Wind energy cost evaluation based on a techno-economic assessment in the Algerian highlands

Wind energy is an important and growing source of renewable energy. It is becoming increasingly integrated into electricity markets around the world. In Algeria in particular, the integration of wind power into the electricity grid is being developed based on a government project to achieve a high penetration rate. In this context, this study is elaborated to analyse the techno-economic assessment of the electrical energy production from four selected wind turbines: Vestas V-80; Suzlon S-82; Enercon E-58 and Gamesa G-114, installed at three sites in the Algerian highlands, namely El Beidh, Sétif and Djelfa. The three highland sites are chosen due to their good wind potential. On the other hand, the Algerian transmission electrical network DZ-114 bus presents some technical problems in the highlands related to low voltage profiles. Therefore, wind farm integration in these three sites can be beneficial as voltage magnitude support. Besides, it can be an important tool to reduce fossil fuel consumption and pollutant gases from conventional plants. Wind potential assessment and economic analysis were carried out for the three selected sites using wind speed data measured 10 m above ground level over 10 years. The results obtained confirm that the Gamesa G114 wind turbine is the most suitable for all the sites and in particular for El Bayadh, as it offers both the highest annual energy production (AEP) and capacity factor (CF) values in all the selected sites and guarantees the lowest unit energy cost (UEC) compared to other types of wind turbines.