Abstract
The objective of this study is to assess the environmental and economic performance of a combined wind-wave energy converter over its entire lifecycle. The lifecycle analysis covers embedded costs, energy balance and carbon footprint, right from the raw materials to the final decommissioning. It is demonstrated that Wave Dragon in combination with wind has a 17% lower LCOE than a Wave Dragon without wind turbines. This is due to the fact that wind turbines are a very cost efficient technology when deployed in high wind speed sites if the costs of foundation and grid connection can be kept at a reasonable level – and this is obviously the case when installing on top of a heavy and stable platform like Wave Dragon.