SEV, the power company serving the Faroe Islands, has selected Hitachi Energy’s battery energy storage system to enable a transition to 100% renewable energy by 2030.
SEV has selected a BESS solution rated at 6MW/7.5MWh for a new project integrating the 6.3MW Porkeri wind farm into the local grid of the southern most island, Suðuroy.
This move will maximise the iconic archipelago’s use of available wind energy and help it move closer to its long-term sustainable energy goal.
SEV is the main power supplier in the Faroe Islands, operating on 17 of the 18 islands of the archipelago.
Isolated in the North Atlantic Ocean and home to more than 50,000 people, the rocky, volcanic islands have no choice but to be self-sufficient in terms of electricity generation as the Faroese electrical grid is not interconnected to neighbouring countries.
In 2018, SEV reported that 49% of power generation came from renewable sources.
In order to maximise these investments, SEV sought to add a BESS solution for greater reliability and resiliency.
In addition to integrating the wind farm, the BESS also reduces both diesel consumption and CO2 emissions, while improving power quality.
The system can also be used for black start and islanding operations, when the thermal diesel powerplant is in standby mode and the wind farm is feeding clean energy to the island.