Prospects of wind energy in Chittagong

Bangladesh is situated between 20°34' and 26°38' north latitude, 88°01' & 92°41' east longitude with an area of 147570 sq.km. It has a 724 km of coastal line along the Bay of Bengal [1]. The average population is 2917.6/sq. mile [2]. The electricity demand is nearly 6000MW but the country currently generate 4500MW [3]. Only 49% of the total population can access the electricity, the per capita energy use is 180kW-h, which is one of the lowest in the region [3].To meet this demand usually fossil fuels like coal, gas, diesel etc. are used as energy resources. But still there are not any reliable resources as fossil fuels are nonrenewable [4]. As Bangladesh has a long coastal line along the Bay of Bengal, so wind energy technology can be used as one of the major reliable energy resource. Now, the coastal line of Chittagong is along with the major portion of Bay of Bengal. So, there is a huge possibility of producing power using wind energy in Chittagong. In this paper, feasibility study of wind energy in Chittagong is discussed including the calculations of the number of wind turbines needed for the available sites and with the analysis of investment, operation and maintenance cost for those sites.