Global database of salinity gradient energy potential at river mouths

This article presents a global database of salinity gradient energy (SGE) potential at river mouths. The dataset integrates satellite-derived sea surface salinity and temperature with river discharge data to estimate both theoretical and extractable SGE resources worldwide. Two complementary river discharge datasets are used: (i) a global multiannual dataset including 10,848 rivers (N20), and (ii) a curated dataset of 1,078 rivers with monthly discharge variability (ARA24). The database provides spatially distributed estimates of energy density, theoretical potential, and extractable potential, along with key design parameters, including environmental discharge, extraction factor, design flow, and capacity factor. Monthly variability is resolved for systems included in the ARA24 dataset, enabling analysis of seasonal dynamics. All data are provided in structured spreadsheet formats, including global summaries by country, region, and ocean basin. In addition, an interactive visualization tool is included to explore the sensitivity of extractable potential to environmental and operational parameters. This dataset supports global, regional, and site-specific analyses of SGE resources and provides a consistent basis for future techno-economic, environmental, and policy-oriented studies.