The cost of cabling and moorings over the entire life of a tidal energy project is a significant proportion of total project expenditures and the potential failure of these components remains a major risk for the emerging tidal energy sector. In addition to the mooring problems that complicated a recent turbine retrieval, floating tidal turbine developers have unanswered questions about the longevity of power cables and moorings.

This project addresses gaps in knowledge and data related to corrosion, wear, fatigue, and vortex induced vibrations (VIV) of moorings and cables in turbulent tidal flows. Its results offer practical guidance on mooring and cable analysis in tidal passages through full scale experimentation.