A Geographic Information System-Based Model and Analytic Hierarchy Process for Wind Farm Site Selection in the Red Sea

The wind is one of the most important sources of renewable energy. However, it is associated with many challenges, with one of the most notable being determining suitable locations for wind power farms based on different evaluation criteria. In this study, we investigated the suitability of wind farm sites in the Red Sea off the coast of Saudi Arabia using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and a Geographic Information System (GIS). We assessed the suitability of offshore locations for wind energy projects, differentiating between fixed and floating turbines, and identified a 4180 km2 area as less suitable, whereas the 33,094 km2, 20,618 km2, and 11,077 km2 areas were deemed suitable, very suitable, and extremely suitable, respectively. These findings highlight the differences in suitability levels based on specific geographical features. Moreover, the extremely suitable location, which has the largest area of 3032 km2, has the capacity to generate an annual energy output of 56,965,410 MWh/year.