Abstract
This paper comprehensively reevaluates the global potential for harnessing Salinity Gradient Energy (SGE) at river mouths. The assessment is based on broader global databases for freshwater discharge, accounting for both mean discharges and monthly variability. It also includes newer satellite data offering longer temporal coverage and finer spatial resolution. By comparing the results with previous assessments, we reveal that globally extractable SGE from river mouths is 399 GW, which is 5.6 times higher than previously estimated and represents 13% of the current global energy demand. We also assessed the intra-annual variability of the global SGE potential and found a strong correlation with the northern hemisphere seasonality, exhibiting higher potentials during May − September. The compiled databases are published alongside this paper and a data-viewer tool; they categorize the potential by region, country, and river mouth, offering a valuable resource for the scientific community and policymakers worldwide to evaluate applications of SGE at river mouths.