Genset Meeting Madrid 2018

MW SCALE SOLAR PV HYBRID PLANTS IN RURAL AFRICA:

OPPORTUNITIES AND STATE OF THE ART

PLANTAS HÍBRIDAS FV DE GRAN ESCALA EN LA ÁFRICA RURAL:

OPORTUNIDADES Y ESTADO DEL ARTE

Xavier Vallvé and Jeremy Muiruri

Trama TecnoAmbiental
xavier.vallve@tta.com.es
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INTRODUCTION: TTA Profile

• SME - Founded in Barcelona in 1986

• Units in Brazil (Sao Paulo) and Kenya (Nairobi)
• Reference in multiuser micro grids with solar hybrid generation for rural electrification –
Off-grid practitioners since 1987

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INTRODUCTION: Clients

Public and private developers, contractors, electric utilities, governments,

major multilateral and bilateral financing institutions.
Among these ones:

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INTRODUCTION: Areas of Expertise and Service Type

Areas of expertise Service Type

Consultancy: regulatory framework,

Solar PV Hybrid plants technical assistance, pre-feasibility study,
feasibility study, business model,
Solar PV off-grid (Minigrids) Tariff setting, client policy,
Solar PV off-grid (Solar Home Systems) Technical specifications, procedures & protocol…
Solar PV grid-connected
Engineering
Energy Efficiency & sustainable buildings
Training
Biomass, Hydro, Wind, GSHP
Turn-key projects (EPC)
O&M

Our Patented Product: Smart Meter Electricity Dispenser

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Track-record in rural Solar PV Microgrids

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SOLAR PV HYDRID PLANTS
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Off-Grid HYBRIDIZATION: WHAT IS THIS ABOUT?

• “Hybrid Plant”
– It means that more than one primary source
Traditionally
of generation is been used (solar, wind,
diesel…)

• Hybridization
– Often referred to the process of integrating PV only
renewable energy sources into a genset based
power plant.

PV and battery and wind

Source: Notholt, A.; Vallvé, X. Hibridación Fotovoltaica de plantas térmicas. La Paz, Bolivia, Julio 2017

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CLASSIFICATION
Category Indicative PV PV capacity/ Attributes
energy fraction load ratio
• Genset(s) always on during duty cycle
• Little or no PV curtailment
Low < 20% < 50% • No supervisory controller needed
• Low capital costs and high internal rate of return (IRR)
• No impact: low environmental benefits and low savings
• Genset(s) always on during duty cycle
• Simple controller
Medium 20% - 50% > 50%
• Small storage for power stability and spinning reserve
• Substantial benefit
• Genset(s) not always on
• Requires sophisticated controller for grid regulation and control
> 50% • Requires batteries for PV energy time shifting
• High CAPEX, low OPEX
• High benefits
High >150%
• Genset as backup/emergency
Autonomous • Requires sophisticated controller for grid regulation and control
• Requires batteries for PV energy time shifting
> 80% • High CAPEX, low OPEX
• High benefits and impact
Source: Vallvé, X. et. al. Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Hybrid Power Plants. A guideline report. CEDRO-UNDP. July 2016
 Genset Meeting Madrid 2018

EXAMPLE: HIGH SOLAR FRACTION MICROGRIDS (< 100 KVA)

Genset as backup
LV transmission & distribution

2016 / Ghana (Pediatorkpe) 2012 / Cape Verde

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EXAMPLE: MEDIUM/HIGH SOLAR FRACTION (~ MW’s)

(step-down)

(step-up)

2018 / Eritrea (Areza, Maidma)

MV transmission and LV distribution
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 RURAL ELECTRIFICATION
OPPORTUNITIES for HYBRID
MICRO GRIDS
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OPPORTUNITIES

Africa population distribution and electricity access

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OPPORTUNITIES

POTENTIAL AREAS:

• Towns and villages

• Off-grid mining industries
• Food processing industries
• Water pumping
• Water treatment

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ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES: BATTERIES

Lead-acid Lithium-ion Nickel-Cd Sodium

Nominal energy density (Wh/kg) 25 - 50 150-200 20 to 80 120-140

Energy efficiency (%) >85 ~100 >90 95

Cycle life (number of cycles) 2000 5000 3000 4500

Depth of discharge (%) 80 80 N.A. 80

Calendar life (years) 15+ 20+ 25 10+

Operating temperatures (°C) -30 to +50 -40 to +75 -40 to +60 -30 to +60

Recycling efficiency (%) >95 50 75 N.A.

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MONITORING  SCADA
 DAS-DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS
 EMS-ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

1. Weather: 2. DC/ Array: 3. AC/ Inverters:

• Solar Irradiation - Pyranometer • DC voltage • AC voltage
• Solar radiation – Reference solar cell • DC current • AC current
• Ambient temperature – PT 100/ PT1000 • DC power • AC power
temperature sensors
• Module temperature - PT 100/ PT1000
temperature sensors
• Wind speed- anemometer

4. Battery: 5. Generators:
• Battery voltage • RPM
• Battery charge and • Voltage
discharge current • Current
• Battery temperature • Run hours
• Battery state of • Power
Charge

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 CASE STUDY:
HYBRID SOLAR
MICROGRID IN ERITREA
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PROJECT BACKGROUND

Electricity access in Eritrea: Project:

• Population: 4,5 million (2011)
• Providing clean reliable energy through hybrid
• Surface area: 117600 km2
microgrids to two towns and surrounding
• 68% have no access to electricity (2018 CIA) hamlets.
• 83% in rural areas • Expected high fraction solar PV Hybrid (~ 70%)
• Most rural population use kerosene or/and candles for • Lithium-ion batteries (8 hour autonomy)
lighting and spend more money than grid-connected
households

