7 MW/7 MWh BESS solar plant in Corsica for Akuo Energy, France
PROJECT SUMMARY
- Project: Solar power generation and Energy Storage System
- Location: Corsica, Mediterranean Sea
- Application: Solar plant with energy storage
NIDEC'S ROLE
The Power Conversion System supplied by Nidec ASI enables Akuo Energy to convert power generated by its solar panels into AC voltage for transmission to the grid.
According to the standards of the French Grid, a part of the produced solar energy is converted into DC power to be stored in three batteries on hand. This energy will be injected into the grid following a flat profile of production.
Energy Management System software links the PLC to predictive production according to data from weather forecasts and active power instructions received from the grid.
The charging and discharging of the batteries are controlled by separate DC/DC converters, each of which is dedicated to a group of batteries with its own battery management system.
Nidec ASI realized the entire plant as an EPC Contractor
Scope of Supply
THE CHALLENGE
To generate and store renewable solar energy that can be sold on the power grid
Corsica, a French island with less than a 320 000 permanent inhabitants and a peak around 650 000 residents in the summertime, is located in the Mediterranean Sea. Corsica has an abundant supply of sunshine making it an excellent candidate for solar power generation.
Akuo Energy, a French renewable energy power producer, sought to support the island’s electricity needs by generating a predictable supply of solar energy that it could store and sell to the public power distribution grid.
THE SOLUTION
Solar production and energy storage system
Among Akuo Energy’s projects to increase Corsica Island’s energy supply is a 7 MW photovoltaic plant, coupled with an energy storage system. The solution includes a programmable logical controller (PLC) that helps balance the power generation with the load requirements, dispatching the power to the grid according to power demand and quality requirements.
The solution is designed to generate enough electricity to power nearly 3,500 households and lower carbon emissions by nearly 4.5 tons a year.