When completed, the “Graciosa” hybrid renewable power plant will provide 1 MW of solar power and 4.5 MW of wind power to the local grid, reducing the island’s dependence on the import of fossil fuels and significantly reducing GHG emissions.
Greensmith Energy (GEMS), part of the Wärtsilä technology group, will deliver an integrated energy management system based on the industry-leading Greensmith Energy Management System (GEMS) software for this microgrid power installation. This installation is a part of the Portuguese company Graciolica Lda´s order and is backed by its parent company Recharge of Denmark.
The hybrid renewable power plant will be located on the island of La Graciosa, north of the Azores, a Portuguese autonomous region, and will combine solar and wind generation with energy storage using lithium-ion batteries supplied by Leclanché.
GEMS is a system encompassing smart energy applications that focus on monitoring and managing storage plants and hybrid power plants comprised of energy storage and thermal, wind and / or solar generation. It will balance Graciosa’s electrical system by managing the inevitable fluctuations in power delivery inherent to renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, Wärtsilä explains in a statement.
Hybrid renewable power plant
“Our investment will help create a new renewable energy asset that will provide both economic and environmental benefits. This project represents the future direction of the global energy sector with an integrated energy system that combines renewables and energy storage, “said Scott Macaw, director of Graciolica and Recharge.
“We are pleased to work along with Graciolica and Recharge on this important project in the Azores to enable a successful transition to renewable sources in an isolated network” saids John Jung, President and CEO of Greensmith Energy.
“In addition to the advanced energy storage technology for which we are well known, we help a growing number of energy companies and developers to integrate and maximize varied grid resources through GEMS– our industry-leading software platform,” he added.
Greensmith will also provide software maintenance services under a five-year agreement. The plant is expected to be fully operational by mid 2018.