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PROJECT BACKGROUND

1. Location identification

2. Feasibility study

3. Demand assessment and load forecasting

4. Design and simulation

5. Procurement of components and materials

6. Construction-Civil & Electromechanical

7. Commissioning

8. Training/capacity building

9. Handover

10. Operations and maintenance

Challenge: Pilot project in less mature market

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STAKEHOLDERS

• Funding - UNDP/EU

• Government of Eritrea (MOEM and MODP)

• Utility - Eritrea Electricity Corporation (EEC)

• Community - Areza and Maidma

• EPC - SolarCentury Holdings Limited (UK)

• Owners Engineer – Trama TecnoAmbiental S.L. (ES)

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LOCATION – AREZA & MAIDMA

Areza and Maidma are towns in Zoba Debub (Debub Administrative region)

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AERIAL VIEW AREZA MAIDMA

Population
Areza & surrounding hamlets 26.270
Maidma & surrounding hamlets 16.535
TOTAL 42.805

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AREZA

MAIDMA

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FEASIBILITY STUDY

OTHER
TOWN HOUSEHOLDS TOTAL
CONSUMERS*

Areza (& surroundings) 5254 220 5474

Maidma (& surroundings) 3307 203 3510

• A feasibility study identified the number of households, population and other potential
power consumers.

• *Other consumers: churches, mosques, health centers, schools, shops, workshops, flour
mills and water pumps

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DEMAND ASSESSMENT

ESTIMATED YEARLY PEAK POWER

TOWN AVERAGE LOAD (kW)
DEMAND (MWh) DEMAND (kW)

Areza 248 1.902 415

Maidma 179 1.568 300

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PLANT DESIGN – LAYOUT AND COMPONENTS

PV GRID INVERTER

BATTERY INVERTER AND POWERPACK

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PLANT COMPONENTS
AREZA MAIDMA

3,680 x Canadian Solar CS3U- 2,916 x Canadian Solar

SOLAR PV MODULES
340P (1,25 MWp) CS3U-345P (1,00 MWp)

47 x SMA STP25000TL-30 38 x SMA STP25000TL-30

PV GRID INVERTER
(1,175 KVA) (950 KVA)

1 x Tesla Powerpack 1 x Tesla Powerpack

BATTERY INVERTER 9 power stages x50kW each 8 power stages x50kW each
(450 kW) (400 kW)

BATTERY TESLA 11 x 210 kWh/50 KVA 9 x 210 kWh / 50 KVA

POWERPACK UNIT 2.0 (2310 kWh) (1890 kWh)

GENSETS 3 x Caterpillar (220 kVA) 2 x Caterpillar (275 kVA)

DIESEL FUEL TANK 1 x 20,000 L fuel tank 1 x 20,000 L fuel tank

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AREZA SITE LAYOUT

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MONITORING
Microgrid controller: Encorp’s Microgrid System Controller™
Genset controllers: DEIF AGC 200

Communications:

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EXPECTED RESULTS FROM SIMULATION

PV Areza PV Maidma
Rated STC capacity 1250 kWp 1000 kWp
Mean output 6700 kWh/day 5630 kWh/day
Total production 2,709,865 kWh/year
PV fraction 72%
Levelized cost (project) 0,42 EUR/kWh

Areza Maidma TOTAL

Gen A1 Gen A2 Gen A3 Gen M1 Gen M2
Hours of operation/yr. 3123 2170 491 1132 76

Number of starts/ yr. 574 732 355 716 58

Electrical production
467,822 276,038 53,598 219,254 13,944 1,030,656
kWh/yr.

Fuel consumption L/yr. 132,352 79,560 15,760 62,445 4358 294,475

PvSyst and Homer software used for simulation

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SIMULATIONS: BATTERY AND GENSET CYCLE DUTY

AREZA MAIDMA

PvSyst and Homer software used for simulation

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BATTERY DUTY CYCLE SIMULATION

Generic Lithium ion battery
Value Units
Nominal capacity 4250 kWh
Usable nominal capacity 3400 kWh
Autonomy 8 hr
Lifetime throughput 12,750,000 kWh
Energy in 1,154,264 kWh/yr
Energy out 1,041,990 kWh/yr
Losses 108,952 kWh/yr
Expected life 12 Yr.

PvSyst and Homer software used for simulation

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CONCLUSIONS
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POTENTIAL FOR REPLICATION

 Grid expansion is expensive compared to isolated grid.

 Price reduction in PV modules and energy storage (expected)

 Private sector involvement in rural electrification

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CHALLENGES FACING MW SCALE SOLAR PV HYBRID PLANTS FOR

RURAL ELECTRIFICATION IN AFRICA
 Project financing

 Uncertainty in load demand

 Inadequate revenue generation for commercial viability

 Need public/donor investment

 Poor local operations and maintenance

 Distribution grid (If public)

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UPCOMING CONFERENCE FOR PRACTITIONERS IN THE DOMAIN OF

HYBRID MICROGRIDS FOR RURAL ELECTRIFICATION:

SAVE THE DATE!

October 17-19 2018
Mallorca, Spain
www.energy-access-conferences.com

Gabriele Struthoff-Müller,
Conference Manager
Phone: +49 941 870 3861
Gabriele.Struthoff@energy-access-conferences.com
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GRACIAS POR SU
ATENCIÓN