Assessment of wind power potential in the coastal region of Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Tamil Nadu is among India's most developed and industrialized states. Onshore wind is the fastest-growing, with Tamil Nadu contributing 23 percent of the total wind capacity installed in India at 37,505 MW. This paper aims to present a preliminary assessment of the potential for wind power to the Tamil Nadu coastal region as estimating the wind characteristics is the first essential step in evaluating a wind energy project. Therefore, it is important to have a thorough understanding of the wind resource. To assess the wind resource, ground-based meteorological masts measurement data from seven selected sites have been used with a wind power density of more than 200 W/m2 spanning between one and two years of data at the height of between 20 m and 100 m. Data is extrapolated to 100 m (at sites where data is not available at 100 m) and derived mean wind speed, average wind density, and Weibull parameters. All seven sites reveal excellent potential with wind power density ranging from 208.64W/m2 in Muttom to 684.2 W/m2 in Kanyakumari, which is the desired electricity generation parameter for the wind turbine option. The exceptional mean wind speed & average wind power density at Dhanushkodi has also been found to be 7.60 m/s & 362.18 W/m2 at 10 m. At all sites, the diurnal patterns were consistent with the coastal regions' trends. The analyzed data is the preliminary characteristic of wind potential, which helps in the conversion of wind power and identifying the state's actual wind potential.