NATO-sponsored project helps harvest wind energy in the Sahara

  • 29 Oct. 2012 -
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  • Last updated: 30 Oct. 2012 17:24

Conditions throughout the Sahara region can be harsh. Many communities in Morocco and Mauritania lack a stable source of energy. Extreme dryness, blistering heat, high solar radiation, as well as limited access to water, services and electricity can make life in the desert difficult for humans as well as stifling economic activity such as agriculture and grazing, which are often unsustainable.

Without a consistent source of energy, development in much of the region has proved challenging. The potential for a reliable source of energy is sorely needed in the region.

 Now a NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) co-funded project is exploring the economic and technological feasibility of harvesting wind energy. Since November 2007 scientists from France, Germany, Mauritania, Morocco and Turkey have been working on a project to store the energy of the often unpredictable prevailing trade winds over the Sahara Desert.

A fast-growing energy source

The lack of a stable energy source is causing many people, especially young people, to abandon their towns and villages for cities with better access to reliable energy. “The primary interest of the project is to transform intermittent energy into a stable source of energy,” says Philippe Fougerolle, SPS Associate Programme Director. This will allow local populations to stay and work in their towns, preventing economic opportunities in remote areas from drying up.

Wind is one of the fastest growing sources of renewable energy. The 2,000 kilometres of coastline running along the western coast of Africa is one of the windiest areas on earth, a potentially rich source of renewable energy for Morocco and Mauritania. However, wind energy is intermittent and dependent on weather conditions, making it difficult to integrate into the countries power grids.

Integrating wind energy locally is a key priority for Morocco and Mauritania. It is essential for industrialising North Africa but the fluctuation in wind can cause problems in the weak power grids of both countries. Morocco’s relatively small grid, for example, is unable to handle large amounts of wind-generated electricity. An efficient method to store the energy needs to be developed.

“The whole objective of this project is to develop local synergies and processes to transfer this resource into disposable energy,” says Khalid Benhamou, Managing Director, Sahara Wind Inc. “We’re integrating it locally, where the resource lies.”

Carrying the hopes of a generation

To address this issue, the researchers are investigating ways to store the wind energy as hydrogen. The gas is easily transportable and can be produced in small regional centres.
The funding provided by NATO gave Morocco and Mauritania’s scientific communities access to the latest research hardware. As part of the project, telecommunication operators in Morocco and Mauritania let researchers install wind-measurement instruments on their communication towers, allowing the collection of wind data throughout the region.

Scientists involved in the project compiled the data on wind characteristics, including wind speed at various heights. This information will support the development of applications enabling wind electricity to be accessed on-site for domestic and industrial uses. This could help benefit local populations by generating more employment opportunities.

During the project, researchers from Sahara Wind Inc, Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, and Maroc Telecom focused on developing cutting-edge renewable energy technology, while improving education and training opportunities for young scientists. This ensures that the expertise gained from this project will stay and support industries in Morocco and continue to grow. “In a sense, I feel like these winds carried the hope of generations,” says Mr Benhamou.

Regional research centres, universities and industries will utilise the data from the wind resource assessment to maximize renewable energy sources. Further development of the regional electricity markets in Morocco could lead to wider integrated development. “We look forward to continue this end-user-driven, capacity-building work and expand this approach to other countries in the region,” says Mr Benhamou.