ABB has delivered and commissioned a microgrid control solution that enables the island of Faial in the Atlantic ocean to add more wind energy to its power mix without destabilizing the network.
Faial is one of nine volcanic islands in the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago located midway between Europe and North America, about 1,500 kilometers from the mainland. The island of 15,000 inhabitants has an electricity network which operates as a self-contained microgrid, powered by six oil-fired generators that produce up to 17MW of electric power. The local power utility, Electricidade dos Acores (EDA) has installed five wind turbines as part of its efforts to boost capacity by more than 25 per cent and minimize environmental impact on Faial. The control solution will calculate the most economical configuration, ensure balance between supply and demand, maximize the integration of wind energy and optimize the generators so that the entire system performs at peak potential. The integration of wind energy combined with ABB's innovative solution will save an estimated 3.5 million liters of fuel per year.
