Energy
Wind energy potential in Malawi
June 27, 2019 / Grain W. P. Malunga
Introduction
Currently several small wind power generators are installed and supplying power to Villages in Thyolo, Chiradzulu, Ntcheu, Nkhotakota, Nkhata Bay and Mzimba. Under this Village Electrification Project the total installed capacity is 132 kW of which 90 kW is from wind. The wind/solar hybrid installations are supplying up to 150 homes within a 2km radius in each village. However this shows that there is potential for large wind turbines which can generate electricity up to 5MW each.
Project Sites for Wind Power Generation
– Lilongwe
Four sites were visited around Lilongwe old airport and Kamuzu international airport (KIA) where the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services has measured wind speed at 10 meter height for more than 10 years. Out of the four sites assessed, a place near Luke Daeyang Hospital was identified as potential site. The site is 12 km from Lilongwe; 2 km from the existing grid at Kanengo and the area is bounded by M1 road and the road going to Malawi Institute of Management. The average wind speed was 5M/s at the time of the visit to the site.
Ownership of the land is not yet known but it is suspected that it belongs to Kanengo Northgate Project. Efforts are underway to check with the Commissioner for Lands to determine ownership of that piece of land. The site is near a hospital, but it is on the wind-ward side so the noise is unlikely to have much effect on the hospital. Adjacent to the hospital is a proposed site for a nursing school, but it is still recommended that the site should be assessed further because it is near to power grid, can easily be accessed by road and both the hospital and the nursing school are on the wind ward side.
Looking at the size of land available, it is recommended that four turbines of 2 MW each can be erected on this site making a total of 8 MW installed capacity. This is based on the fact that the spacing between adjacent wind turbine towers is 7-15 times the rotor diameter. This recommendation is based on the assumption that this piece of land stretches to the east where wind speed is anticipated to be the same.
– Mzimba
A site in Mzimba was identified at Kanombo Hills, 8 km North West of MzimbaBoma. The site has an average wind speed of 8m/s at a height of 2 metres. The site is 8 km from the existing power grid at Mzimbaboma. The hills are under customary land therefore ownership of the land may not be an issue. Houses are far from the site and therefore there will be no effect of noise pollution on the population.
Based on the same principle that the spacing of wind turbines is done in relation to the rotor diameter, four turbines of 2 MW each can be erected on this site making a total of 8 MW installed capacity.
– Mzuzu
Kaning’ina Hills were identified as a potential site for installation of wind turbines for power generation. The site has an average wind speed of 9m/s at 2 metres height. It is about 10 km from Mzuzu city and the existing grid. Kaning’ina Hills are gazzetted under natural forest reserve hence the land is controlled by the Forestry Department. It is situated far from residential areas.
In view of these facts therefore, there will be no noise pollution effect on the population of Mzuzu City. The only problem would be the high cost of constructing access road to the top of the hills to deliver and maintain the wind turbines.
On this site, 5 turbines of 2 MW each can be erected giving a total of 10 MW installed capacity.
– Chileka in Blantyre
Four sites around Chileka in Blantyre were visited and assessed. Out of the four sites, a place on top of the hills near Andiseni Primary School, west of Chileka Airport, was identified as a potential site. The site is 20 km from Blantyre and 2 km from the existing power grid. The average wind speed is 3.5m/s.
The Andiseni Hill is under customary land which means ownership of the land for installation of wind turbines may not be a problem at this site. Houses are far from the site and therefore there will be no noise pollution effect on the population around Andiseni Primary School.
Two turbines of 2MW each can be erected on this site making a total of 4 MW installed capacity.
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