Numerically modelling spatial distribution of O&M costs for tidal platforms

This paper examines the impact of MetOcean conditions on weather window availability and subsequent maintenance costs for a floating tidal energy converter. Understanding these impacts and costs at the initial planning stage will give a better estimation of project lifetime costs and ensure that these expenses are factored into the site selection methodology. Several sources of freely available data were input into the Delft3D modelling suite to produce spatially and temporally varying estimates of MetOcean data for the Surigao Strait in the Philippines. A Dijkstra’s Algorithm was used to generate an optimum route to shore for cabling and vessels. The Weibull Persistence Method was successfully applied to MetOcean characteristics at each point along this route, to calculate the probability of operational limitations being exceeded. The number of probable access and waiting hours within a month was calculated, and costs were assigned to each task. These costs were then contrasted against the potential revenue at each point within the domain, to provide a first-pass estimate of the optimum deployment location within the Surigao Strait.