Biography
Deborah Greaves is the Statutory Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Oxford. Prior to that she was Professor of Ocean Engineering, Director of the Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Decarbonisation and ORE, and the COAST Laboratory at the University of Plymouth with previous appointments at the University of Oxford, UCL and the University of Bath.
She completed her undergraduate studies in Civil Engineering at the University of Bristol in 1988 and DPhil in Ocean Engineering at the University of Oxford in 1995. She has led many national and international research projects concerning ORE in collaboration with industrial and academic partners and is Director of the EPSRC Supergen ORE Hub. She was awarded an OBE in 2018, was elected to be a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2020 and is President of IMarEST in 2026.
Research
Her research interests include marine and offshore renewable energy, and physical and numerical modelling of wave-structure interaction. She has led many national and international research projects concerning offshore renewable energy (ORE) in collaboration with industrial and academic partners, is Director of the EPSRC Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Hub and also leads the EPSRC High End Computing Consortium and Collaborative Computational Project in Wave-Structure Interaction.
Research Interests
- Offshore Renewable Energy
- Wave Structure Interaction
- Hydrodynamics of wave energy converters and floating offshore wind
- Computational fluid dynamics
Research Groups
Research Projects
- NERC Establishing a Framework for Quantifiable Evidence and Impact of Ecosystem Change Throughout the Lifecycle of UK Floating Offshore Wind Farms (EQUIFy), £3,666,318 FEC, led by PML with CEFAS, NOC, University of Aberdeen, Oxford, Plymouth, Highlands and Islands, 2024 - 2028.
- EPSRC CoSeC CCP Bridging Funding Collaborative Computational Project on Wave Structure Interaction (CCP-WSI), PI, with City University of London; Manchester Metropolitan University; Manchester University; University of Exeter; Newcastle University; University of Plymouth, STFC, £213,477 2024 – 2026.
- InnovateUK Fiji WAVEFLOW development of a floating wave energy module that can be combined with floating offshore wind for small island developing states TS/Y014715/1, 2024 – 2026, working with AEON Energy and University of Plymouth.
- EPSRC GW-SHIFT: Great Western Supercluster of Hydrogen Impact for Future Technologies, 2024-2028, £2,657,041 FEC in total, led by University of Bath with University of Bristol, South Wales, Birmingham, Exeter, Plymouth, Oxford and Cardiff University.
- EPSRC Supergen ORE Impact Hub 2023, EP/Y016297/1, £7,965,317, 2023-2027, PI with co-Directors from Universities of Southampton, Oxford, Edinburgh, Strathclyde, Exeter, Warwick, Aberdeen, Hull, Manchester and Plymouth.
- EPSRC High End Computing Consortium for Wave Structure Interaction HEC WSI, EP/X035751/1, PI, £436,048 plus 0.5FTE per annum from the STFC CoSeC team to support HPC users and porting and optimisation, and Computing Resource of 1,480,704 CU with Notional Costs of £296,140.80, 2023 - 2027.
- NERC Enabling Sustainable Wind Energy Expansion in Seasonally Stratified Seas (eSWEETS) (£132,312 FEC for 34 months), in collaboration with researchers at University of Liverpool (lead), Bangor University, University of Southampton, University of East Anglia, Scottish Association for Marine Science, University of Hull, National Oceanography Centre, University of Aberdeen, University of Plymouth and Marine Scotland Science, 2024 - 2027.
- EPSRC integrated wind-wave control of semi-submersible floating offshore wind turbine platforms (FOWT-Control) (£376,518 FEC for 36 months), with Queen Mary University of London (lead), University of Manchester and University of Exeter, 2024 - 2027.
