Numerical Simulation of Wind Distributions for Resource Assessment in Southeastern Eritrea, East Africa

Abstract

We present the results of a simulation study of the wind energy resources of southeastern Eritrea. In this study, we simulate the three dimensional wind fields during typical, steady conditions of the Southern Red Sea southeast monsoon season. The simulations verify the existence of a low level jet (LLJ) contained within the highly stratified marine layer over the Southern Red Sea. The LLJ is caused by the channeling and the acceleration of marine layer flow as it passes through the strait of Bab el Mandeb on its way from the Indian Ocean to the Eastern Sahara. The LLJ extends from 12.5 deg to 14.5 deg N latitude in the Southern Red Sea and has peak velocities at 300–600 m elevation above the sea. Sea-land breezes advect the high speeds of the LLJ onshore along a 200 km stretch of southeastern Eritrean coastline, producing an excellent wind energy resource that peaks daily at 3 p.m. LST. This resource is currently under development for both grid-connected and decentralized village wind energy applications.