Volume 2: Innovative Solutions for Energy Transitions: Part I

Systematic Assessment of Using Small Wind Turbines to Power Remote Oil Extraction in China Zi Lin, Xiaolei Liu

Abstract

The mix of energy supply worldwide has changed dramatically in the last few decades. In order to tackle climate change, there has been a clear movement from fossil fuels towards renewable and sustainable energy sources. Wind energy, for example, has generated 98% of Scottish electricity demand in October 2018, which has established a world-class record. On the other hand, non-renewable energies (such as oil and gas), which are not environmentally friendly, are still being recognized as the primary source of energy. This confrontation may be solved through tight integration of fossil and renewable sources. In this paper, wind sources in the Daqing oilfield of China are critically assessed to identify the potentials of using small wind turbines (SWTs) to support local oil production in remote sites. A wind power model has been built based on a one-year meteorological database. The modeling results suggested that over 80% of the original annual costs of power generation could be saved by using wind energy for oil extraction in a remote site at Daqing oilfield.

Keywords Oil production; Small wind turbines (SWTs); Remote power supply