In the hunt for new energy sources, federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg is now embracing the waves.

The Turnbull government is tipping $2.5 million towards an ambitious project to record and map the energy within Australia's tides, potentially unlocking billions in investment.

The $5.85 million project, Tidal Energy in Australia – Assessing Resource and Feasibility in Australia's Future Energy Mix, will create an online atlas which will detail resources across some of the largest and most reliable tides in the world.

"With some of the largest tides in the world, Australia is ideal for this extremely reliable and low­-carbon form of energy," said lead researcher Associate Professor Irene Penesis, of the University of Tasmania.