Anisul Islam Noor :
The wind energy won’t be viable commercially in the country considering wind speed, direction, temperature and humidity.
The report was revealed recently by expert groups who have been researching since last 18 months over potentiality of wind energy in different parts of Bangladesh.
The conclusion was reached on the basis of data collected over the matter from three most potential sites in the country using available technology.
Data on wind speed, direction, temperature and humidity variations and a host of other conditions were collected from Inani in Cox’s Bazaar, Parki Beach in Chittagong and Pashchim Jafrabad in Chandpur by National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a federal research institution in the USA.
Being assigned by Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been collecting wind data from six other locations in Bangladesh. Phased
would continue until December 2017. The average wind speed of less than six metres per second recorded at Inani, Jafrabad and Parki Beach is inadequate for commercially viable electricity generation, said SREDA officials.
To make wind farms viable, they said, the minimum wind speed at any given location ought to be 6-metre to -6.5 metre per second with favourable direction and other weather conditions.
At least 23 per cent capacity of a wind farm needs to be used to make it commercially viable, said SREDA officials. Available plant load factors worked out on the basis of wind speed, direction and the other conditions are good for using 18 to 19 per cent capacity of a wind farm that makes it not viable commercially, said SREDA member Siddique Zobair.
Siddique was optimistic that wind power generation would be viable in Bangladesh when advanced technology would be available. According to estimates worked out by officials the price of wind electricity might exceed Tk 13 per kilowatt-hour, commonly called unit, using available technology and the plant load factors, compared to below Tk six per unit of electricity from the existing sources. The NREL uses towers and Sonic Detection and Ranging technology, in short SoDAR for the wind related data collection for wind resource mapping. For Wind Resource Mapping of each location, NREL collects wind related data over two years, said Siddique.
Asked about the possibility of Bangladesh tapping wind energy, he said it would depend on advancement of technology.
Increased prices of fuels used to generate electricity would also brighten the possibility of Bangladesh using wind power.
To access advanced technology, he said, ‘We need to wait for six to seven years.’ For Wind Resources Mapping, NREL collects data at altitudes ranging from 62 to 80 metres. Data collection would be completed in December 2017, data processing, modeling and wind resource mapping are expected to be completed in June 2018.
Six other locations from where wind related data collection is in progress include, Bilmaria in Natore, Shitakund in Chittagong, Bhangnamari in Mymensingh, Amtali in Khulna and Baniyapara in Habiganj.
The Wind Resource Mapping would cost Tk 22.45 crore with the US providing Tk 19.18 crore as credit while Bangladesh would bear the remaining cost of Tk 3.27 crore.
