Assessing Tidal Current Velocity Across Different Water Depth Layers in Khenifiss Lagoon (Southern Atlantic Coast of Morocco) – Implications for Potential Tidal Energy Extraction

The global industrial economy is heavily reliant on fossil fuels, but their depletion and environmental impact require a rapid shift to low-carbon energy sources. Coastal lagoons offer a potential sustainable energy source through the extraction of energy from tidal currents at different water depths. Therefore, the measurement of currents in each depth layer is crucial for determining suitable locations and studying the feasibility of harnessing this renewable energy through tidal power generation technologies. This study focuses on evaluating the potential of tidal currents for generating marine renewable energy in the Khenifiss Lagoon, a protected area in southern Morocco, for local use, with the goal of supporting the sustainability of this ecosystem. The lagoon’s hydrodynamics are primarily dominated by tides, with the semi-diurnal component (M2) dominating the tidal cycle (period of 12 h 25) with 1.5 to 3.2 m of tidal range. The Multicell Argonaut-XR ADCP is employed to measure current velocities over two days at two specific stations within the lagoon without the intention of establishing a comparative analysis between them. Station 1 has 1 m intervals across an 8 m depth, and Station 2 has 0.5 m intervals across a 5 m depth. The results reveal that at Station 1, layers 2, 3, 4, and 5 (-2 to -5 m depth) exhibited consistent current velocity conditions, making them well-suited for power density conversion. The average power density range in these layers ranged from 54.926 W/m2 to 65.223 W/m2. Similarly, at Station 2, layers 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 (-2.5 to -4.5 m depth) displayed favorable current velocity conditions for power density conversion, with an average power density range of 23.911 W/m2 to 36.630 W/m2 . This work establishes a foundation for more detailed tidal current resource assessments for future tidal energy development in the Khenifiss lagoon and such a semi-enclosed natural system.