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Assessment of Wind Energy Alternative in Nigeria from the

Lessons of the Katsina Wind Farm
Aliyu Dadan Garba
Department of Geography, Nigerian Defence Academy

Mohammed Al-Amin
Department of Geography, Nigerian Defence Academy
[email protected]

1.0 Introduction
The harnessing of kinetic energy through the wind has been used for centuries, be it in form of powering sail
boats, windmills or furnaces. However it was not until 1979 that the modern wind power industry began in
earnest with the production of wind turbines. The use of wind energy as a form of renewable energy gained
momentum in the 80s and 90s and there are now thousands of wind turbines operating all over the world
(Abdelaziz et al 2011; Fangbele et al 2011).
The modern and most commonly used wind turbine has a horizontal axis with two or more aero-dynamic blades
mounted on the shaft. These blades can travel at over several times the wind speed, generating electricity which
is captured by a medium voltage power collection system and fed through to the power transmission network.
Wind farms can range from single turbines for domestic use, through to large commercial farm either onshore or
off-shore. The energy emitted is measured in watts per hour (kilowatts, megawatts and gigawatts), the turbines
currently in manufacture have power ratings ranging from 250kW to 5MW. To put that into perspective, a 10kW
turbine will generate enough electricity generation to meet the annual electricity consumption of an average
house hold in the US or 10 rural villages in Nigeria. Regardless of the size of the farm, the placement of the
turbine is the key to its success.
Wind farms are often opposed and refused planning permission, due to general belief that they ruin the natural
environment; in very remote locations, there may be a lack of available transmission lines, protected fauna that
may be displaced by the farm, not to mention the difficulties in transporting the turbines to the site in the first
instance. Despite its setbacks, wind power is still seen to be cheap, low maintenance form of renewable energy
which makes it imperative for Nigeria to adopt among its energy mix (Kwon 2010).
The study area is in Katsina State of Nigeria. Katsina State extends from the arid southern Sahara (where there
are important towns such as Jibiya, Katsina, Maiadua and Daura), Southwards through the semi-arid dry lands
(with important towns like Dutsin-ma and Kankia) to the semi-arid savannah (with important towns like
Malunfashi and Funtua). These settlements mentioned could be placed on an effective wind energy alternative
for domestic electricity generation. The Katsina wind project could achieve this but there are several misgivings
from the critics of the project. This chapter is intended to review the factors considered necessary in setting such
a project i.e project’s cost, wind penetration, wind predictability, wind reliability and energy storage. The
objective of the research was to assess the extent at which these factors were considered in the project.

2.0 The 10mw Katsina Wind Project

The Katsina wind farm project is owned by the federal ministry of power, this is also the pioneer project aiming
to generate 10MW of power through wind turbine with the federal Government desire to improve electricity
supply in Nigeria for the actualization of constant power supply.This renewable source (wind) energy project
will go a long way in actualizing this target in view of its low cost of maintenance and thereby complementing
the already deteriorating non-renewable plants in the country.The contract was awarded to a French contractor
Vergnet S.A Engineering company as EPC contractor and also OTIS Engineering /Terrawatts were jointly
contracted as consultancy firm to supervise the project. The project is sited at LambaRimi in Rimi local
government area of Katsina state in Nigeria where high yield of wind was observed during the feasibility study
(Ajayi et al 2011a; Burton et al 2001).
The Katsina 10MW wind farm consists of 37N0 wind turbines with a rated power of 275KW each. The hub
height of the turbine is 55M due to two reasons one of which is from the design brief where a medium scale
turbines is recommended and the rotor diameter of medium scale ranges from 12m to 45m with a power rated
of40KW to 999KW (Gipe 1999).Second reason was from the wind study conducted as it was observed that a
height between 50m, 55m to 60m exist a high wind energy yield, and due to these reasons, it was calculated that
55m standard hub height be installed (Yasin et al 2011; Shata 2006).
This certification procedure for the dimensions was carried out by GARRAD HASSAN office. Also VENGNET
is an ISO 9001 certified in wind turbine generator manufacturing which is a guarantee of reliability of for the
design and manufacture of its products.Preparation for a site location in a mountainous area generally requires a

