Wind Resource Potential Assessment and Implication for Climate Change Mitigation: The Case of Bale Zone, South Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Wind power assessments as well as forecast of wind energy production potential are key issues in the wind energy industry. One of the necessary conditions for the development of wind power generation is to choose the optimal site. Alternative energy plays a great role for climate change mitigation, environmental protection and sustainable development. The objective of this study was to assess the distribution of wind resource based on WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) model and its implication on climate change mitigation in Bale zone, south eastern Ethiopia. In this study, one year wind speed and wind direction at 6-hour intervals at a height of 10, 50 and 100 m were used. The data source is National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). In addition observational wind speed and wind direction data from National Meteorological Agency (NMA) of Ethiopia from ground based stations were used. The analysis result of the NCEP and NMA data by downscaling the model to 20 km by 20 km spatial resolution enabled to map the wind resource potential sites of Bale Zone applicable for wind mill installation. This study showed that most of the Bale zone areas have significant wind power potential to augment its current power generation. The analysis result revealed that wind resource potential is high during summer than winter season. Have a potential of installed 10,329MW wind capacity in Bale zone. If this potential wind resource will installed, so far environment as an estimation of about more than 5 thousand hectare of forest land per year would be preserved, and subsequently, equivalent amount of about 66,294 of CO 2 would be stored per year.