Eritrea Wind Energy Development
compiled by RVB
 
 
Eritrea Wind Links: 
 
     Southeast Wind Resources Article 
     July 2005 
 
     Wind Resource Update 
     July 2002 
 
     Preliminary Assessment 
     August 1996 

     Resource Assessment 
     Paper,  June 1997 

     Red Sea Wind Maps 

     1998 Assessment Study,
     Masters Thesis of
     Karen Rosen
 

 Wind Energy is potentially the cheapest source for electricity in Eritrea.  Eritrea is fortunate to have some of the best wind energy resources in Africa. Due to specific peculiarities of Eritrea's local climate, there are areas of the country where mean annual wind speeds are measured at 8 m/s (at 10 m height) and above.  The region with particularly good resources includes the southern coast from Tio to the Djibouti border.  Other areas with potentially excellent resources include several passes in the Eritrean highlands.  Those areas that have shown particular promise include passes north of Adi Teklezan (5-6 m/s at 10 m height), a pass in the far north of the country between Hiskib and Itaro (about 60 kilometers north of Nakfa), and the mountain passes at Dekemhare. 
Wind-swept acacia tree at Rahayta, 60 kilometers southeast of Aseb

The Aseb area has the best wind energy resources in Eritrea.  During most of the year cool marine air flows into the Red Sea from both North and South and then flows into the Sudan where it is heated over the Sahara desert.  When this air flows into the Red Sea it is channeled and accellerated at both the Bab al Mandab straight near Aseb, and Gulf of Suez in Egypt.  These channeled Red Sea winds have already been developed for utility scale wind electricity generation at the northern end of the Red Sea in Egypt.  The winds in Eritrea are even stronger and more consistent than those in Egypt and could also be developed for electricity supply. 
 
 
Wind measurement instrument @ Debresina		 In the Eritrean Highlands, the area near Debresina has shown the greatest development potential to date. This is due to both the good winds speeds at Debresina, and its proximity to the electricity transmission lines being built between Asmara and Keren. The particular location that was investigated at Debresina is in a pass about 1 kilometer east of the village.  Mean wind speeds from June to October appear to average between 7 and 8 m/s, while winds between November to May appear to average about 4 m/s.  But the topography and wind dynamics in this area are complex and it is likely that there are nearby sites with even higher windspeeds.