A comprehensive assessment of wind energy potential and wind farm design in a coastal industrial city
Abstract
Purpose
Jubail Industrial City is one of the largest industrial centers in the Middle East, offering potential opportunities for renewable energy generation. This research paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the wind resources in Jubail Industrial City and proposes the design of a smart grid-connected wind farm for this strategic location.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used wind data collected at three different heights above ground level – 10, 50 and 90 m – over four years from 2017 to 2020. Key parameters, such as average wind speeds (WS), predominant wind direction, Weibull shape, scale parameters and wind power density (WPD), were analyzed. The study used Windographer, an exclusive software program designed to evaluate wind resources.
Findings
The average WS at the respective heights were 3.07, 4.29 and 4.58 m/s. The predominant wind direction was from the north-west. The Weibull shape parameter (k) at the three heights was 1.77, 2.15 and 2.01, while the scale parameter (c) was 3.36, 4.88 and 5.33 m/s. The WPD values at different heights were 17.9, 48.8 and 59.3 W/m2, respectively.
Originality/value
The findings suggest that Jubail Industrial City possesses favorable wind resources for wind energy generation. The proposed smart grid-connected wind farm design demonstrates the feasibility of harnessing wind power in the region, contributing to sustainable energy production and economic benefits.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding: No funding was received.
Author’s contributions: The author has contributed to the designing, executing, analyzing and writing this article.
Conflicts of interest: The author has no conflicts of interest to declare.
Data availability statement: The author confirms that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article.
Ethical approval: Not applicable.
Citation
AlQahtani, A.M. (2024), "A comprehensive assessment of wind energy potential and wind farm design in a coastal industrial city", World Journal of Engineering, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/WJE-11-2023-0468
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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