A global study by Florida Atlantic University has found that South Africa’s coast has the most potential for open ocean current energy and the use of underwater turbines.
The study – Drifter-based global ocean current energy resource assessment by Mahsan Sadoughipour, James VanZwieten and Yufei Tang – found that the waters off South Africa consistently recorded power densities above 1 500 W/square metre. This potential is equalled only by currents off the coast of Florida in the US, the study says.
“Marine energy offers a higher level of predictability and almost uninterrupted electricity generation compared to other forms of renewable energy.”
As opposed to wave energy, ocean energy systems remain in the early stages of development. One of the key limitations is geographical – viable deployment of current-based systems is restricted to areas with strong, consistent ocean currents.
To identify these regions, the researchers analysed more than 30 years of data from ocean drifters, creating what they call the most comprehensive global map of ocean current energy potential to date. The study focused specifically on open ocean current energy, as opposed to tidal or wave-based systems, emphasising power density as a core metric.
Two global hotspots emerged from the data: the southeast coast of the US (from Florida to North Carolina) and the eastern and southeastern coasts of Africa including South Africa, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar.
