WAMSTER synchrophasor network installed on Seychelles
As a part of the Small Islands Developing States (SIDS DOCK) Project, several STER PMU devices were successfully installed in Seychelles for our German client Energynautics GmbH. The project consists of assessing grid absorption capacity, grid code, feed-in tariffs and model power purchase agreements for renewable energy systems.
As reported by the Seychelles daily newspaper, Seychelles Nation, Seychelles Public Utilities Corporation (PUC), along with the Seychelles Energy Commission (SEC), entered into an agreement with our client Energynautics to improve levels of renewable energy generation on the Indian Ocean islands. The study will be performed in 4 steps, from gathering information about the grid, through drafting the grid code and examining tariff levels, ending with final templates and models for the full range of possible renewable energy systems.
Renewable energy development in Seychelles
The Seychelles is in the process of implementing the SIDS DOCK Project, which is an initiative among member countries of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) to assist Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like the Seychelles to transform their national energy sectors with environmentally-friendly, cheaper, renewable energy and adapt to the challenges posed by climate change. Seychelles Public Utilities Corporation is aiming to ensure 5% of variable renewable energy is reliable integrated into the electricity grid by 2020.
In the first component of the project, Energynautics will use the WAMSTER System to collect the necessary measurements needed to fully analyze the potential impact of variable renewable generation, including centralized and distributed systems in the electricity system of the island under several scenarios, and evaluate what would be the maximum absorption capacity under current circumstances. This step will provide inputs to assume a realistic energy mix including PV (utility scale and rooftop PV connected to the grid), wind (small, and large turbines) and the current diesel generation, and will provide recommendations in order to achieve higher levels of renewable energy penetration.
The second component of the project comprises the development of a grid code for small scale, medium and utility scale wind turbines and PV systems. This component will include definition of a grid code for the interconnection of renewable systems to PUC electricity grid and determine the immediate needs with regard to systems control and operations that PUC would need to implement.
Third and fourth will include definition of the criteria of eligibility to benefit from the feed-in tariff; evaluation of the most suitable factors that should be taken into account when defining tariff levels (differentiated by technology type, project size, resource quality, project location or a combination of all these factors); definition of the tariff levels, ending with the preparation of templates and models for all the necessary renewable energy systems, including wind, PV, biomass, hydro, waste-to energy systems and hybrid systems.
In 2014 Energynautics was commissioned by the electricity utility on the Indian Ocean islands of the Seychelles, financed by the World Bank, to investigate how much renewable energy they can integrate in their power system.
To analyse current system behaviour and stability, Energynautics installed three of Wamster's PMUs on three representative distribution feeders (at 11 kV), to measure three-phase current and voltage, synchronised over GPS and at high resolution (50 frames per second). The data was then uploaded to Wamster's servers in Croatia via the Seychelles mobile data network. Wamster arranged for lower frequency measurements (one frame per second) to be uploaded to Energynautics' server on a regular basis, while higher frequency data could be selectively downloaded through the easy-to-use web interface.
The Wamster system worked flawlessly and made a big contribution to the success of the project.