Offshore wave energy can be easily predicted and is proved to be much better than other forms of ocean energy such as shoreline wave, near-shore wave, and tides. Research on offshore wave energy extraction has been carried out in many countries to meet the growing demand for clean energy and reduce the impact on natural environment. This paper reviews the development of offshore wave energy extraction systems in the recent decade. Several aspects are introduced, including a global wave energy resource assessment, offshore wave energy extraction technologies, and the interaction between wave and floating buoy as well as linear generators. Although various offshore wave energy extraction systems have been proposed and even tested, it is difficult to decide which is the best one. In fact, design of floating buoy and linear generators plays an important role in the operational efficiency of offshore wave energy extraction system. This review provides some useful guidelines for future studies in this field.
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