A Research on Electricity Generation from Wind Corridors of Pakistan (Two Provinces): A Technical Proposal for Remote Zones

Abstract

Abstract:The non-renewable energy resources are limited and depleting gradually. As such, energy security has attained the greatest amount of attention globally than ever before. In the meantime, energy crises are already affecting the developing countries such as Pakistan, even though one-third of the population of the country is not even not connected to the national electricity grid. The population with access to on-grid electricity is enduring load shedding of more than 12 h a day. This situation is alarming and require immediate attention is required so as to add alternative energy resources to the country, which has long been relying on imported fuels. It is, therefore, high time that the abundant potential in the renewable energy resources of Pakistan such as solar, wind, and biomass are harnessed. These renewable energy resources are economical and environmentally friendly, and thus considered as sustainable, and the utilization of these in meeting energy demands can help to conserve conventional resources early diminishing. This paper provides a detailed description of the energy consumption and load-shedding scenario in Pakistan thereby focusing specifically Sindh and Baluchistan provinces. Since, wind energy is considered one of the cost-effective renewable resources, six potential sites in these two provinces are considered in this study. These sites lie within 250 km of the southeastern and 800 km of the southwestern regions of Pakistan. One-year wind speed data have been reported for variable heights of these proposed sites which represent to have an annual average wind speed of 6.63 m/s and 5.33 m/s respectively. The power generation data for these location of two provinces is 7.653 GWh, and 5.456 GWh per annum respectively. This study also elaborates on the advantages and disadvantages of harvesting and installing the wind energy and provides a technical proposal for the generation of electricity from the wind in the selected remote zones which are off the national grid. The findings of this paper will help concerned government departments to devise appropriate policies and attract investment in the wind energy sector to eradicate the on-going electricity crisis.

The Selection of Wind Power Project Location in the Southeastern Corridor of Pakistan: A Factor Analysis, AHP, and Fuzzy-TOPSIS Application

“…Mazhar Hussain et al [20] have presented a technical proposal for off-grid electricity generation from six wind sites of two provinces in Pakistan. In the meantime, Yousaf Ali et al [32] have only identified six key criteria (i.e., wind speed, wind power density, capacity factor, transport cost, distance from grid station, and population density) for wind project site selection, but have not implemented these criteria.…”

“…Table 3. International wind power classification at 10 m, 30 m, and 50 m heights [20]. As per these international standards, the following two factors are essentially vital and should be considered well before choosing or selecting a site for wind tower installation [21]: (a) The selected region must be windy and cover all of the parts of the region as per relevant wind power classification.…”

The Future of Sustainable Energy Production in Pakistan: A System Dynamics-Based Approach for Estimating Hubbert Peaks

“…This also changed the energy consumption paradigm across various sectors in the economy (Figure 2), adversely impacting some of these sectors such as transportation and power generation sectors [9,10]. has limited fossil energy resources of its own and has a low per capita energy consumption of 501.6 kg oil equivalent compared to the global average of 1790 kg oil equivalent [7,8]. Pakistan is, therefore, facing significant challenges in the energy sector towards meeting the demand which is growing at a rate of 11 to 13% per year.…”

“…As a result of these power policies, the oil import bill, which was USD 530 million in 1994, has surpassed USD 1400 million in recent years. This expenditure on importing oil represents 40% of the has limited fossil energy resources of its own and has a low per capita energy consumption of 501.6 kg oil equivalent compared to the global average of 1790 kg oil equivalent [7,8]. Pakistan is, therefore, facing significant challenges in the energy sector towards meeting the demand which is growing at a rate of 11 to 13% per year.…”

Could shale gas meet energy deficit: its current status and future prospects

“…Prior to this, the developed areas were with limited supply of gas infrastructure. As the population growth has shown steep increase, the demand for electricity is also increased and electricity supply crisis and power planning and policies have been address by various authors Valasai et al 2017;Baloch et al 2017). More recently, it has been reported that a supply and demand gap of the gas has increased due to electricity supply to nation, for power generations.…”