Africa’s eastern and southeastern coastlines may hold the key to a powerful, untapped energy source: ocean currents. Unlike wind and solar, which sometimes fail to generate electricity, these currents move continuously. Consequently, they offer a reliable source of renewable power. Now, a study analyzed over 43 million data points collected over 30 years has pinpointed energy-dense regions off the coasts of Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, and South Africa—some capable of powering homes with just one square meter of ocean. While technical and financial hurdles remain, new advances in turbine design and undersea infrastructure are closing the gap between research and reality. With strong potential and growing urgency around climate change, Africa’s marine energy frontier could soon take center stage in the global clean energy revolution.
The Conversation
