Although being one of the greatest oil exporting countries Libya has identified the existence of potential renewable energy resources. So, it is Libya’s goal to increase the share of renewable energy sources to 10 % of the entire energy production within the near future. The motivation behind this is to significantly reduce the costs of the national electricity production. Libyan officials have expressed the opinion that the country wants to acquire the necessary scientific know-how and have their people trained in the hands-on skills required by the wind energy industry.
In year 2000 the Libyan electricity utility GECOL (General Electric Company of Libya) began seeking professional engineering experts, which would help the company to qualify the country’s wind energy potential and build the first commercial wind farm to both generate electricity from an renewable energy source on economically reasonable terms and educate local engineers in understanding the requirements and interrelating subjects of wind farm development.
The German/Danish consortium comprising CUBE Engineering GmbH, GHK Kassel University, Institute for Solar Energy Supply Technology (ISET) and Energi- og Miljødata (EMD) offered substantive experience and a convincing programme to GECOL, and were awarded the contract in February 2001.
Among these partners, CUBE Engineering GmbH is the head company for project management, site identification, evaluation of wind resources, site assessment, tendering and negotiations as well as for procurement and finally construction of the wind turbines. The company is a long-term experienced and DAP-accredited (according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005) consultancy office existing since the early 1990ies. With its German branches in Kassel and Husum and the recently installed offices in Edinburgh/UK and Paris/France, the company is offering independent and well founded technical expertises, following international guidelines and standards.
Technical knowledge transfer in the field of wind power technology from Germany and Denmark to Libya plays a vital role throughout the entire project. The outcome will address, on the one hand technical and economical issues, and on the other hand it will show if the chosen teaching methods are effective. Hence, the main two questions shall be answered:
The main objective of Phase I is to select a number of sites that may have the potential for realizing a pilot wind farm project of 25 MW nameplate capacity, concluding with the selection of one particular site.
The first steps of the project involved gathering all existing information that was relevant for determining the technical and economical feasibility of such a project. Criteria were then selected for a decision matrix to evaluate the most suitable site. The decision matrix and the evaluation of the compiled current information were a critical part of the project, as all further work has been based on this. Meteorological measuring masts were installed at a number of sites to record wind conditions over the period of 12 months. At the end of Phase I the data was analysed and entered into a computer model to determine the site with the best wind resources.
The definition of technical specifications for all components of the pilot wind farm such as the turbines, the access road and electrical cable layout was the objective of this phase. Local conditions such as the availability of certain materials and climatic conditions, such as high temperatures and the impact of dust storms, were taken into consideration. At the end of phase II a tender document for a turnkey supply and construction of a 25 MW wind farm was prepared.
Submitted quotes for the wind turbines, civil and electrical engineering works will be evaluated during this part of the project. Manufacturers and engineering contractors will be recommended to the client, based on the specifications that were defined in Phase II. The list of specifications will guarantee a straightforward selection process. This is of extremely high importance as the costs of the wind turbines and other manufactured goods make up about 70% to 90% of the total cost for a wind farm project.
This phase will consist of construction, testing and commissioning, and operation of the wind farm.
The local transport infrastructure will be improved based on the findings of the feasibility study of Phase II. Storage, safety and insurance issues will be addressed in an action plan that will be set up for the construction phase. It is a prerequisite that all the issues that arise out of this action plan are dealt with thoroughly prior to commencing construction of the project.
During this phase an upgrade of the electrical power grid and its sub-stations may be required, depending on the outcome of the electrical grid facilities study of Phase II.
Workshops and on-the-job educational units play an important role for all sub-tasks of this phase. Constant monitoring of the construction work’s quality and timeliness will ensure the smooth operation of this phase. The trainees will be involved in this process wherever appropriate.
After the commissioning of the wind farm the trainees will undergo intensive on-the-job training, covering all aspect relevant to the operation, monitoring and maintenance of a wind farm. A carefully prepared and detailed training program will make sure that the educational aspects of the project will never be neglected and that the local staff receives the best possible tuition.
Meanwhile, the project is between phase III and IV, consisting of a straight forward selection of manufacturers and engineering contractors for the installation of the turbines. Construction phase is scheduled for autumn 2006, the implementation of the first converters shall be in the beginning of 2007. Another training-on-the job will be held in the near future.
In order to forecast the future scenario of wind energy development, GECOL has commissioned the generation of a wind atlas as a model calculation based on global meteorological data and existing wind measurement data. CUBE Engineering is compiling a two-stage prognosis – one in a rather widely grid for the entire state area (8 x 8 km) and the other one in a 200 x 200 m fine resolution for the coast-line with its excellently estimated wind conditions.
With the words of CUBE Engineering’s general manager, Stefan Chun, the cooperation and attendance of this long term project is a great experience for both – the Libyan oil company and the participating members of the German/Danish consortium. Bringing capacity building into new markets is a chance not to be neglected for being a precious partner – now and for potential future projects.
CUBE Engineering
www.cube-engineering.com
GECOL, Libya
http://www.gecol.ly/
All photos with friendly permission of CUBE Engineering GmbH