FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS OF PUMPING SYSTEMS DRIVEN BY WIND ENERGY FOR IRRIGATION IN THE VALLEY OF São FRANCISCO

Abstract

Irrigated fruit production in Brazil has the São Francisco Valley as its trading hub, which is well know both nationally and internationally. Its economy is based in part on irrigated fruit farming, where there is considerable energy consumption in pumping systems for irrigation. This is the reason of increasing energy tariffs and making agricultural place production more expensive. The feasibility of water pumping systems through wind energy in the São Francisco Valley was statistically analyzed, which can bring great energy savings and a decrease in the environmental impact of this region. It also can require less from the Sobradinho hydroelectric plant. The objective of this research was to study the wind behavior in the São Francisco Valley region, to compare this wind behavior with the energy consumption demand of the Nilo Coelho Irrigation District - DINC, with the intention of creating the possibility of installing a wind farm in the region, reducing costs and environmental impact. Wind data were collected through the anemometric tower of the National Environmental Data Organization System - SONDA, with wind speed sensors at 25 and 50 meters high, located in Petrolina, and the DINC consumption demand was provided by the manager in charge. Based on the results, it was found that the region has the capacity to install a wind farm, containing 15 wind turbines of 2 MW power at 100 meters high, supplying the DINC's energy production needs and saving an amount of BRL 4,143,583,037 per year.