Swiss company ABB is supply a microgrid and energy storage system to Empresa de Electricidade da Madeira to integrate wind and solar power on the Portuguese island of Porto Santo.
The ABB Ability PowerStore solution and Microgrid Plus automation system will allow the Madeira utility to raise the island’s share of renewables to 30% from 15% currently.
ABB’s software, automation and control technologies will also stabilise the power system to address fluctuations in frequency and voltage caused by intermittent supply.
The island of Porto Santo has a population of about 5500, which quadruples during the summer holiday season with visitors.
In order to meet the enhanced electricity demand, EEM plans major investments into renewable power generation, such as photovoltaic and wind, with the long-term goal of completely replacing fossil fuels with clean energy.