Evaluating wind energy potential in Pakistan's three provinces, with proposal for integration into national power grid. (January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shami, Sajjad Haider; Ahmad, Jameel; Zafar, Raheel; Haris, Muhammad; Bashir, Sajid
• Is Part Of: Renewable & sustainable energy reviews. Volume 53(2016:Jan.)
• Page Start: 408
• Page End: 421
• Publication Date: 2016-01
• Subjects: AEDB Alternative Energy Development Board -- DG Distributed Generation -- EPA Energy Purchase Agreement -- FATA Federally Administered Tribal Areas -- GST Geo-Spatial Toolkit -- HVDC High Voltage Direct Current -- HVAC High Voltage Alternating Current -- IEE Initial Environmental Examination -- IGBT Insulated-gate Bipolar Transistor -- IPP Independent Power Producer -- KE Karachi Electric (Supply Company) -- KfW Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (Reconstruction Credit Institute) -- KPK Khyber Pakhtun Khwa -- LOI Letter of Intent -- MLM Maximum Likelihood Method -- NEPRA National Electric Power Regulatory Authority -- NOC No Objection Certificate -- NREL National Renewable Energy Laboratory -- NTDC National Transmission and Despatch Company -- PDF Probability density function -- PMD Pakistan Meteorological Department -- PPAF Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund -- PSD Particle Size Distribution -- PST Pakistan Standard Time -- PV Photovoltaic -- SEPA Sindh Environmental Protection Agency -- SVM Space Vector Modulation -- USAID United States Agency for International Development -- VSC Voltage Source Converter -- WT Wind turbine; Wind energy -- Wind turbine -- Feasibility analysis -- Weibull distribution -- Grid integration -- Pakistan; Renewable energy sources -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Periodicals; Énergies renouvelables -- Périodiques; Ressources énergétiques -- Périodiques; 333.794
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2015.08.052
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1364-0321

Abstract

Abstract: Pakistan is facing increasing power shortage from the last two decades. The Government of Pakistan (GoP) has taken various remedial measures and is offering incentives for private investment to generate electricity at cheap rates. New hydropower dams were proposed in the past, such as Kalabagh Dam, but could not be commissioned to date. Fossil fuels are depleting and oil has to be imported for oil-fired power plants, which is highly expensive and a burden for the country's economy. This scenario has raised serious concerns among citizens. In this frustrating situation, there is dire need for exploration and installation of alternate renewable energy resources, in particular, wind energy and solar energy to augment the existing power generation and distribution apparatus. These then need to be integrated with the national power grid. Pakistan has enormous wind energy potential, especially in three of its four provinces namely, Khyber Pakhtun Khwa (KPK), Sindh and Balochistan. The country's multifarious terrain includes coastal and hilly areas suitable for installation of large wind turbines. The GoP has taken active steps towards measuring wind speed statistics in various parts of the country. In this paper, the authors analyze wind speed data for the mentioned three provinces. The fourth province, Punjab, has very limited wind energy potential and hence is not considered. Wind speed data for Jiwani (a reference site in Balochistan) was obtained from Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) as a case study. The paper attempts to assess how much wind energy can be harnessed from the three provinces. It then focuses on Jiwani whose specific power density is estimated for wind turbine sizing. Lastly, a practical scheme is proposed for integration of wind power output (from windy sites) with the national power grid.