Recent Publications
Steady-state dynamics of an offshore hybrid wind-wave energy conversion system
Han M, Greaves D, Borthwick AGL, Shi H, Zhao C et al. (2026), Applied Energy, 421, 128227
BibTeX
@article{steadystatedyna-2026/10,
title={Steady-state dynamics of an offshore hybrid wind-wave energy conversion system},
author={Han M, Greaves D, Borthwick AGL, Shi H, Zhao C et al.},
journal={Applied Energy},
volume={421},
pages={128227},
publisher={Elsevier},
year = "2026"
}
Real-time hybrid testing of rotor control for a 15 MW floating wind turbine: platform pitch mitigation and rotor-speed stabilisation
Zhang Y, Tosdevin T, Stansby P, Monk K, Hann M et al. (2026), Renewable Energy, 273, 126132
BibTeX
@article{realtimehybridt-2026/10,
title={Real-time hybrid testing of rotor control for a 15 MW floating wind turbine: platform pitch mitigation and rotor-speed stabilisation},
author={Zhang Y, Tosdevin T, Stansby P, Monk K, Hann M et al.},
journal={Renewable Energy},
volume={273},
pages={126132},
publisher={Elsevier},
year = "2026"
}
Wave power extraction by a circular-sector oscillating water column attached to a coastal corner
Tian R, Xu H, Li Z, Zheng S & Greaves D (2026), Renewable Energy, 126516
BibTeX
@article{wavepowerextrac-2026/10,
title={Wave power extraction by a circular-sector oscillating water column attached to a coastal corner},
author={Tian R, Xu H, Li Z, Zheng S & Greaves D},
journal={Renewable Energy},
pages={126516},
publisher={Elsevier},
year = "2026"
}
PTO-homogeneous damping optimization of a floating two-buoy wave energy converter array
Li D, Li X, Gong H, Wang T, Dong X et al. (2026), Energy, 142899
BibTeX
@article{ptohomogeneousd-2026/10,
title={PTO-homogeneous damping optimization of a floating two-buoy wave energy converter array},
author={Li D, Li X, Gong H, Wang T, Dong X et al.},
journal={Energy},
pages={142899},
publisher={Elsevier},
year = "2026"
}
Recent advances in wave–structure interaction
Zheng S, Greaves DM, Soares CG, Meylan MH, Bingham HB et al. (2026), Physics of Fluids, 38(9), 098136
BibTeX
@article{recentadvancesi-2026/9,
title={Recent advances in wave–structure interaction},
author={Zheng S, Greaves DM, Soares CG, Meylan MH, Bingham HB et al.},
journal={Physics of Fluids},
volume={38},
pages={098136},
publisher={AIP Publishing},
year = "2026"
}
Low-frequency bandgaps for water waves enabled by flexible plate metamaterials
Jin H, Zhang H, Zheng S, Li X, Lu Y et al. (2026), Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 1039
BibTeX
@article{lowfrequencyban-2026/7,
title={Low-frequency bandgaps for water waves enabled by flexible plate metamaterials},
author={Jin H, Zhang H, Zheng S, Li X, Lu Y et al.},
journal={Journal of Fluid Mechanics},
volume={1039},
number={A26},
publisher={Cambridge University Press},
year = "2026"
}
Flexible wave energy technologies: a systematic review of advances, challenges, and prospects
Lu Q, Zheng S, Kurniawan A, Meng X, Shi H et al. (2026), Ocean Engineering, 365(P1)
BibTeX
@article{flexiblewaveene-2026/7,
title={Flexible wave energy technologies: a systematic review of advances, challenges, and prospects},
author={Lu Q, Zheng S, Kurniawan A, Meng X, Shi H et al.},
journal={Ocean Engineering},
volume={365},
number={126911},
publisher={Elsevier},
year = "2026"
}
A blind comparative study on isothermal sloshing in a circular tank (CCP-WSI Blind Test Series 5)
Brown S, Colville S, Francis V, Zhao T, Lee YC et al. (2026), Ocean Engineering, 362(2)
BibTeX
@article{ablindcomparati-2026/6,
title={A blind comparative study on isothermal sloshing in a circular tank (CCP-WSI Blind Test Series 5)},
author={Brown S, Colville S, Francis V, Zhao T, Lee YC et al.},
journal={Ocean Engineering},