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ISSN 2224-5790 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0514 (Online)
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higher capital investment but has a higher average wind speed and capacity factor. Wind generation facilities
generally require large amounts of land to allow for sufficient space between the turbines. In agricultural areas,
the land surrounding the turbines can still be utilized as farmland. Average wind speeds across the state were
measured and Rimi local government area of the state was found to be the best evaluated region for the siting of
the project which would be most appropriate for wind generation facilities. The Katsina wind farm project was
sited on a large expanse of flat land which was used by the community as a farm and grazing land for their
animals. The state government had to settle about four hundred million naira (N400m) in compensation to the
communities for the utilization of the land for the project (Akpinar et al 2005b; Fadare 2008; Penelope et al
2006).
The physical arrangement of the turbines within a facility was explored. The exact arrangement of each turbine
in a wind generation facility is location-specific; it depends on factors such as wind patterns and land gradients.
A general rule of thumb that each column of turbines (spaced perpendicular to the dominant wind direction)
should be separated by three rotor diameters and each row of turbines (spaced parallel to the dominant wind
direction) should be separated by ten rotor diameters is to be adopted for the project.
The Katsina wind farm turbine positioning was designed following a common rule of 7D x 5d for the fact that
the distance between turbines in a row is measured in rotor diameter.Hence a common rule of thumb is to situate
with distance of 5 rotor diameter (5d) and the distance between the rows usually is 7 rotor diameter (7d); Where
d= rotor diameter = 32m (with respect to Katsina), therefore for katsina project in particular -7D= 7 *32 =224m
(in between rows) -5d = 5*32 = 160m (in between turbines). The standard propeller-like turbine most
commonly found in wind farms around the world, space the individual turbines around five to seven rotor
diameter apart, a recent study found that spacing of at least 15 rotor diameter apart produced the most cost
efficient power generation. But even though spreading the turbine out increased the cost efficiency by allowing
for fewer individual turbines, it also lowers the power output of a given plot of land.

3.0 Results and Discussion.

3.1Penetration
Wind energy penetration refers to the fraction of energy produced by wind compared with the total available
generation capacity. There is no generally accepted maximum level of wind penetration. The limit for a
particular grid will depend on the existing generating plants, pricing mechanisms, capacity for energy storage,
demand management and other factors. An interconnected electricity grid will already include reserve generating
and transmission capacity to allow for equipment failures. This reserve capacity can also serve to compensate for
the varying power generation produced by wind plants. Studies have indicated that 20% of the total annual
electrical energy consumption may be incorporated with minimal difficulty. These studies have been for
locations with geographically dispersed wind farms, some degree of dispatchable energy or hydropower with
storage capacity, demand management, and interconnected to a large grid area enabling the export of electricity
when needed. Beyond the 20% level, there are few technical limits, but the economic implications become more
significant. Electrical utilities continue to study the effects of large scale penetration of wind generation on
system stability and economics.
3.2 Predictability
Wind power forecasting methods are used, but predictability of any particular wind farm is low for short-term
operation. For any particular generator there is an 80% chance that wind output will change less than 10% in an
hour and a 40% chance that it will change 10% or more in 5 hours. However, studies by Graham Sinden (2009)
suggest that, in practice, the variations in thousands of wind turbines, spread out over several different sites and
wind regimes, are smoothed. As the distance between sites increases, the correlation between wind speeds
measured at those sites, decreases. Thus, while the output from a single turbine can vary greatly and rapidly as
local wind speeds vary, as more turbines are connected over larger and larger areas the average power output
becomes less variable and more predictable. Wind speeds can be accurately forecast over large areas, and hence
wind is a predictable source of power for feeding into an electrical grid. However, due to the variability,
although predictable, wind energy availability must be scheduled (Ngala et al 2007; Justus 1978; Kumau et al
2011).
3.3 Reliability
Wind power hardly ever suffers major technical failures, since failures of individual wind turbines have hardly
any effect on overall power, so that the distributed wind power is highly reliable and predictable, whereas
conventional generators, while far less variable, can suffer major unpredictable outages.The combination of
diversifying variable renewables by type and location, forecasting their variation, and integrating them with
dispatchable renewables, flexible fueled generators, and demand response can create a power system that has the
potential to meet power supply needs reliably. Integrating ever-higher levels of renewables is being successfully
demonstrated in the real world:
In 2009, eight American and three European authorities, writing in the leading electrical engineers' professional

