. You’re not building a lab prototype—you’re deploying real equipment in the ocean, generating actual electricity, and proving technical and economic viability. It’s high-risk, high-reward work that could position Mauritius as a leader in ocean energy and create a new export industry.

At a Glance

What This Funding Covers

The MUR 420 million is structured to support full ocean demonstration:

Technology Fabrication (MUR 180 million): This is the core—building the actual ocean energy device. The funding covers manufacturing and assembly of tidal turbines, wave energy converters, or OTEC systems, materials and components rated for harsh marine conditions, quality assurance and testing before deployment, and modifications based on Mauritius-specific conditions. Ocean energy equipment must withstand saltwater corrosion, biofouling, storms, and continuous operation—this isn’t cheap or simple.

Marine Operations (MUR 120 million): Getting equipment into the ocean and keeping it there requires specialized capabilities. This component funds installation vessels and offshore logistics, mooring systems designed for local seabed conditions, underwater cables to connect to the grid, maintenance equipment and procedures, and decommissioning plans. Marine operations are often the most complex and expensive part of ocean energy projects.

Environmental Monitoring (MUR 60 million): Ocean energy affects marine ecosystems, and Mauritius has valuable biodiversity to protect. This funding supports baseline biodiversity surveys before deployment, acoustic monitoring to track impacts on marine mammals, oceanographic sensors to measure changes in currents or temperature, underwater cameras to observe ecosystem responses, and adaptive management protocols if negative impacts are detected. Rigorous environmental monitoring builds trust and ensures responsible development.

Community Benefit Programs (MUR 40 million): Ocean energy should benefit Mauritians, not just foreign technology companies. This component funds training programs for blue economy jobs (marine engineering, underwater operations, maintenance), local content requirements ensuring Mauritian firms participate in supply chains, coastal resilience investments in communities near deployment sites, and public engagement to build understanding and support. The program values projects that create lasting local value.

Beyond the direct funding, selected consortia get access to naval engineering facilities and test tanks, support navigating permitting with marine authorities, and connections to green finance for potential commercial scale-up.

Who Should Apply

This program is designed for consortia that can actually deploy ocean energy technology, not just study it. You’re a good fit if:

You Have Deployment Experience: This isn’t for early-stage R&D. You need to have already tested your technology in ocean conditions somewhere, have data proving it works, and be ready for full deployment. If you’re still at the lab or tank-testing stage, you’re not ready for this program. The Ministry wants to see proven technology adapted to Mauritian conditions, not unproven concepts.

You Can Build a Strong Consortium: Ocean energy requires diverse expertise. Strong consortia include an international technology provider with proven equipment, a Mauritian engineering or energy firm that will lead local operations, a research institution providing technical expertise and monitoring, and potentially a local marine contractor for installation and maintenance. Each partner brings essential capabilities.

You’re Committed to Knowledge Transfer: The Ministry doesn’t want to create dependency on foreign expertise. Your proposal must show how you’ll transfer knowledge to Mauritian engineers and technicians—through training, hands-on involvement, documentation, and potentially licensing agreements. The goal is building local capacity to sustain and eventually commercialize ocean energy.

You Have Environmental Credibility: Mauritius values its marine environment. You need approved environmental impact assessments, credible monitoring plans, and demonstrated commitment to adaptive management if impacts occur. If your environmental approach seems like an afterthought, you won’t be competitive.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application

Be Realistic About Challenges: Ocean energy is hard. Equipment fails. Installation takes longer than planned. Costs overrun. The weakest applications present overly optimistic scenarios. The strongest acknowledge specific risks—equipment corrosion, biofouling, storm damage, grid connection delays—and show how you’ll manage them. Reviewers appreciate realism over hype.

Show Mauritian Specificity: Don’t just propose your standard technology. Explain how you’ve adapted it for Mauritius’ specific conditions—its tidal patterns, wave characteristics, water temperatures, seabed geology, and marine environment. Generic proposals that could be deployed anywhere are weaker than those tailored to Mauritius.

Quantify Economic Benefits: The Ministry wants to know: what’s the cost per kilowatt-hour? How does that compare to diesel? What’s the pathway to cost reduction at commercial scale? How many local jobs are created? What local content percentage can you achieve? Vague claims about economic benefits aren’t enough—provide specific numbers and credible assumptions.

Address Grid Integration: Generating electricity in the ocean is one thing; getting it reliably to the grid is another. Your proposal should address grid connection logistics, power quality and stability, integration with existing generation, and backup plans if grid connection is delayed. Ocean energy that can’t connect to the grid is useless.

Plan for Multiple Scenarios: What if your technology performs better than expected? What if it underperforms? What if environmental monitoring reveals unexpected impacts? Describe how you’ll adapt. The Ministry values projects with contingency plans and adaptive management, not rigid approaches that assume everything will go perfectly.

