ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Environ. Sci.
Sec. Environmental Informatics and Remote Sensing
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2025.1635961
Site selection evaluation of transmission lines in desert areas based on wind-sand physics
Provisionally accepted
- 1Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- 2State Grid Economic and Technological Research Institute Co.， Ltd., Beijing, China
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With the rapid global expansion of wind and photovoltaic power generation in desert regions, strategic transmission line routing transmission lines selection has become crucial for effective renewable energy delivery. This study develops a new evaluation framework for transmission lines siting in desert environments through wind-blown sand dynamics analysis. Leveraging global desert distribution data and ERA5-Land reanalysis ECMWF Reanalysis v5 Land(ERA5-Land) wind field data (2001-2020), we quantified 20-year sand drift potential patterns and established a comprehensive scoring system for infrastructure suitability assessment. The study findings reveal that global desert sand movement exhibits distinct spatial distribution patterns. Temporally, all monitored regions demonstrate a continuous intensification of sand drift potential, with South Americashowing the most rapid growth rate, while Asia and Africa maintain relatively stable patterns. The developed scoring system effectively identifies optimal transmission lines selection through multivariate analysis of aeolian processes. This methodology provides decision-makers with science-based tools for energy infrastructure planning in aeolianactive regions, particularly supporting sustainable development of desert renewable energy projects.
Keywords: transmission lines selection, Sand drift potential, ERA5-Land data, global desert, Scoring system
Received: 28 May 2025; Accepted: 29 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Dai, Wang, Zhu and Dun. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Hongchao Dun, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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