Estimation of Small Onshore Wind Power Development for Poverty Reduction in Jubek State, South Sudan, Africa

Energy security is one of the challenging issues hindering developmental progress in developing countries. Wind power as a renewable energy source can play a significant role in poverty reduction if adequate information is provided. In this study, multi-approach technics were applied for a better understanding of the wind energy potential in Jubek State, South Sudan. Geographic Information System (GIS), remote sensing, and mathematical equations were applied in identifying suitable locations, potential power per unit area, wind farm layout, design of appropriate turbine size, and utilization of wind energy in both agricultural and domestic sectors. Wind speed, land use land cover, and digital elevation maps of the study area were processed in ArcGIS, MATLAB (Weibull distribution), and Minitab software. The results show that 17,331.4 km² (94.64%) of the study area is appropriate for wind power generation, with wind density of about 3.65 W/m² and installation capacity about 19,757.79 MW, resulting in an annual energy production of about 7269.29 GWh. With the proposed wind turbine, one ton of various crops and animal products require 1–4 and 2–20 turbines, respectively. Therefore, the step-by-step procedures followed in this study will contribute to poverty reduction through improving agricultural productivity and food quality.