Renewable Energy Resources in Oman Fig. 4.9 Area with boreholes with temperature above 100 deg C. 4.5.2 Electricity generation The highest observed temperatures are located in the northern part of Oman in the Omani mountains. The highest observed borehole temperature is 174 o C. This temperature is below the temperature required for directly use of the hot water for steam power plants. Page 66 of 134 .

Renewable Energy Resources in Oman 5 Renewable energy technologies 5.1 Wind turbines Energy conversion principle A wind turbine utilises the kinetic energy of the air flow. The power content in the wind is proportional to the cube of the wind speed and the air density. The energy in the wind is converted into rotational energy by the wind turbine rotor. The conversion can be made either by aerodynamic forces acting on the rotor blades or by the air pressure acting on the rotor blades. The rotational energy can be converted into electrical energy via a generator be utilised for mechanical work. Technology Grid connected wind turbines The technology for grid connected wind turbines is well proven and wind turbines have been commercially available for more than twenty years. The capacity of the first commercially available wind turbines in the 1980'es was in the range 15 -55 kW. The capacity has gradually increased and to day the wind turbine capacity is in the range between 1 and 5 MW. The wind turbine industry invests large amount in R&D activities in order to improve the cost effectiveness of wind turbines. This is done in order to optimise the design to reduce the use of material and to improve the reliability of the technology in order to reduce the O&M costs. The modern grid connected wind turbine is a three bladed, pitch regulated turbine with the nacelle mounted on the top of a tubular tower. The hub height of a modern wind turbine is in the order of 60 to 90 m and the rotor diameter is between 60 and 90 m depending on the capacity of the wind turbine. Page 67 of 134 .