Accueil > Science et Technologie > Revue des Energies Renouvelables > Volume 08 > Numéro 02

Analysis of wind data and wind Energy Potential Along the Northern Coast of Senegal

Kane M.M., Ndiaye A., Sall M., Sarr J., Youm I.

Senegal is one of the developing countries and its dependence upon imported fossil
fuels can only be offset by the sustained exploitation of its indigenous resources. Wind energy is renewable and environment friendly, which can be harnessed for various end-uses. A precise knowledge of wind energy regime is a pre-requisite for the efficient planning and Implementation of any wind energy project. However, due to the absence of a reliable and accurate Senegalese
Wind Atlas, further studies on the assessment of wind energy in Senegal are necessary. The main
pur pose of this paper is to present and to perform an investigation on the wind energy potential of
the northern coast of Senegal along the Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, in this study, wind data collected over a period of two years at five different locations in this region of Senegal were evaluated in order to figure out the wind energy potential along the northern coast of Senegal.
The data from selected stations were analyzed using the two-parameter Weibull probability distribution function. With an annual mean wind speed of 3.8 mis, an annual energy of 158 k Wh/m:J cou/d be extracted. It is found that the potential uses of wind energy in these locations are
for water pumping in rural areas. The study presented here is also an attempt to promote wind energy in Senegal and to bridge the gap in order to create prospective Wind Atlas of Senegal.