Performance analysis of a 10-MW wind farm in a hot and dusty desert environment. Part 1: Wind resource and power generation evaluation

This study provides performance analysis results obtained from the 10-MW (five 2-MW turbines) Shagaya pilot wind farm located in a desert area of Kuwait, where hot and dusty conditions prevail and constitute engineering challenges. The 2-year operational data analyzed here provide unique results that elucidate the effects of such conditions on turbines' operation. With a long-term average wind speed of 7.9 m/s at 80-m height, the site offers excellent wind power development potential. The performance analysis of the wind farm conducted here includes: power curve, power coefficient, capacity factor, turbulence intensity, and turbine availability. The study also includes a comparison between the actual and potential annual energy production, as well as wind farm energy losses due to the technical availability. The wind farm recorded a remarkably high capacity factor (70%) during the hot summer months, as a result of sustained high wind speeds and high technical availability. For the first year of operation, the wind farm's annual capacity factor and energy production were 45.2% and approximate to 40 GWh, respectively, decreasing to 42.1% and approximate to 37 GWh in the second year. This analysis presents new information for the wind energy industry to consider in the development of wind farms in hot desert environments.