Climate change to weaken Middle East wind energy: study
JERUSALEM, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Climate change is projected to reshape wind energy potential across the Middle East, with turbine-height winds weakening despite stronger ground-level breezes, according to a recent Israeli-German study.
The study, published Friday in the journal Climatic Change, predicted that coastal surface winds may strengthen by up to 0.7 meters per second by 2070, potentially easing extreme heat.
However, winds at 150 meters above ground -- critical for turbines to generate energy -- could slow by up to 1.0 meter per second due to changes in the regional weather system, reducing energy output by up to 7 gigajoules over six hours and impacting renewable energy plans and investments, the study showed.
One gigajoule is equivalent to 277.8 kilowatt hours (kWh).
Highlighting varying wind energy capacity in different regions in the Middle East, the study stressed the need to analyze wind patterns at multiple altitudes to avoid flawed energy forecasts.
The study urged policymakers to include future wind changes in their energy strategies, particularly by prioritizing resilient projects in high-potential regions like the Red Sea coast.
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