Avaliação do potencial de energia eólica offshore nas regiões Norte e Sul da Costa de Moçambique

Abstract

The use of energy to accelerate human activity has been steadily increasing, particularly through the reliance on and consumption of non-renewable sources. This dependence has led to a range of consequences, most notably negative impacts on climate, thus encouraging the pursuit of clean and renewable energy alternatives. This study aims to assess the wind energy potential in the northern and southern regions of Mozambique, with a focus on analyzing the main characteristics of this resource. To achieve this, monthly wind speed and direction data from the ERA5 reanalysis by the ECMWF were obtained at a height of 10 meters, covering a 30-year period (from January 1993 to December 2022). The data were analyzed using statistical functions to compute monthly averages of wind speed and direction in both regions, along with a fit to the Weibull probability distribution. The results indicate that, in the northern region, higher average wind speeds are observed during the winter months (April to September), whereas the southern region exhibits a different pattern, with higher average wind speeds during the summer and, to a lesser extent, in winter. The predominant wind direction in the North is from the northern and northeastern quadrants, with the most frequent wind speeds around 5 m/s. In the South, the prevailing wind direction is from the southeast quadrant during nearly all months, especially from January to March and from August to December, with wind speeds of around 6 m/s being the most common. The estimated annual wind power density is 118.51 W/m² in the northern region and 152.04 W/m² in the southern region. Both regions exhibit moderate average wind speeds suitable for wind power generation, with dominant wind directions that can enhance the exploitation of wind energy. The southern region stands out with slightly higher average wind speeds compared to the north. While both regions possess moderate wind energy potential, the southern region offers greater consistency throughout the year, whereas the northern region displays significant peaks during the winter months.