In the past few years, tidal turbines have been developed to exploit the kinetic energy of seawater currents to generate electrical energy. The blade is the more critical part of the tidal turbines. It is designed according to hydrodynamic science in order to capture the maximum energy from marine currents and supposed to withstand the environment marine conditions for long periods. The material selection of the tidal turbine blades in such a severe environment plays a vital role in the efficiency of the tidal turbine. This paper discusses essential factors that affect the performance and the durability of the tidal current turbine such as cavitation, biofouling and corrosion. This paper intends to present a short review of the characteristics of available materials for tidal current turbine blades. Apart from the traditional materials, new alternative materials undertaken are discussed.
