ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR WESTERN ASIA POTENTIAL AND PROSPECTS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY ELECTRICITY GENERATION IN THE ESCWA REGION VOLUME I OVERVIEW OF WIND AND BIOMASS SYSTEMS United Nations Distr. GENERAL E/ESCWA/ENR/2001/4 20 November 2001 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR WESTERN ASIA POTENTIAL AND PROSPECTS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY ELECTRICITY GENERATION IN THE ESCWA REGION VOLUME I OVERVIEW OF WIND AND BIOMASS SYSTEMS United Nations New York, 2001 Biomass diagram reprinted with permission from Producer Gas: Another Fuel for Motor Transport. Copyright 1983 by the National Academy of Sciences. Courtesy of the National Academy Press, Washington, D.C. Note: This document has been reproduced in the form in which it was received, without formal editing. 01-0986 CONTENTS Page Abbreviations ....................................................................................................................................... vi Executive summary .............................................................................................................................. viii Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 1 Part one WIND ENERGY ELECTRICITY GENERATION Chapter I. WIND ELECTRICITY, RESOURCE POTENTIALS, SITES AND TECHNOLOGIES ................................................................................................................... 5 A. The wind energy’s resource potentials and sites ................................................................ 5 B. The wind technologies for electricity generation ............................................................... 6 II. WIND ELECTRICITY, INSTALLED CAPACITY, DEVELOPMENT, PROSPECTS AND SYSTEM ASPECTS............................................................................... 13 A. Development of installed capacities................................................................................... 13 B. Future prospects.................................................................................................................. 16 C. System aspects.................................................................................................................... 18 III. POTENTIALS OF WIND ELECTRICITY IN THE ESCWA REGION............................ 22 A. Background......................................................................................................................... 22 B. Wind resources status ......................................................................................................... 22 C. Criteria for evaluating wind electricity potentials .............................................................. 26 D. Current development status and constraints ....................................................................... 27 E. Prospects for wind electricity development in the ESCWA region ................................... 28 IV. EGYPT’S WIND ENERGY PROGRAMME, DEVELOPMENT STATUS AND LESSONS LEARNED.................................................................................................... 29 A. Background......................................................................................................................... 29 B. The experience of wind resources assessment.................................................................... 29 C. The current status and future plans..................................................................................... 30 D. Lessons learned................................................................................................................... 35 Part two BIOMASS ELECTRICITY GENERATION V. BIOMASS RESOURCES AND TECHNOLOGIES............................................................. 39 A. Classification of biomass resources.................................................................................... 39 B. Biomass technologies for electricity generation................................................................. 40 VI. BIOMASS ELECTRICITY, POTENTIALS AND PROSPECTS IN THE ESCWA REGION.................................................................................................................... 50 A. Biomass resource status and potential ................................................................................ 50 B. Current development status................................................................................................ 51 C. Future prospects.................................................................................................................. 54 iii CONTENTS (continued) Page VII. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................... 55 A. Conclusions....................................................................................................................... 55 B. Recommendations............................................................................................................. 58 LIST OF TABLES 1. Classification of wind resources .............................................................................................. 5 2. Operating wind power capacity (MW)..................................................................................... 15 3. Installed wind turbines 1992-1999........................................................................................... 17 4. Saudi Arabia’s mean wind speed (m/s).................................................................................... 23 5. Range of annual wind speed at windy sites in ESCWA member countries............................. 25 6. Pilot electrical wind-pumping system in Jordan ...................................................................... 28 7. The availability of effective wind speeds at Zafarana.............................................................. 33 8. Wind farms: planned installed capacities and electric energy generation................................ 34 9. Technology summary: steam turbine combined heat and power ............................................. 42 10. Technology summary: biomass gasification............................................................................ 45 11. Technology summary: biogas from anaerobic fermentation.................................................... 48 LIST OF FIGURES I. Components of basic wind energy conversion system............................................................. 7 II. Average Danish wind turbine power rating in kilowatts.......................................................... 8 III. Operating wind power capacity................................................................................................ 15 IV. Effect of wind speed on generated electricity cost................................................................... 20 V. Development of wind electricity generation costs in Denmark ............................................... 21 VI. Potential cost reductions for wind power, 1997-2000.............................................................. 21 VII. Egypt’s preliminary wind map................................................................................................. 24 VIII. Wind map of Jordan................................................................................................................. 24 IX. Annual mean wind speeds in Saudi Arabia (m/s) .................................................................... 25 X. A part of Hurghada wind farm (5 MW) ................................................................................... 31 XI. A part of Zafarana wind farm................................................................................................... 33 XII. Comparison between generation electricity profile and load at Zafarana................................ 34 XIII. Wind Energy Technology Center at Hurghada ........................................................................ 35 XIV. Schematic diagram of a biomass-fired steam-Rankine cycle for combined heat and power production using a back-pressure turbine....................................................... 42 XV. Schematic diagram of a biomass-fired steam-Rankine cycle for combined heat and power production using a condensing-extraction steam turbine ............................... 43 XVI. Schematic diagram of a biomass-fired steam-Rankine cycle for dedicated power generation using a condensing-extraction steam turbine.............................................. 43 XVII. Schematic diagram of one possible configuration of a biomass-gasifier/gas turbine combined cycle........................................................................................................................ 44 iv CONTENTS (continued) Page XVIII. Basic layout of a biomass gasifier internal combustion engine system................................... 46 XIX. The three stages of biomass anaerobic digestion..................................................................... 46 XX. The biogas systems (plants) main components........................................................................ 46 XXI. Components of a biogas landfill system.................................................................................. 49 Endnotes ............................................................................................................................................... 59 Annex: Assessment of wind energy resources (Case of Egypt)...........................................................