Is offshore wind energy a viable resource in Bahraini waters?

The potential of the wind energy resource in Bahraini waters has been analyzed. It was found that a substantial contribution to the supply of the Kingdom’s energy requirements from offshore wind is feasible.

Can solar-wind energy meet Bahrain's energy needs?

Assuming a CF of 0.448, the potential 5.97 TWh annual wind energy yield could theoretically satisfy one-fifth of consumption. However, peak production and demand times may seldom match. Future research should investigate storage or solar-wind combination to meet Bahrain’s energy needs.

How much wind power does Bahrain have?

However, 1.52 GW of installed capacity would place Bahrain in a similar position to Norway (installed capacity 1.68 GW in 2018). Norway is 29th by capacity out of 61 world countries with installed wind power capacity. Put another way, this capacity would be similar to what the United Kingdom had in 2005 (1.35 GW) ( Wikipedia, n.d .).

Are there wind farms in Bahrain?

In practice, they were found to be close inshore, in lower wind speed regions and in shallow water. Therefore, there is no conflict with potential wind farm locations ( Figure 7 ). There are currently no offshore oil fields in Bahrain’s territorial waters. (The Abu Safah field just beyond the maritime border is joint with Saudi Arabia.)

How much energy does Bahrain use?

Bahrain used 27.81 TWh of energy in 2016 ( IEA, 2016 ). This represents the 67th largest energy consumption out of 254 world countries, despite being 188th in terms of size.

Is Bahrain suitable for offshore wind?

At first glance, it appears that only a small amount of Bahrain’s maritime area is suitable for offshore wind. However, this quantity actually totals 407 km 2 which provides sufficient space for the installation of hundreds of turbines and 1.52 GW of wind capacity.