Analysis of Wind Energy Resource Potential and Turbine Siting Optimisation for Small-Scale Wind Farms in the North East Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria

The North East geopolitical zone of Nigeria possesses terrain and climatic characteristics associated with elevated mean wind speeds relative to much of the country, yet this wind energy resource remains almost entirely uncharacterised at the level of spatial resolution and statistical rigour required for bankable wind farm feasibility assessments. This study analyses the wind energy resource potential of six candidate sites across Yobe, Borno, and Adamawa States using a combination of long-term meteorological station data and wind resource assessment software. Weibull probability distribution functions were fitted to ten years of wind speed observations at each site, and mean power density, capacity factor, and annual energy production estimates were computed for representative small wind turbine models. Turbine micrositing optimisation was performed using WAsP software incorporating terrain roughness and orography data derived from SRTM digital elevation models. Results indicated that three sites in Yobe State and one in Adamawa State exhibited Class 3 and above wind resource classification, with mean annual wind speeds at 50 metres above ground ranging from 5.4 to 7.1 metres per second. Annual energy production calculations for a 10-turbine array of 2-MW machines at the best-performing Yobe site projected 62 GWh per annum at a capacity factor of 35 percent. Micrositing analysis demonstrated that terrain-optimised turbine placement improved projected output by 9 to 14 percent compared to uniform grid siting. The study provides a replicable assessment methodology and ranked site prioritisation for North East Nigeria wind development. Keywords: wind resource assessment, Weibull distribution, turbine micrositing, North East Nigeria, wind energy.