Engage Fishing and Tourism Communities: Ocean energy deployments affect fishers and tourism operators. Your community engagement should specifically address these groups—how will you minimize impacts on fishing grounds? What opportunities exist for tourism (like educational visits to the site)? How will you compensate for any negative impacts? Early engagement with these stakeholders is critical.

Application Timeline

The September 1, 2025 deadline is for full proposals. Here’s a realistic timeline:

February 2025: Submit your concept proposal and technology dossier. This is a shorter document (15-20 pages) describing your technology, deployment experience, proposed consortium, and preliminary site selection. The Ministry reviews these and invites selected consortia to submit full proposals.

March-May 2025: If invited to submit a full proposal, conduct detailed environmental and socio-economic impact studies, finalize consortium agreements and define roles, develop engineering designs specific to your proposed site, and create your financial model and risk management plan. This is intensive technical work.

June-August 2025: Finalize your full proposal with all required components: engineering designs, environmental assessments, consortium agreements, community engagement plan, knowledge transfer strategy, and detailed budget. Expect to spend 100+ hours on this plus significant time from technical experts.

September 2025: Submit by September 1. The Ministry’s evaluation panel includes marine engineers, environmental scientists, energy economists, and community representatives. Be prepared for detailed technical questions.

October-November 2025: Grant agreements finalized. This includes negotiating specific performance targets (energy generation, environmental metrics, local content), payment schedules tied to milestones, and reporting requirements.

December 2025-March 2026: Fabrication and permitting phase. Build your equipment, secure all necessary permits, and prepare for installation.

April-June 2026: Installation and commissioning. Deploy your equipment and begin sea trials.

July 2026-December 2026: Operational demonstration and monitoring. Generate electricity, collect performance data, monitor environmental impacts, and adjust as needed.

Early 2027: Publish performance and impact evaluation. Share learnings with the Ministry and the broader ocean energy community.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we propose multiple technologies or must we choose one? You must choose one primary technology (tidal, wave, or OTEC) for your demonstration. You can’t hedge by proposing to test multiple technologies—the funding is for proving one approach works well.

What if we don’t have a specific site identified yet? You should have at least preliminary site selection based on resource assessment (tidal currents, wave energy, temperature gradients). You don’t need final permits, but you need to show you’ve analyzed potential sites and have a realistic plan for securing access.

How much local content is required? There’s no fixed percentage, but the Ministry values high local content. Describe specifically what Mauritian firms will do—fabrication, installation, maintenance, monitoring—and what percentage of project value stays in Mauritius. Higher local content strengthens your application.

Can we deploy outside Mauritian territorial waters? No, the demonstration must be in Mauritian waters where the government has jurisdiction. This might be territorial waters or the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), but it must be under Mauritian authority.

What happens to the equipment after the demonstration? That’s negotiable. Options include leaving it in place for continued operation, removing it and redeploying commercially, or transferring ownership to a Mauritian entity. Your proposal should outline your preferred approach and rationale.

How do we handle intellectual property? The technology provider typically retains IP, but the Ministry expects knowledge transfer that enables Mauritian firms to operate and maintain the technology. Your consortium agreement should clearly address IP, licensing, and knowledge transfer terms.

What if environmental monitoring reveals negative impacts? You need adaptive management protocols. This might include operational changes (like seasonal shutdowns during marine mammal breeding), equipment modifications, or in severe cases, decommissioning. The Ministry expects responsible management, not denial of impacts.

How to Apply

Ready to demonstrate ocean energy in Mauritian waters? Here’s what to do:

Step 1: Assess your technology’s readiness. Do you have ocean deployment experience? Performance data? Proven reliability? If you’re not at technology readiness level 7 or higher, you’re probably not ready for this program.

Step 2: Conduct preliminary site assessment. Where in Mauritius has the best resource for your technology? What are the environmental sensitivities? What’s the grid connection pathway?

Step 3: Build your consortium. Identify Mauritian partners who bring local knowledge, operational capability, and community relationships. Formalize roles and commitments.

Step 4: Prepare your concept proposal outlining your technology, deployment experience, consortium, preliminary site selection, and approach to environmental protection and knowledge transfer.

Step 5: If invited to submit a full proposal, conduct detailed impact assessments, finalize engineering designs, develop your knowledge transfer plan, and build your comprehensive application.

Step 6: Submit by the September 1, 2025 deadline and prepare for presentation to the evaluation panel.

Visit the official program page for detailed guidelines and application materials: https://www.ocean-energy-systems.org/

Questions about site selection, permitting, or consortium development? The Ministry has established a support desk for applicants—contact information is available on their website. They can provide guidance on marine spatial planning, environmental requirements, and connections to potential Mauritian partners.