Vortex together with Bristol based consultancy Everoze have won a contract with the World Bank Group to map the world’s wind resource in greater detail than ever before. Based on mesoscale modelling to capture important regional trends, the atlas will be further downscaled by DTU and is scheduled to go live by the end of 2017. The engagement will also see the consortium deliver a wide spectrum of development support in a number of emerging economies, from country-level analysis and wind development zone identification through to individual bankable site assessment and due diligence review.

R&D Director at Vortex, Gil Lizcano commented “This will be the most advanced global wind atlas produced to date, making use of the ever improving input data and modelling innovations at Vortex. But this is about more than just clever computer models – a programme of capacity building and training will ensure the right skills and expertise are transferred, as well as world class data and modelling.”

Founding Partner at Everoze Richard Whiting said “We are hugely excited to be working on this project. We believe it is possible for economies which currently depend on unreliable and expensive diesel generators to leap-frog the rest of the world - building an energy system around clean and affordable renewables. This initiative will help deliver some of the key data and support needed to realise this vision.”

A successful kick-off training session was held in Washington DC in early May, where energy experts from the World Bank Group where given an outline of wind project development, construction and operations by the consortium.