On Friday, October 30, Think Smartgrids organized a webinar on microgrids and the challenges of their replicability, in partnership with the French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) and the French-speaking energy regulators network (RegulaE.Fr). This was an opportunity to take stock of recently deployed projects, that aim to meet a growing demand for energy access for isolated territories or buildings, while offering affordable, low-carbon solutions. The smart grids technologies used to operate these micro-grids also provide greater security, energy resilience and reduced electrical losses.
This event, introduced by Valérie-Anne Lencznar, CEO of Think Smartgrids, and moderated by Thomas Bazin, Strategic Account Executive of Schneider electric and President of the association’s International Commission, presented different feedbacks and gave the main keys to success of a microgrid project.
Catherine Edwige, Commissioner of the French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) and President of RegulaE.Fr, introduced the webinar by presenting the actions of the French CRE regarding these micro-grids. The role of the CRE is to define the regulated tariffs for the sale of electricity to consumers of micro-grids, to calculate the public service charges for energy or to evaluate the level of compensation of the electricity production units. Ms. Edwige then presented several models of micro-grids operating with 100% renewable energy, on Sein Island, Reunion Island and in French Guyana, stressing the importance in such projects of accompanying the consumer and conducting energy demand management campaigns.
On the African continent, where nearly half of the population was still without electricity in 2017, the development of micro-grids is a major challenge in providing universal access to energy. The extension of national grids to isolated areas is often unthinkable because of its cost, and micro-grids can also provide solutions to isolated industrial sites, as well as public buildings (hospitals, schools, etc.) in peri-urban areas where access to the central grid is limited. Claude Gbêdonougbo GBAGUIDI, President of the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ARE) of Benin and 1st Vice-President of RegulaE.Fr, presented the context and the regulatory framework of micro-grids in Benin. He highlighted the favorable environment for off-grid electrification in the country thanks to favorable laws guaranteeing especially subsidies. 66 mini-grids have already been built and should soon be put out to tender for sustainable operation by private operators.
Also in Benin, Blue Solutions, a subsidiary of the Bolloré Group, has deployed 12 mini-solar networks coupled with innovative storage solutions, as part of a consortium that includes Générale du Solaire and ARESS (Benin’s energy operator). For Antonia Orsoni, head of Blue Solutions’ off-grid market, the success of a microgrid project notably requires adapting the technical solutions to the context and environment in which it will be deployed. One of Blue Solutions’ strengths is its very solid battery, which enables it to meet the constraints of a complex and isolated site while guaranteeing better environmental performances, with no air conditioning, no organic solvents or rare earths, high recyclability and great robustness, particularly in the face of high temperatures.
In the state of Para in Brazil, Omexom has deployed a project for mini photovoltaic power plants as part of the federal program for access to energy for isolated sites in the Amazon, “Luz para Todos”. There are 1408 off-grid mini power plants deployed on sites with strong logistical and environmental constraints, comprising solar panels with a power of 1.3 kWp and 6 kWh batteries guaranteeing 2 days of autonomy. Anoucheh Bellefleur, Market Development Project Manager at Omexom, insisted on the importance of cost optimization to guarantee the accessibility of such projects and recalled that one of Omexom’s strengths on site was to have been able to use local Brazilian teams (more than 80% of jobs in the project are local), familiar with the environment. Indeed, micro-grids require reliable local partnerships over the long term.
Finally, Bruno Prestat, Director of R&D at EDF, spoke about the innovative microgrid demonstrator MASERA (Microgrid for Affordable and Sustainable Electricity in Remote Areas) deployed on Semakau Island, and initiated as part of a partnership between Enedis and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. This demonstrator, which provides a decarbonized electrical energy with 100 kilowatts of production capacity, has been operational for two years and is operating autonomously. EDF thus aims to deploy efficient, low-cost and sustainable micro-grids for rural and isolated areas in Southeast Asia. One of the ambitious objectives of the electricity company is to offer 100% renewable electricity, without blackouts, at a price equivalent to or lower than that of local market prices. Feedback from the project is already very instructive, and according to Bruno Prestat, EDF now wants to quickly move on to marketing the various solutions, which is the main objective of this large-scale demonstrator.
Think Smartgrids has been involved for several years in the field of micro-grids, notably through its partnership with the NTU of Singapore, which contributed to the birth of the MASERA project. Micro-grids are an essential solution for providing universal and low-carbon access to energy, and the French smart grids industry already has a number of successful use cases to its credit.