HARNESSING THE WIND ENERGY POTENTIALS FOR POWER GENERATION IN NIGERIA.

Abstract

This study analyzed and characterised the wind energy potentials over Nigeria. A 5-year (2006 -2010) 6-hourly mean wind speed data at different atmospheric heights and also at different synoptic hours (00:00, 06:00, 12:00 and 18:00) were retrieved from ERA-Interim reanalysed data set for twelve stations over Nigeria. The ERA-Interim is the database of atmospheric parameters of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF). The stations were further grouped into four climatic regions (Coastal, Derived savannah, Guinea savannah and Sahel savannah). Weibull statistical distribution function was employed to analyze and characterise the wind profile of the stations. The outcome showed that the wind energy potential is maximum in the Sahel savannah region and minimum in the Derived savannah region. Also, the wind power density is maximum at 100 m height and minimum at 10 m height in all the regions and stations considered. The results indicate that wind energy has a viable potential as a renewable energy to generation electricity at the height of 100 m in all the studied regions and stations. Therefore, from this research, it is observed that Nigeria is a good base for the generation of electricity from wind energy especially at the 12:00 hours when there is occurrence of intensive wind speed as observed in the stations considered except for stations in Derived savannah where relatively low wind speed throughout the years occured in all the isobaric heights.