联合国日前公布的新的风能分布图显示，包括中国和尼加拉瓜在内的广大发展中国家应用风力发电的潜力大大超出以往预计。

    据路透社12月4日报道，正在加拿大蒙特利尔参加联合国气候变化会议的联合国环境规划署的汤姆·哈姆林表示：“我们的研究显示，（发展中国家）13％的陆地拥有（风力）开发潜力”。他说，根据此前的估计，只有百分之一的发展中国家被认为具有充足的风力资源，这种结论阻碍了其他发展中国家政府和投资者开发无污染能源的积极性，这些新能源可以被用来替代传统的石油、煤炭或天然气。

    新的风能分布图——一项耗资930万美元的研究项目的一部分，是利用卫星、气球等资料模拟19个发展中国家风能状况而绘制成。与此次不同的是，以往对于风力潜能的估计来自气象观测站的数据。但发展中国家的此类观测站并不是建在风力最大的地点，而是建在树林、建筑物或飞机场上。哈姆林认为，树林和建筑物会阻挡风力，机场上风力又始终如一，因此“以往的天气资料缺乏可靠性，并且常常比实际情况偏低”。比如，尼加拉瓜政府上世纪80年代时估计本国风能仅为200兆瓦，而新的风能分布图显示该国风能为4万兆瓦，大致相当于40座核电站。

    在新的风能分布图所包括的国家中，尼加拉瓜、蒙古和越南的风能潜力最大，这些国家将近40％的陆地适合风力发电。

    哈姆林说，作为《太阳能、风能资源评估》的一部分，新的风能分布图有望帮助贫穷国家找出应对高额进口石油的办法。

    这项研究认为，适合开发风力发电地区的标准是，每平方米陆地面积可以产生300瓦电力，也就意味着地表以上50米高处的风速须达到每秒至少6.4米至7米。

    本次联合国气候变化大会于11月28日至12月9日在蒙特利尔举行。会议宗旨是探讨如何防止全球变暖，使用矿物燃料导致温室气体聚集被认为是其主要祸因。

    Windmills have far bigger than expected potential for generating electricity in the Third World, according to new U.N. wind maps of countries from China to Nicaragua.

    "Our studies show about 13 percent of the land area has potential for development," Tom Hamlin of the U.N. Environment Program told Reuters on the fringes of a U.N. climate conference.

    Previously, he said, maybe just 1 percent of developing nations was judged sufficiently windy, discouraging governments and investors from considering the nonpolluting source as an alternative to burning oil, coal or natural gas.

    The new maps, part of a $9.3 million study, use data from satellites, balloons and other sources to model winds in 19 developing nations.

    In the past, wind potential was based on data from meteorological stations that were often built in Third World countries too close to trees or buildings which braked winds.

    Or winds were typically gauged at airports -- not built in the windiest locations. "It's very consistent," Hamlin said. "The weather data was not reliable and generally low."

    Among the nations surveyed, Nicaragua, Mongolia and Vietnam had the greatest potential with about 40 percent of the land area suitable for windmills.

    Least promising was Bangladesh, with just 0.2 percent of the land area suited to windmills, along with countries including Cuba and Ghana.

    Hamlin said the U.N. maps, part of the Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment, could help poor nations facing high bills for oil imports. "A lot of what's really driving investments is the price of oil," he said.

    In Nicaragua, for instance, the government in the 1980s estimated the nation's wind power potential at just 200 megawatts. The U.N. map estimates its potential at 40,000 megawatts, a rough equivalent of 40 nuclear power plants.

    The study defines suitable areas as those that could generate 300 watts per square meter (10.8 square feet), needing winds of at least 6.4-7.0 meters (21-23 feet) per second at 50 meters (164 feet) above the ground.

    The U.N. talks, from November 28 to December 9, are looking at ways to step up a fight against global warming, widely blamed on a buildup of heat-trapping gases released by burning fossil fuels.