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Vol.6, No.4, 2014

journal, didn't find "a credible and firm technical limit to the amount of wind energy that can be accommodated
by electricity grids". In fact, not one of more than 200 international studies, nor official studies for the eastern
and western U.S. regions, nor the International Energy Agency, has found major costs or technical barriers to
reliably integrating up to 30% variable renewable supplies into the grid, and in some studies much more.
3.4 Energy Storage
In general, hydroelectricity complements wind power very well. When the wind is blowing strongly, nearby
hydroelectric plants can temporarily hold back their water, and when the wind drops they can rapidly increase
production again giving a very even power supply.Pumped-storage hydroelectricity or other forms of grid energy
storage can store energy developed by high-wind periods and release it when needed. The type of storage needed
depends on the wind penetration level – low penetration requires daily storage, and high penetration requires
both short and long term storage – as long as a month or more. Stored energy increases the economic value of
wind energy since it can be shifted to displace higher cost generation during peak demand periods (Yang and
Chan 2008).
3.5 Cost of Investment
The potential revenue from this arbitrage can offset the cost and losses of storage; the cost of storage may add 25%
to the cost of any wind energy stored but it is not envisaged that this would apply to a large proportion of wind
energy generated. For example, in the UK, the 1.7 GW Dinorwig pumped storage plant evens out electrical
demand peaks, and allows base-load suppliers to run their plants more efficiently. Although pumped storage
power systems are only about 75% efficient, and have high installation costs, their low running costs and ability
to reduce the required electrical base-load can save both fuel and total electrical generation costs (Tar 2008; Yu
et al 2012; Koeppl 1982).
Wind power has low ongoing costs, but a moderate capital cost. The marginal cost of wind energy once a plant is
constructed is usually less than 1-cent per kW·h. This cost has reduced as wind turbine technology improved.
There are now longer and lighter wind turbine blades, improvements in turbine performance and increased
power generation efficiency. Also, wind project capital and maintenance costs have continued to decline.
The estimated average cost per unit incorporates the cost of construction of the turbine and transmission facilities,
borrowed funds, return to investors (including cost of risk), estimated annual production, and other components,
averaged over the projected useful life of the equipment, which may be in excess of twenty years. Energy cost
estimates are highly dependent on these assumptions so published cost figures can differ substantially. In 2004,
wind energy cost a fifth of what it did in the 1980s, and some expected that downward trend to continue as larger
multi-megawatt turbines were mass-produced (Ajayi et al 2011b; Babainejd and Keypur 2010).
As of 2012 capital costs for wind turbines are substantially lower than 2008–2010 but are still above 2002 levels.
A 2011 report from the American Wind Energy Association stated, "Wind's costs have dropped over the past two
years, in the range of 5 to 6 cents per kilowatt-hour recently.... about 2 cents cheaper than coal-fired electricity,
and more projects were financed through debt arrangements than tax equity structures last year.... winning more
mainstream acceptance from Wall Street's banks.... Equipment makers can also deliver products in the same year
that they are ordered instead of waiting up to three years as was the case in previous cycles.... 5,600 MW of new
installed capacity is under construction in the United States, more than double the number at this point in 2010.
Thirty-five percent of all new power generation built in the United States since 2005 has come from wind, more
than new gas and coal plants combined, as power providers are increasingly enticed to wind as a convenient
hedge against unpredictable commodity price moves (Chang and Tu 2007).

4.0 Conclusion.
The Katsina wind farm is indeed a pride to Nigeria; if only some few details could be strengthen in order to
ensure the sustainability of the project and also to justify the cost involved. It suffices to say that apart from the
high cost of the project, the other factors were well articulated in the project.

The persistent shortage of electric power in Nigeria could be remedied through additional wind farms in the
locations analysed with the potential of wind energy resources in high volume to warrant a commercial
exploitation of the resources. It is imperative to state that there is an urgent need to have an energy mix of Solar,
Wind and Hydro resources in the country; in order to meet the demand of over 170 million populace.

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