Technical and economic analysis of wind energy potential in Uzbekistan

Abstract

Uzbekistan is the most populated country in Central Asia with a population of about 32 million people. Unfortunately, the country's electricity generation is highly dependent on fossil fuels and the electricity generation infrastructures in the country are relatively old and obsolescence. The energy security of the country could be significantly improved by investing in environmental-friendly energy sources in order to reduce its dependence on the natural gas in the future. The present study aims to assess the wind energy potential of Uzbekistan for the very first time. The hourly wind speed data of 17 different sites (10 m height) in a typical meteorological year are collected and utilized. The collected data are fitted in the widely utilized statistical two-parameter Weibull distribution function. Several performance metric indicators of annual power density, energy production, capacity factor and levelized cost of energy (LCOE) are used to assess the technical and economic feasibility of the systems. In addition, the study assesses and compares 15 different commercially available wind turbines to infer the best option for implementation in the country. The results show that the average annual wind speed, power density and energy production are in the range between 0.61 and 3.98 m/s, 1.74–88.55 W/m2, and 15.27–775.72 kWh/m2, respectively at a height of 10 m above the ground. It is observed that Nukus, Kungrad, Ak Bajtal, and Buhara are the best sites for wind energy development in Uzbekistan. The study is expected to aid policymakers, designers and investors in decision-making regarding the development and deployment of wind energy technology as a future power source in the country.