Paper Title: Techno-economic assessment of commercial wind turbines for electricity generation in Nigeria
Authors: Youssef Kassem, Hüseyin Çamur, Muhammad Mahdi Eniola Lasisi
Corresponding Author: Youssef Kassem ( yousseuf.kassem@neu.edu.tr)/ Cyprus
Abstract
The main aim of the present paper is to examine the wind energy potential, as well as the performance and economic sustainability, based on mean monthly wind speed data collected from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and previous scientific studies. In this study, the Weibull distribution function is used to analyze the characteristics of the wind resources of 32 locations in Nigeria. Besides, intensity of turbulence, wind power density (WPD), annual energy production (AEP), capacity factor (CF), cost of energy (COE), and payback period (PBP) were evaluated for six commercial Enercon wind turbines (E53/800, E82/2000, E70/2300, E82/2300, E82/3000, and E101/3000). Results showed considerable differences between seasons and across space. Jos and Obudu were found to possess significant wind energy potential, with mean wind speeds above 8.0 m/s and WPD greater than 300 W/m². In contrast, Delta, Edo, Bauchi, and Abia had very low wind energy potentials, having WPDs less than 10 W/m². The seasonal analysis indicated that about 80% of the selected regions had high wind energy potential during the rainy season, resulting in greater energy generation capacity and improved turbine performance. In terms of energy production and cost per unit generated, the Enercon E101/3000 was shown to perform better than other turbine types, generating the greatest annual energy while recording the lowest cost per unit. The minimum energy cost of about 0.014 USD kWh⁻¹ and the shortest payback period of 1.40 years were observed in Jos, while the maximum energy cost per unit and payback period were recorded in Bauchi. Based on these results, Jos and Obudu appear to be the best candidates for installing large-scale wind farms in Nigeria.
