Wind energy already contributes to a large extent to the power supply in many countries.

It is
comparatively cheap and it is a mature technology. Nevertheless, the planning and operation of
a wind farm is different from a conventional power plant. Please answer the following question:
What are the important factors that need to be considered in your country in planning,
construction and operation of a ca. 25 MW grid-connected wind farm? Your answer should
contain information about:

1. Avoiding user conflicts

2. Assessing the wind resource
3. Finding the right location
4. Choosing the best wind turbine for your location
5. Quality standards to be considered
6. Operation and maintenance planning to ensure a high availability
7. Dismantling at the end of the lifetime

Wind speeds in the Abu Dhabi are moderate in the range of 5.5 – 6.5 m/s with a wind power
density of 200 – 300W/m21. Wind speed in excess of 10 m/s are rare and is expected only for
few days in the winter months of December - January. Since there are wind speeds in excess of
3m/s for most of the year as well as, the wind intensity is spread uniformly over al large area,
geographically most of Abu Dhabi has deserts and a large coast lines, a wind farm siting has
some favorable factors from the point of visual and noise intrusion, wild life habitats etc.

The wind power classification map from NREL shows moderate availability of wind power
intensity of the coast of Abu Dhabi. The sea along the coast is characterized as shallow for a
considerable distance from the shore line, further Abu Dhabi has a number of islands along the
coast. This favors development of wind farms offshore to feed to the islands of Abu Dhabi
coast.

The following table lists the factors which need to be considered while planning a wind farm
offshore in Abu Dhabi.

No.s Assessment factors Assessment criteria

1. Avoiding user conflicts a) Oil & Gas fields: The waters hold a number of
these fields and should be excluded2
b) Oil & Gas pipelines: The areas near such are to
be excluded.
c) Marine conservation areas: Those identified by
Environmental agency shall not be considered
for wind farm development.
d) Maritime navigation corridors: shall be excluded.

1
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_united_arab_emirates_power.jpg
2
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/a-Location-map-of-the-onshore-and-offshore-fields-of-Abu-Dhabi-b-
Location-map-of-the_fig1_236016831
 2. Assessing the wind resource For the purpose of initial assessment of wind resource,
the data provided from UAE wind atlas3 developed by
Research Center for Renewable Energy Mapping and
Assessment is a valuable resource of data. They present
the wind data from 2003 to 2012 and wind data at
heights of 10m, 50m, 80m, 100m and 120m.
Another useful information is obtained from web for
wind direction and wind speed distribution.4

3. Finding the right location Data from item 2) can be used for ranking the areas
based on wind power density. The above data super
imposed on a map with exclusion areas identified
against item 1) can serve a initial data for wind farm
siting.

The area on this map with highest power density which

are outside of the exclusion map shall be ranked in the
series of preference considering the following:
a) Proximity to islands- for grid connectivity,
cabling, transportation, losses etc.
b) Depth of sea (bathymetric data) -for type of
foundation for wind turbine tower.
Such identified locations shall be identified and a initial
wind energy yield study be conducted for techno
commercial project viability.

Further to this a site-specific wind assessment campaign

shall be performed for a minimum 12month to produce
bankable reports.

Considering a 25MW wind farm the grid connection

requires a 33KV transformer, 33KV cables undersea to
the near by coupling point at the island.

4. Choosing the best wind Following factors to be considered:

turbine for your location
a) Cut in speed: a low cut in speed is preferable as
the wind power intensity is low. 3m/s cut in
speed is considered.
b) A low speed IEC – 61400 wind class iv is
considered based on site average wind speed
and turbulence.
c) Considering a wind speed average of 6 m/s, a
1MW turbine for the site would be
approximately 60m rotor diameter. Hub height
of 80m is considered adequate.

3
https://windatlas.masdar.ac.ae/
4
https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/forecast/modelclimate/abu-dhabi_united-arab-emirates_292968
 d) Wind turbine model Enercon E-58/10.58 with a
low cut in speed and having good low wind
speed to power output characteristic is a good
choice5.
e) For this 25MW facility 25 numbers 60m
diameter and 80m high turbines horizontal axis
is proposed.
f) The estimated wind farm area following 7D
spacing between turbines in prevailing wind
direction and 5D spacing in transverse will need
a farm of 1.4 km x 1.2km in total.

5 Quality standards to be The wind turbine design and testing shall confirm to IEC
considered 61400 standards.
It shall also be meeting requirements of grid connection
as defined by IEC 61000 3 -7.

6 Operation and maintenance
planning to ensure a high
availability
7 Dismantling at the end of the
lifetime
Upkeeping the availability of wind farms goes hand in
hand with the energy yield and the financial model. To
meet typical availability target of 97% of turbines and
less than 2% grid-based disturbances proper O & M
planning is required considering offshore wind turbines.
-The main cost in O & M of offshore wind turbines are
vessel cost. A proper condition based remote
assessment maintenance procedure can help reduce
such expense and increase the availability of turbines6.
Once the design life (typically 25yrs) of a turbine is
completed possible options that need to be evaluated
include:
- Review repowering or upgrading options.
- Evaluate parts of the infrastructure which can be
utilized for new turbines at the site
- Lastly, if a full decommission is warranted, the
entire facility needs to be scrapped and seabed
put back to normalcy.
Wind farm developers need to assess the dismantling
and decommissioning associated cost initially in the
project model to lower the project life cycle cost.

5
https://en.wind-turbine-models.com/turbines/114-enercon-e-58-10.58#models
6
https://www.sintef.no/globalassets/project/industry-meets-science/4-juni-2015/01-salomonsen---offshore-wind-
maintenance-strategies.pdf