Windy Sites Prioritization in the Saudi Waters of the Southern Red Sea

Offshore wind power resources in the Red Sea waters of Saudi Arabia are yet to be explored. The objective of the present study is to assess offshore wind power resources at 49 locations in the Saudi waters of the Red Sea and prioritize the sites based on wind characteristics. To accomplish the set objective, long-term hourly mean wind speed (WS) and wind direction (WD) at 100 m above mean sea level, temperature, and pressure data near the surface were used at sites L1-L49 over 43 years from 1979 to 2021. The long-term mean WS and wind power density (WPD) varied between 3.83 m/s and 66.6 W/m2, and 6.39 m/s and 280.9 W/m2 corresponding to sites L44 and L8. However, higher magnitudes of WS >5 m/s were observed at 34 sites and WPD of > 200 W/m2 at 21 sites. In general, WS, WPD, annual energy yield, mean windy site identifier, plant capacity factor, etc. were found to be increasing from east to west and from south to north. Similarly, the mean wind variability index and cost of energy were observed to be decreasing as one moves from east to west and south to north in the Saudi waters of the Red Sea.