AFRICAN ENERGY COMMISSION
COMMISSION AFRICAINE DE L’ENERGIE
COMISSAO AFRICANA D’ENERGIA
CONCEPT NOTE
TRAINING WORKSHOP IN RENEWABLE ENERGY
TECHNOLOGOES FOR ELECTRICITY GENERATION IN AFRICA
On:
Grid-Connected Wind Farms, PV and Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)
At the:
NREA, 530MWe Zafarana Wind Farm, Grid-Connected PV & the 150MWe
Kuraymat Integrated Solar Combined Cycle Power Plant
Arab Republic of Egypt
(21-23 December 2015)
AFREC
20 November 2015
African Energy Commission
(AFREC)
Training Workshop in Renewable Energy Technologies for Electricity
Generation in Africa
Context
Electricity generated from renewable energy sources holds high promises for Africa as nonconventional energy that can supplement grid-connected electricity supply systems. In order
to help in accelerating the pace of utilizing these sources in Africa, the African Energy
Commission (AFREC) designed a special program for continuing training in renewable
energy technologies with objective to support the efforts of the African countries to harness
the potential of these sources for the benefit of their socioeconomic growth. On the other
hand, African countries will need to build-up qualified personnel with up-to-date skills and
information to undertake the responsibilities of exploiting renewable energy sources through
applied technologies. The shortage of technical staff specialized in this area calls for the
adoption of appropriate education which should also be supplemented by continuing training
in order to keep pace with the fast growing global developments in the manufacturing and
installation of these technologies. This is particularly important due to the rapid developments
of modern wind and solar technologies for electricity generation and the deficiency of
effective training in many African countries. Successful and sustainable installation of these
technologies will be achieved mainly through competent technicians and managers aware of
the current global technology development and technical standards. The overall performance
of the adopted projects will improve as more knowledge is gained through continuing training
and experience build-up. Within this context, AFREC is happy to organize Technical Training
Course on Grid-Connected Wind Farms, PV and Concentrating Solar Power Plants (SCP)
which will address the technical and engineering aspects of the installation and operation of
these technologies for electricity generation. The training will be provided in a mix of
theoretical and practical bases supervised by the competent staff of the Egyptian New and
Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) in their internationally recognized wind and solar
facilities.
Background
One of the major outcomes of the AFREC’s 1st Training in Wind Energy Technologies, which
was held at the Zafarana Wind Farms in Egypt in March 2010, was the demand of the
trainees from the African Member States to get good training courses in Wind Resource
Assessment since it represents the first step in making decisions for installing wind farms.
The Minister of Electricity and Energy of Egypt, who presided over their training graduation,
approved the request and directed NREA to undertake the responsibility of such training.
Moreover, the 1st Solar Energy Workshop which was organized by AFREC in Algiers,
Algeria, in January 2011 to validate the Solar Energy Study of the Sahara has recommended
AFREC to organize a technical training course in Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)
technologies at the 150MWe Kuraymat Integrated Solar Combined Cycle Power Plant in
Egypt. Upon this background, AFREC has adopted the organization of these training courses
in its 2011 technical program on training and capacity building.
In recent years, there is a rising expectation worldwide with regard to the role of renewable
energy technologies as a reliable source for electricity generation. Technological advances of
these power generating systems have increased the interest of many Africa countries which
are driven by a rapidly growing energy demand and dependence on overseas supplies of
fossil fuels. These factors have increased the prospects of considering these options in
national energy mixes to ensure access to affordable energy for sustainable development.
With this respect, AFREC has recognized such needs of the African Member States and their
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wishes for better understanding of the key aspects of the technical planning of renewable
energy including resource assessment, optimal siting measures, technology management,
operating staff and requirements for legal and regulatory frameworks.
Objectives
The main objective of this training course is to improve the technical capacities, transfer
knowledge and up-grade skills of technical and operational renewable energy experts in
Africa. Mastering these skills would provide better chances for attaining positive outcomes for
the national renewable energy planning. The overall objectives of both training courses
would include the following:
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Build technical capacity of the participants to support their duties in developing the
renewable energy sector in their home countries.
Expose the participants to the latest state-of-the-art in wind and solar energy
technologies with objective to gain experience and expand their knowledge base.
Enable participants to acquire new technical and planning skills in renewable energy
technologies through presentations and field orientation provided by engineers and
leading professionals in the wind and solar energy.
Provide an invaluable platform for exchange of professional and cultural experiences
among diverse participants from around Africa.
Provide adequate explanations to such issues as know-how and know-why about
wind and solar energy technologies.
Contribute to the Africa’s overall development and expansion of renewable energy
utilization for power generation.
Fulfill the overall objectives of the African Union for supporting the socioeconomic
development of the Africa.
The Training Setting
The course will be conducted in a net duration of three days from 21st to 23rd December
2015. The training topics include presentations, lectures with case studies, success stories
and field orientations. The three days period will be divided into three parts: the first day will
cover theoretical topics at the headquarters of the Egyptian NREA while the next two days
will be spent on the field for technical orientation of which the second day will be at the
Zafarana Wind Farms while the third day at the Kuraymat CSP power plant. The daily
sessions starts at 9:00 am to 04:00 pm with intermittent breaks for refreshments and lunch.
