Abstract
Energy extracted from the ocean can provide a source of regular and foreseeable electrical production at higher energy densities than any other renewable energy resource. The marine current resource is potentially great and is focused in several sites around the world. The knowledge of the energy potential, its constraints and availability are all prerequisites to determine the possibilities for the implementation of infrastructure to produce energy. They are also required to anticipate the structuring of energy routes and to respond to increasing technological needs. Several Moroccan regions want to take advantage by their coastal domain and play a role in the development of the tidal energy sector. They also want to benefit from the associated economic advantages knowing that the Mediterranean coast length is 550 km and the Atlantic length is 3000 km, respectively. The Copernicus Marine Service ocean products provide key input for such technologies, as they can be employed to help evaluate the accessible ocean energy devices and choose the most attractive sites to exploit the tidal energy projects in Morocco. The goal of this research was to evaluate and analyze the tidal marine current resource at the sites which are potentially suitable for the installation of Horizontal Axis Marine Current Turbines in Morocco. Distributions of available power of tidal energy in the Moroccan region are provided, and three possible areas are suggested for installing tidal energy conversion systems.