Wind Power Density in Southern Iraq: A Comparative Study of Coastal, Port, and Inland sites

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive spatiotemporal analysis of WPD across Iraq’s southern coastal zone utilizing high-resolution meteorological data from January 2020 to August 2022. Wind data was assessed at three optimal locations, that is, Al-Faw Grand Port (coastal), Umm Qasr port (midway), and Basrah International Airport (inland) at 10 m and 50 m height levels on a monthly, seasonal and yearly means. The results show a strong coastal-inland gradient where annual mean WPD reduces from 139.3 W/m² at Al-Faw to 78.3 W/m² at Umm Qasr and 55.6 W/m² at Basrah Airport at 10 m elevation. Height extrapolation to 50 m increased WPD to 236.9 W/m², 192.8 W/m², and 160.6 W/m², respectively, representing enhancement factors of 1.7–2.9×. According to National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) classification, all locations fell within Class 1 (unsuitable) at 10 m, while Al-Faw approached Class 2 (marginal) at 50 m. Seasonal analysis revealed summer (June-August) as periods of maximum wind availability, with mean WPD exceeding 300 W/m² at 50 m,  matching peak power demand. However, the high temporal variability (standard deviation larger than mean values) shows strong intermittency. During major Shamal wind events, monthly WPD occasionally surpassed Class 2 thresholds. The results show that while southern Iraq's wind resources are still insufficient for standalone commercial wind farms, they might be able to support hybrid renewable systems or seasonal supplemental generation. In addition to providing crucial baseline data for renewable energy policy and investment decisions, this study offers the first multi-height, multi-site comparative assessment of Iraqi coastal wind resources.