Investigation of wind power potential at Oran, northwest of Algeria

Abstract

In this work, ten years of wind data from Oran meteorological station have been used to evaluate the potential of wind power on the Oranie region, in the North-western part of Algeria, open on the Mediterranean Sea. The WAsP program was used to analyze the wind Atlas of the region to find the windiest areas. Three regions were chosen for their great wind potential. The study proposes to assess wind power cost per kWh of electricity produced using six types of WECs. The investigation at 10m above ground at the location of the meteorological station shows that Oran has an average wind potential, with an annual mean wind speed equal to 4.2m/s and an annual mean power density of 129W/m2. The temporal study shows that spring period is the windiest with 4.9m/s. In terms of energy production, the results show that the second site is the best location for harnessing the wind power to generate electricity. The minimum cost per kWh of electricity generated in that location is about 0.0181$/kWh with a capacity factor equal to 51.36% for an annual energy production equal to 11.14GWh, given by the Power Wind 90 wind turbine of 2.5MW power rated capacity.