Each course will offer a good foundation of technical principles of wind and solar
technologies along with improved understanding of critical factors of project implementation
including technical viability and investment opportunities. The course will support the African
governments’ policies with regard to scenarios of renewable energy development at the
national level and facilitate platforms for dialogue and open exchange of views and
experiences with senior policy makers and engineers across Africa. The course will also help
in providing good bases for the know-how and know-why and pave the way for setting up
viable wind farms and solar projects.
Training: Grid-Connected Wind Farms
1) Specific Objectives:
The specific objectives of the training on wind energy resource assessment include:
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Develop a strong understanding of the fundamentals of wind energy resource
assessment along with applications, standards and certification.
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Know about modern techniques for collecting wind resource data and refining
methodologies.
Review equipment and devices for measuring wind speeds, especially the new and
digital anemometers, and their calibration techniques.
Analyze and assess wind resources based on data available from various sources
and prepare wind energy density maps, atlases, and other references.
Learn how to monitor the field performance of wind power systems and establish
updated data bank on a continuous basis which could serve as information center.
Review the Egypt’s experience in the preparation of the National Wind Energy Atlas
and understand the techniques and methodology in the preparation of the Atlas.
Course Outlines:
The six-day course of wind energy resource assessment provides an overview covering the
following topics:
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Wind Energy Overview
Wind Resources Assessment, measurements and Techniques
Measuring Equipment: Anemometers (Mechanical, Electronic, Digital, Calibration,
Data Extraction & Analysis, etc.)
Computer-based Data Analysis and Refining
Energy Production Estimates: Statistical Techniques
Wind Energy Output
Energy Power Relationship
Siting Issues
Wind Towers
Wind Turbine Components, Installation and Performance Characteristics
Control System and Engineering Monitor
Wind Farms Installation, Operation and Management
National Experiences and Best Practices of African Member States.
Training: Solar PV and Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Technologies:
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Specific Objectives:
The specific objectives of the training on PV and CSP technologies include:
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Understand the basic theory, engineering and principles of the technologies.
Improve knowledge base with regard to components and technical operations of gridconnected PV and CSP plants.
Get engineering and technical orientation and become familiar with the “best
practices” in the operation of PV and CSP technologies for power generation.
Learn how to develop PV and CSP projects and design policies to support renewable
energy development in the continent.
Enhance own capacity to develop an Action Plan to implement renewable energy
projects.
Establish a network and build professional relationships with your fellow participants
and leading renewable energy specialists, policymakers and energy experts.
Course Outlines:
The course on PV and CSP gives an overview covering the following multi-disciplinary
topics:
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Assessment of Solar Resource for PV and CSP Plants (DNI Issues)
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Solar Radiation Measurement and Estimation
Types and Characteristics of PV and CSP Plants
Fundamental configurations of PV and Solar Thermal Power Plants
Technical Operation of PV and CSP Plants
Hybridization of PV and CSP Plants
Thermal Storage for CSP Plants
Installation of PV and CSP Projects
Economics of CSP Plants
Policy, Environmental & Regulatory Issues
National Experiences and Best Practices of African Member States.
Venue
The training courses will be provided at the following sites:
1. The Compound of NREA in Cairo for theoretical training, presentations and lectures
(one day, first day);
2. The 530MWe Zafarana Wind Farms (120 km) on the Suez Canal of the Red Sea for
technical and engineering orientation of wind resources interconnection with wind
turbines and power generation (one day, second day); and
3. The Kuraymat 150MWe Integrated Solar Combined Cycle Power Plant (90 km) south
of Cairo for technical orientation on CSP plant (parabolic trough) in a hybrid
configuration with gas combined cycle power plant (one day, third day).
Target Groups
Participants will arrive with relevant backgrounds including senior renewable energy experts,
policy makers/planners or electrical engineers in areas of wind power generation, solar
thermal power generation, renewable energy resources or energy planning. They come
mainly from government agencies, electric utilities or research institutes.
Papers and Presentations
Each delegation of a Member State is expected to present a country presentation on the
potential and prospects of wind and solar energy in their countries. The presentations will
seek to highlight key features of wind and solar energy project development, technology
status and the current and future initiatives. Participants are also encouraged to submit the
following as part of the training materials:
1. Tabulated annual averages of wind and solar resource,
2. Wind and solar resource maps of the country on national or regional levels, and
3. Any publications, reports, papers, magazines or government reports on wind and
solar energy situation in the country. This is to support an AFREC’s project to develop
a wind and solar databases as part of the African Energy Information System and
Database project.
Expected Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the training, participants will be able to:
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Explain the characteristics of wind resources, solar radiation, data management and
processing and power plants site selection.
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Strength ability to explain and design wind and solar resources maps and gain ideas
on how to design resource Atlases at national level.
Describe the components of wind and solar power technologies for electricity
generators and configurations of wind farms and CSP hybrid systems.
Understand the physical and engineering aspects of wind turbines and CSP plants.
Estimate the generated power of wind and CSP plants and their economic costs.
Acquire knowledge on how to conduct a feasibility analysis for installing wind
turbines/farms and CSP technologies for power generation.
Demonstrate competency in assessing economic, policy and environmental impacts
of wind and solar power systems.
Resource Materials
Participants will receive a number of resource materials for the training course, including:
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Technical and training materials prepared by NREA.
Wind and solar energy maps of some African countries,
Relevant publications of wind and CSP technologies released by international
institutions, and
Some AFREC’s relevant publications and recent releases.
Training Languages
The training will be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into French.
Graduation
Upon successful completion of these training courses, the participants will receive certificates
acknowledging their successful attendants.
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