volume={362},
number={126290},
publisher={Elsevier},
year = "2026"
}
The 2026 Starfish Barometer
Lévy M, von Schuckmann K, Butel M, Cheung WWL, Claudet J et al. (2026), State of the Planet, 7-osr10, 1
BibTeX
@article{thestarfishbaro-2026/6,
title={The 2026 Starfish Barometer},
author={Lévy M, von Schuckmann K, Butel M, Cheung WWL, Claudet J et al.},
journal={State of the Planet},
volume={7-osr10},
pages={1},
publisher={Copernicus Publications},
year = "2026"
}
Towards the Uncertainty Quantification of Neural Operators for Wave–Structure Interaction: A Sloshing-Tank Benchmark
Zhao T, Chu Lee Y & Greaves D (2026)
BibTeX
@inproceedings{towardstheuncer-2026/6,
title={Towards the Uncertainty Quantification of Neural Operators for Wave–Structure Interaction: A Sloshing-Tank Benchmark},
author={Zhao T, Chu Lee Y & Greaves D},
booktitle={Volume 6: Polar and Arctic Sciences and Technology; Computational Mechanics and Data Science},
year = "2026"
}
Enhancing energy capture of a wave-wind hybrid system through PTO configuration optimization and WEC control
Wang T, Li D, Zhu K, Cao F, Greaves D et al. (2026), Ocean Engineering, 354, 124747-124747
BibTeX
@article{enhancingenergy-2026/5,
title={Enhancing energy capture of a wave-wind hybrid system through PTO configuration optimization and WEC control},
author={Wang T, Li D, Zhu K, Cao F, Greaves D et al.},
journal={Ocean Engineering},
volume={354},
number={124747},
pages={124747-124747},
publisher={Elsevier BV},
year = "2026"
}
Comparing The Performance Of Different Geometries of Fixed OWC-type Wave Energy Devices Using CFD Simulations
Francis V, Hann M, Collins K, Mulard A, Dai S et al. (2026), International Marine Energy Journal, 8(5), 473-479
BibTeX
@article{comparingtheper-2026/4,
title={Comparing The Performance Of Different Geometries of Fixed OWC-type Wave Energy Devices Using CFD Simulations},
author={Francis V, Hann M, Collins K, Mulard A, Dai S et al.},
journal={International Marine Energy Journal},
volume={8},
pages={473-479},
publisher={European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference},
year = "2026"
}
Nearshore wind estimation from buoy wave spectra via physics-guided machine learning: A framework for offshore wind applications
Chen J, Hann M, Rawlinson-Smith R, Raji M & Greaves D (2026), Renewable Energy, 259, 125000
BibTeX
@article{nearshorewindes-2026/3,
title={Nearshore wind estimation from buoy wave spectra via physics-guided machine learning: A framework for offshore wind applications},
author={Chen J, Hann M, Rawlinson-Smith R, Raji M & Greaves D},
journal={Renewable Energy},
volume={259},
number={125000},
pages={125000},
publisher={Elsevier},
year = "2026"
}
Decision-making tool for onshore vs. offshore hydrogen production from offshore wind
Guichard J, Rawlinson-Smith R, Coles D & Greaves D (2026), International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 218, 153966
BibTeX
@article{decisionmakingt-2026/3,
title={Decision-making tool for onshore vs. offshore hydrogen production from offshore wind},
author={Guichard J, Rawlinson-Smith R, Coles D & Greaves D},
journal={International Journal of Hydrogen Energy},
volume={218},
number={153966},
pages={153966},
publisher={Elsevier},
year = "2026"
}
Energy storage from a wind, tidal, and wave farm via hydrogen
Guichard J, Rawlinson-Smith R, Coles D & Greaves D (2026), Frontiers in Energy Research, 14, 1732813
BibTeX
@article{energystoragefr-2026/3,
title={Energy storage from a wind, tidal, and wave farm via hydrogen},
author={Guichard J, Rawlinson-Smith R, Coles D & Greaves D},
journal={Frontiers in Energy Research},
volume={14},
number={1732813},
pages={1732813},
publisher={Frontiers Media},
year = "2026"
}
