M2 tidal energy extraction in the Western Waters of Aceh, Indonesia

The influence of the principal lunar semidiurnal tidal constituent M2 is significant in the Malacca Strait, the Andaman Sea, and the Bay of Bengal. However, in the Indian Ocean, due to depth, the influence is not as strong as in those regions. The Western Waters of Aceh are directly adjacent to the Indian Ocean, the Andaman Sea, and the Malacca Strait. This study aims to map the tidal energy potential of M2 along the west coast of Aceh. The energy derived from tides is used as renewable energy to support the government's development targets. This study considered a power formula produced by a tidal turbine. The current velocity and elevation results showed excellent results. The weak tidal currents are evenly distributed in the south of the domain, but the tidal currents are strong in the north of the research domain because of the shallower depths and narrow gaps. Based on the magnitude of the current velocity, the extracted power is significant in the northern domain, reaching 337.08 kWh in one M2 period, or 507.36 kWh in a day. This amount is obtained from the power generated when the current reaches the blade, with a minimum of 3.79 W and a maximum of 6.37 kW. The total power obtained in the conversion of electrical power units was 507.36 kWh in one day. The location with the highest extraction has a depth of 24–43 m at sea level; thus, building a tidal turbine power plant is very possible. •An assessment in the Western Waters of Aceh demonstrated several points with high tidal energy potential.•Tidal model validation according to well-known models yielded accuracy in low-resolution areas.•The best tidal energy is in narrow straits with a current direction from the high to the low phase.•The power extracted with the 600 kW peak is sufficiently large for low speeds.