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Selecting the wrong turbine can result in a massive financial mistake. Hence, this paper investigated three research questions. First, which region in Oman has greater potential in wind energy generation? Which type of wind turbines is the most suitable for the south and north regions of Oman? Second, what makes this turbine the best option for the south and north regions of Oman? In this study, 36 different types of wind turbines were evaluated using the HOMER Pro software. The evaluated turbines had a production capacity starting from 500 kW and were assessed for their suitability for electricity production in two villages-one in the north and the other in the south of Oman which will represent the north and south regions of Oman. Each of these villages has an electric load demand of 10 MW. Each turbine was evaluated in terms of the percentage of unmet electric load and the cost of energy production. The results show that most of the turbines evaluated performed better in the south compared to the north which indicated that the south has a greater potential in wind energy application. The Leitwind 90 1000 kW turbine proved most suitable in both the northern and southern locations as it gave the lowest cost of energy which are US$ 0.0606 per kW and US$ 0.0453 per kW in the north and south, respectively, and the lowest unmet electric load which are 59.3% in the north and 45.6% in the south compared to the other types of wind turbines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Oman, the economy is shifting from oil exportation to a diversified economy. Also, as the growing population is seeking for a better quality of life, the electricity demand is increasing. However, there is a decline of gas resources, mostly used in the electric power generation, and a need to participate in the world efforts to mitigate climate change. To cope with these issues, the government triggered renewable energy pilot projects in rural areas. To enhance the efficiency of such projects in rural Oman, a strategic techno-economic analysis of these projects is performed to assess the techno-economic feasibility of utilizing such renewable systems to support the existing diesel-based generation system in rural areas. Simulation results using HOMER 2.19 for different geographical rural areas in Oman indicate that the renewable systems can displace diesel generation significantly and the economical benefits of the resulting hybrid systems depended on load and renewable energy resources. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Solar and wind energies are likely to play an important role in the future energy generation in Oman. This paper utilizes average daily global solar radiation and sunshine duration data of 25 locations in Oman to study the economic prospects of solar energy. The study considers a solar PV power plant of 5-MW at each of the 25 locations. The global solar radiation varies between slightly greater than 4kWh/m2/day at Sur to about 6kWh/m2/day at Marmul while the average value in the 25 locations is more than 5kWh/m2/day. The results show that the renewable energy produced each year from the PV power plant varies between 9000MWh at Marmul and 6200MWh at Sur while the mean value is 7700MWh of all the 25 locations. The capacity factor of PV plant varies between 20% and 14% and the cost of electricity varies between 210 US$/MWh and 304 US$/MWh for the best location to the least attractive location, respectively. The study has also found that the PV energy at the best location is competitive with diesel generation without including the externality costs of diesel. Renewable energy support policies that can be implemented in Oman are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of wind energy worldwide has overgrown in recent years to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Wind power is free, but the installation and maintenance of wind turbines remain very costly. The size of the installation of the wind turbine is not only determined by wind statistics at a given location, but also by turbine infrastructure and maintenance costs. The payback time of the turbine is dependent on turbine energy costs. This study estimates the wind power generation capacity of Northern and Southern Oman and discusses the selection of the most economical, efficient and reliable wind turbines in Oman. HOMER Pro Software was used in this paper to evaluate the wind energy data in the north and south of Oman and to provide well-informed guidance on the most suitable turbines for the power needs of each area. Six different standard wind turbines were measured and compared in terms of the cost of energy and performance. The simulation analysis reveals that the DW54 turbine is the best possible turbine to generate electricity in northern Oman at $0.119/kW. Due to the difference in the wind regime between the north and the south of Oman, the simulation showed that the Hummer H25.0–200 kW turbine is the best option for south Oman with power generation at $0.070/kW. The northern wind turbine plant can efficiently contribute to decarbonization of the energy sector in Oman, with a potential reduction of CO2 emission approximately 19,000 tons/year in comparison to natural gas and 28,000 tons/year in comparison to diesel. In the Southern Power Plant, carbon emissions are reduced by 18,000 and 12,000 tons/year compared to diesel and natural gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]