A comprehensive review of floating renewable energy technologies

The growing global demand for clean and reliable power has accelerated the transition from conventional fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Among emerging solutions, floating renewable energy (FRE) systems have attracted significant attention for their ability to harness solar, wind, and hydropower resources on water surfaces while minimizing land-use conflicts. Despite rapid progress in individual technologies, a unified assessment covering their technical maturity, performance, and environmental impact remains limited. This study provides a comprehensive comparative review of the main FRE technologies floating photovoltaic (FPV), floating offshore wind turbines (FOWT), and floating hydropower, tidal, and wave energy systems. The analysis is based on a critical synthesis of recent research and industrial data, evaluating each technology in terms of efficiency, energy yield, levelized cost of energy (LCOE), technology readiness level (TRL), and operational challenges. The results show that FPV currently represents the most mature and cost-effective option, benefiting from high scalability and minimal environmental disturbance. FOWTs demonstrate strong potential for large-scale deployment but require further optimization in mooring stability and maintenance strategies. Marine-based systems such as tidal and wave energy remain at an early stage, constrained by technological and economic limitations. Overall, the findings highlight that hybrid FRE configurations combining solar, wind, and hydropower components offer the most promising pathway toward stable, high-efficiency, and sustainable offshore power generation. Continued research on advanced materials, system integration, and environmental resilience is essential to enhance the long-term viability of floating renewable systems in future energy transitions. • Floating renewable energy (FRE) includes FPV, OWT, and wave/tidal energy systems are analyzed. • FRE technologies are reduced land use, water evaporation, and conflict with terrestrial areas. • Technological advancements are improving efficiency, integration, and hybrid energy solutions. • Hybrid floating renewable energy (HFRE) combines solar, wind, and wave for better efficiency. • Design, manufacturing, and incentives are enhancing FRE's economic viability.