A B S T R A C TWave Energy Converters (WECs) have to be controlled to ensure maximum energy extraction from waves while considering, at the same time, physical constraints on the motion of the real device and actuator characteristics. Since the control objective for WECs deviates significantly from the traditional reference ''tracking'' problem in classical control, the specification of an optimal control law, that optimises energy absorption under different sea-states, is non-trivial. Different approaches based on optimal control methodologies have been proposed for this energy-maximising objective, with considerable diversity on the optimisation formulation. Recently, a novel mathematical tool to compute the steady-state response of a system has been proposed: the moment-based phasor transform. This mathematical framework is inspired by the theory of model reduction by moment-matching and considers both continuous and discontinuous inputs, depicting an efficient and closed-form method to compute such a steady-state behaviour. This study approaches the design of an energy-maximising optimal controller for a single WEC device by employing the moment-based phasor transform, describing a pioneering application of this novel moment-matching mathematical scheme to an optimal control problem. Under this framework, the energy-maximising optimal control formulation is shown to be a strictly concave quadratic program, allowing the application of well-known efficient real-time algorithms. (N. Faedo). minimise the risk of damage, such an optimisation strategy must take into account the physical limitations of the whole conversion chain. Such an optimisation procedure can be achieved by designing an optimal controller that accomplishes such objectives.A considerable number of optimal control formulations and methods have been studied and developed to maximise the energy extraction process from WECs, with extensive reviews available, for example in Ringwood, Bacelli, and Fusco (2014). One particular popular wave energy control strategy is Model Predictive Control (MPC). The success of MPC on the energy-maximising control is mainly due to its ability to handle physical constraints systematically and within a finite horizon optimisation process. While MPC applied to WECs also involves a mathematical model, a typical receding horizon strategy, and can deal with system constraints, the objective function contrasts significantly with the one related to the usual set-point tracking objective. Rather, a converted energy-maximising objective, consistent with the definition https://doi.