Principal Directions of the Wind Energy Possible Use in the Western Sector of the Russian Arctic

Abstract

The results of long-term observations processing of wind speed at meteorological stations of the western sector of the Arctic are presented. The wind cadastre basic characteristics of the region are estimated. The average annual peak wind speed is shown to be observed in the coastal areas of the Barents Sea. Here, at a height of 10 m above the ground, the speed is of 7-8 m / s. On the White Sea coast these speed are slightly below - 5-6 m /s. There is a winter wind speed peak in coastal areas, which coincides with the cold season peak demand for heat and electricity. This is a favorable prerequisite for the successful wind energy use for the needs of electricity and heat supply. The data presented indicate that there are three principal areas of possible effective use of wind power plants (WPPs): WPP operation as wind farms for a large power system, WPP participation in the power supply of off-grid consumers (joint operation with local diesel power plants) and WPP participation in heat supply (joint operation with boiler rooms). Selected in the course of the research were the promising sites to be used to construct large wind farms on the Kola Peninsula northern coast in the Serebryanskaya and Teriberskaya HPPs region, operating as a part of the Kola energy system. Indicators of WPP joint operation with local diesel power plants (DPPs) and boiler rooms in the areas of decentralized power supply were obtained. In the latter case, the main advantage of the wind energy use is in substantial saving of expensive fossil fuels delivered to remote consumers with high transportation costs. WPP’s participation, depending on the wind potency, results in 30 - 70% energy saving of the scarce fossil fuels annual consumption.