Abstract
To assist in the development of mooring and foundation solutions for ocean current based electricity production, an overview of the resource and seafloor characteristics in three potential power production regions are presented. These regions are offshore Florida USA, North Carolina USA, and South Africa. Maximum measured flow speed off both the USA and South Africa were around 3.0 m/s and maximum temporally averaged energy densities were between 2.0 - 3.0 kW/m2. Water depths at considered locations range from 60-400 m, and bottom type varies greatly. Most evaluated locations contain occasional flow reversals and occasions when current speed approached 0.0 m/s (only locations near the core of the Gulfstream off SE Florida did not measure either event). While low current events are undesirable from energy production and mooring design perspectives, they might provide unique opportunities to install or maintain equipment.