Wind energy potential assessment for Mexico's Yucatecan Shelf

Abstract

The objective of significantly decreasing the use of fossil fuels due to their environmental impact has led to rethinking strategies to satisfy the global energy demand. Thus, the study and understanding of renewable energy resources is of great importance. Due to the maturity of the technology, wind is currently one of the most competitive sources of renewable energy, and development has focused on making wind power production more efficient, particularly in regions with great potential. The Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, is one of these regions where inland commercial wind farms are already operating. However, these projects have caused environmental and social problems. Therefore, here we propose the development of offshore wind as an alternative. This study aims to calculate the offshore wind potential on the northern Yucatan Peninsula and its continental shelf, to outline/study a design of an offshore wind farm on a selected location at/on the northwest Yucatan coast. WRF atmospheric model data from 2005 to 2016 were used. The numerical simulations were validated with measured data from meteorological stations in the region, both inland and offshore. Characterization of the wind field at different temporal scales was performed, and subsequently, the wind potential was analyzed. The offshore zone with the highest potential was delimited, and a wind farm outline was proposed. The offshore wind farm potential was estimated, showing to be within an ideal range to reach a maximum power level. Besides having a significant wind potential, this zone provides additional advantages, such as mild wave conditions and a shallow depth far from the coast.