Greensmith Energy, which is part of the technology group Wärtsilä, is providing Graciolica Lda’s microgrid power facility in the Azores with 1MW of solar and 4.5MW of wind power. This power is supplied to the local electricity grid.
The company will deliver an integrated energy management system based on its industry-leading Greensmith Energy Management System (GEMS) software for the power facility.
The power will help to reduce the islands’ reliance on imported fossil fuels and significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The order, placed by Portuguese project company Graciolica Lda and supported by its majority shareholder, Denmark-based Recharge A/S was booked in December 2017.
The Graciosa Hybrid Renewable Power Plant, located on the island of Graciosa in the northern part of the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal, will combine solar and wind generation, together with energy storage using lithium-ion batteries supplied by Leclanché SA.
GEMS embodies intelligent energy applications that focus on monitoring and operating energy storage power plants and hybrid power plants formed by energy storage, thermal generation, wind, and solar. GEMS, approved by Graciolica’s end client EDA, will balance the Graciosa power system to accommodate the inevitable fluctuations in output that are inherent to energy supplied from renewable sources such as solar and wind.
Graciolica Lda and Recharge A/S director Scott Macaw said: “Our investment will help create a renewable energy asset that will deliver both economic and environmental benefits.
“This project represents the future direction of the global energy sector with an integrated power system combining renewables and energy storage.
“We appreciate Greensmith’s professionalism in providing the software needed to expand the functionality of the microgrid to create overall system reliability and performance.”
Greensmith Energy president and CEO John Jung stated: “We are delighted to partner with Graciolica and Recharge on this important project in the Azores to enable the successful transition to renewable resources on an island grid.
“Beyond the advanced energy storage technology we are known for, we help a growing number of power companies and developers integrate and maximise a diverse mix of grid resources using our industry-leading GEMS software platform.”
Greensmith will also provide software maintenance services under a five-year agreement. The plant is expected to become fully operational in mid-2018.
Wärtsilä closed the acquisition of Greensmith Energy Management Systems Inc in July 2017. Greensmith is a leading energy storage integrator with over 150MW deployed in North America. Greensmith provides a full range of solutions, including the turnkey delivery of storage systems complete with software controls to maximise returns for system owners/operators.