Every single day, beneath our feet, powerful invisible rivers flow. They are those ocean currents that have always crossed the seas of our planet, silent and constant. For decades we have ignored them, limiting ourselves to studying them to understand the migratory movements of fish or climate variations. Now, thanks to a study by Florida Atlantic University, we know that these same ocean currents could generate clean energy in frankly impressive quantities: up to 2,5 times more than wind power. And it's not a small difference.
Three Decades of Data to Identify an Energy Treasure
The researchers did something very clever: they analyzed the data collected by the NOAA Drifter Program (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Let's talk about 43 million data points, collected between March 1988 and September 2021 via 1.250 satellite-tracked buoys. A meticulous work that allowed us to identify the areas with the highest energy potential.
And the results? Surprising, I'd say. The east coast of Florida and South Africa showed the highest power densities: 2.500 watts per square meter. In order to understand each other: The wind industry considers an area that produces 1.000 watts per square meter to be “excellent.” Yet we continue to ignore this possibility, as if we were looking in the wrong direction.
Ocean Currents as an Alternative to Intermittency
One of the most frustrating problems with traditional renewable energy is its damned intermittency. Solar plants stop producing when the sun goes down; wind turbines stand still when the air is still. The question, in the end, is always the same: what do we do at night without wind? A problem that, of course, quickly becomes an excuse for those who do not want to abandon fossil fuels.
Ocean currents, on the other hand, are virtually perpetual. Constant flows that could provide continuous power. Sure, they also have seasonal variability (with shallow waters showing higher power levels in the summer), but nothing like the unpredictability of the wind or the inevitable day/night cycle.
Ocean Currents: A Global Potential to Be Exploited
The study was not limited to Florida and South Africa. It revealed areas of high energy density (over 2.000 watts per square meter) along the entire eastern seaboard of the United States, all the way to North Carolina, and along the eastern and western coasts of Africa.
High power density areas cover approximately 490.000 square kilometers of ocean, with power levels ranging from 500 to 1.000 watts per square meter.
Somalia, Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar: countries that could potentially become producers of huge amounts of renewable energy. A fascinating prospect, especially considering that many of these countries have limited access to electricity.
The challenges to face
I would be dishonest if I didn't mention the limitations. The researchers themselves acknowledge that their study does not consider issues such as potential collisions with marine life, accumulation of organisms on equipment, or electromagnetic interference from power cables. And then there are the costs and complexity of large-scale implementation. Technologies that are still immature and require significant investment. But isn't that always the case with new energy frontiers?
It’s a long road, but the study offers a concrete vision of how we might power the world with cleaner energy. Maybe it's time to look beneath the surface, where those invisible rivers flow that could illuminate our future.
