The Brief

In the year 2000, Libya’s state energy supplier GECOL (General Electric Company of Libya) began its search for experts to assist the company with the development of the county’s wind energy potential and to participate in the construction of the first wind farm. A German-Danish consortium provided support for the project in form of practical expertise and knowledge transfer. For the design and realisation of a 25 MW pilot wind farm, four phases were defined, ranging from the identification of suitable potential sites and the installation of wind measurement masts to the installation and erection of the wind energy equipment. All phases were accompanied by scientific training programmes, software training and practical experience for the Libyan engineers at the European partner firms.

Approach and Results

The main aim in phase I was the identification of several sites with sufficient wind potential for a 25 MW pilot wind farm, followed by the selection of a specific site. Measurement masts were installed at a number of sites in order to monitor wind conditions over a 12 month period. Phase I was completed with the analysis of the measurement data and its subsequent modelling, which allowed the site with the best wind resources to be identified.

Phase II covered the establishment of the technical specifications for all the components of the pilot wind farm: wind energy plant machinery, site access, dimensions of the power grid connections etc. When drawing up these specifications, local factors such as the availability of certain materials and climatic conditions (high temperatures, impact of sandstorms) needed to be taken into account. Towards the end of phase II, the tender documents for complete delivery and turn-key installation of the 25 MW wind farm were prepared.

During project phase III, the bids submitted for the equipment, construction and electrical engineering work were reviewed and recommendations were made on the basis of the specifications defined in phase II.

Finally, phase IV consisted of the installation, start up and monitoring of the wind farm. This phase is still on-going.

The Company

As one of the above-mentioned partners, the consultancy firm CUBE Engineering GmbH took over the lead role in the areas of project management, site location, wind resources assessment, consultancy reports, tendering and contract negotiations, and oversaw the selection and installation of the wind energy machinery in the final phase. The company, established in the early 1990s and an independent consultancy accredited by the DAP, is notable for its many years of international experience in the field of wind energy. With corporate headquarters in Kassel, Hamburg and Husum (Germany) and other European offices now operating in Edinburgh and Bucharest, the firm provides independent and scientifically-based expertise and is compliant with international guidelines and standards.