Abstract
Tidal energy represents a promising yet underexploited source within the marine renewable sector, offering predictable and sustainable generation potential that aims to increase interest in offshore energy alternatives. This study presents a detailed bottom-up techno-economic optimisation assessment model adapted to tidal energy converter (TEC) systems. The proposed novel methodology breaks down component-level costs for TECs into three foundational types: Gravity-Based Substructures (GBS), floating platforms, and monopiles. A key achievement of this work lies in departing from traditional macroscopic economic aggregates by dynamically coupling these structural requirements with local hydrodynamic and bathymetric data to evaluate energy yield and economic performance. The model is applied to five different locations, namely Fall of Warness (UK), Fromveur and Raz Blanchard (France), Punta Pezzo (Italy), and Cozumel (Mexico), to assess how local parameters affect the feasibility of the TEC plant. Validation against real-world data from the ATIR floating platform project shows strong agreement with actual deployment costs. Supported by a multi-variable sensitivity analysis, results from the case studies indicate that monopile and floating TECs typically achieve higher capacity factors and lower Levelised Costs of Energy (LCoE) compared to GBS systems. The monopile configuration is more suitable for shallow water, while floating platforms prove more cost-effective in deep-water sites. By highlighting the importance of tailoring TEC configurations to specific site conditions, these insights provide a robust and scalable tool for informing early-stage design and policy-making.