Madeira Large-scale replication action plan

The purpose of the deliverable D7.5 is to assist on setting a large-scale replication action plan that can be adapted in more than one European (follower) island, within its specificities and technical constraints, and systematically assessing and replicating the successful demonstration activities and results that were reached by INSULAE’s UC6 and UC7 site pilots implemented in Madeira (lighthouse) Island. The main goal here is to maximize its impact and expand its reach to European islands level, whenever possible and applicable.

Additionally, this deliverable identifies key components of INSULAE project that are deemed replicable across various settings and contexts of European islands. These key components comprise from smart electric mobility topics, to support the local electrical system operator, until innovative energy storage systems and power electronics matters for the stabilization of less resilient grids and remote microgrids.

The electrical power system of Madeira Island is non-interconnected with mainland Europe and there is also no connection to the neighboring island of Porto Santo. The daily management of this electrical system has several constraints when we address subjects such as security of (demand) supply, grid stability (frequency/voltage regulation) and high penetration of (intermittent) renewable energy sources, among others. Moreover, high investment costs are expected in remote and less resilient areas, to achieve good electricity quality of service (QoS) patterns.

The first use case (UC6) for Madeira, located in 4 different sites of the island, namely in Funchal and Calheta Municipalities, was devoted to demonstrate the benefits coming from the flexibility services that different distribution and technologies of electric vehicles (EV) charging stations can provide, as well as the possibility to increase the renewable energy sources (RES) share on the electricity production of the local grid, without putting in jeopardy all the associated system. In this sense, the primary objectives included:

• The smart charging pilot area with 2 fast charging solutions with advanced capabilities for smart charging and load sharing with a Control Management System (CMS) for managing these and other chargers included in this UC (site 1 in Funchal);

• The development of a grid connected fully SiC (2x25) kW (charge/discharge) EV V2G Fast Smart Charger (site 2 in Funchal);

• 3 (three) Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) solutions of 10.7 kW (charge/discharge). These charging stations assured local functionalities for interface with the electrical vehicle(s) and also with external platforms in order to jointly deploy smart charging strategies. It was also tested the implementation of new grid support functionalities such as frequency support within this selected area for demonstration in Madeira Island (site 3 in Funchal and site 4 in Calheta).

The second use case (UC7) in Madeira (lighthouse) island, was deployed in “Curral das Freiras” (Câmara de Lobos Municipality), a rural area in a deep valley, characterized by a long and radial medium voltage (MV) network at 6.6 kV and a low voltage (LV) distribution grid (400/230 V). This area is electrically fed by 2 different substations (SE Santa Quitéria (± 7.6 km far away) and SE Cabo Girão (± 8.5 km far away) – 6.6 kV network) with 1 feeder each. The SE Cabo Girão feeder capacity is lower than 50% of “Curral das Freiras” load needs, while SE Santa Quitéria has the potential to feed 100% of its load. The long distance associated with the voltage level sometimes leads to large voltage drops.

On the other hand, in the (N-1) criteria (main feeder loss), does not allow EEM to supply the entire load in case of loss of the main feeder.

The approach that has been followed aimed to ensure an improvement in the security of the island’s electrical energy system, by integrating innovative smart grid technologies in remote areas of the island’s distribution network, combining advanced monitoring and control solutions for an advanced management and coordination of locally highly integrated systems that use innovative energy storage system and power electronics.

In this sense, the following benefits were demonstrated:

• Deployment of a 100 kWh / 100 kWh BESS installation, including battery inverter and ES controller, providing algorithms for grid stabilization and islanding mode (local school);

• Smart monitoring and control of LV micro grids. Innovative functional modules, namely a Micro Grid Management System (MGMS) was integrated, within the local electrical network. Moreover, it was provided real-time control functions through a remote interaction controller;

• An Energy Storage Scheduling Tool for Optimal Battery Life (ESSTOBL) was provided to optimise battery scheduling according to the aging profile of the battery unit. More specifically, from MGMS, the ESSTOBL tool received a required day-ahead BESS schedule that best served the LV Microgrid’s requirements. According to the type and profile of the battery, an optimization process based upon a dynamic aging model of the battery units conciliates the flexibility limits of the BESS and the required day-ahead BESS schedule from the MGMS. Additionally, ESSTOBL is equipped with a real-time monitoring tool that, in case of divergence from the optimised BESS schedule, it adjusts the schedule by running the aforementioned algorithmic sequence, based on real-time load and distributed energy resources (DER) generation measurements. This solution allows the advanced monitoring and coordination of DER assets, when applicable, including RES and energy storage, to support grid’s operation in order to improve the technical quality of service (QoS) and the system’s reliability, in zones of the island where the less resilient grid connections compromise the distribution of electricity, while contributing to the decarbonisation.

The following document emphasizes the anticipated positive outcomes of replicating the initiative of UC6 and UC7 pilots, both for the direct beneficiary and for the wider technical context. It also highlights the potential of scalability of these demonstration activities, while the core principles of INSULAE project remain valid, even though adaptation to local contexts and local stakeholder needs is crucial for the outcome of the replication. Last but not least, this deliverable also outlines the challenges that were faced to ensure active engagement of key stakeholders of the island, this also being an essential requirement for its successful (large-scale) replication.