Kuwait has excellent wind and solar resources and plans to develop at least 4000 MW of renewable energy by 2030. To meet these development goals, personnel of the Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research (KISR) have collaborated with the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NFS NCAR) in the U.S. to provide Kuwait Renewable Energy Prediction System (KREPS) for Kuwait's Shagaya Renewable Energy Park.
KISR signed a contract in May 2017 with NFS NCAR for a three-year project to develop specialized forecasts for a major wind and solar energy facility in Kuwait. The three-years project focuses on developing a detailed forecasts system for wind and solar irradiance at Kuwait's Shagaya Renewable Energy Park.
The ultimate goal of this project is to develop an operational wind and solar power forecasting system, for both nowcasting and day-ahead time horizons (and beyond), with which they can provide forecasts to their national power grid operators and wind/solar power plant operators.
Wind and solar power characterization and prediction is crucial for both short-and long-term energy management. Renewable power forecasting can significantly improve grid integration by improving reliability in a manner that can minimize costs. Wind and solar power forecasting significantly improves grid integration by predicting the expected available power, which improves reliability in a manner that can minimize costs. This prediction enhances the ability to predict the wind and solar resources for day ahead for real-time decisions regarding the power levels of alternative units and transmission.
As a leader in renewable energy weather support, NFS NCAR brings considerable prior experience that was employed to enable further development and utilization of Kuwait’s vast renewable resource. NFS NCAR and KISR have built and deployed the KREPS. This system will be important for day-to-day operations as the renewable sources in Kuwait scale up and also for planning for maintenance.
NFS NCAR, the system developer, was established by the National Science Foundation in 1960 to provide the university community with world-class facilities and services that were beyond the reach of any individual institution. For more infromation, visit the NFS NCAR website
