Wind energy resource assessment based on the use of multiple satellite data for sustainable energy production in Sudan

Evaluating the wind resources in Sudan is of paramount importance for advancing wind power projects. This assessment constitutes a crucial step in enhancing energy security, alleviating environmental issues, and effectively addressing the prevailing electricity crisis. However, due to the lack of meteorological data including wind speed, gridded satellite data are key to next-generation wind resource assessment and forecasting. Consequently, for the first time, the main aim of the present study is to assess the potential of wind energy as an alternative means of electricity supply in 60 selected locations throughout Sudan, utilizing satellite and reanalysis data. Three gridded datasets (TerraClimate, NASA POWER data, and ERA-5) are used to assess the wind resource and for potential wind farm installation in the future. The results indicate that the gridded datasets have influenced the evaluation of wind energy potential in the country due to biases in these datasets. The biases in the wind energy evaluations are predictable from the statistical differences between gridded datasets and measures and can be used to select the best dataset. Accordingly, the results demonstrated that four locations are deemed suitable for the installation of the wind farm in the future. Furthermore, this study seeks to propose a techno-economic model to analyze the cost of wind energy production, taking into account eight standard wind turbines as well as the Barber wind turbine design (a type of Ferris wheel wind turbine). The results indicate that Barber wind turbines have proven to be highly competitive when compared to their eight conventional commercial counterparts. As a result, this research highlights the potential for wind turbines to offer a reliable, cost-effective, and uninterrupted source of clean electricity, particularly in regions plagued by frequent power outages.