Abstract
The variability of wind energy necessitates continued reliance on fossil fuel power sources as baseload, hindering the integration of renewable energy. This study proposes co-locating Wave Energy Converters (WECs) with Offshore Wind Turbines (OWTs) to partly mitigate these issues, adopting a ‘topping-up’ strategy, integrating WEC capacity into existing OWT arrays. Using the ERA5 global reanalysis dataset, global wind and wave resources, their correlation and various other metrics were calculated. Four regions – Western Australia, Brazil, Pacific coast USA, and Portugal – were chosen for co-location based on their favourable conditions. Applying theoretical resources to four WEC technologies and a 15 MW reference OWT, a sensitivity analysis was conducted across the study sites, considering downtime, normalised power output, and variability. Australia demonstrated enhanced power stability (27.2% less variability) when WECs were applied. Brazil demonstrated significant improvement (26.3% less variability), with USA and Portugal also displaying performance enhancement (21.72% and 16.32%, respectively, less variability). Southern Hemisphere sites benefit from seasonal offset peaks in resource phase, reducing overall variability. Swell-driven wave climates contribute to smoother combined power output due to phase delays between resources. This study serves as a global co-location framework, facilitated by the ERA5 dataset, allowing replication for diverse locations worldwide.