INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Green Technology
“The new
microgrid will
substantially
lower fuel
costs and
carbon
emissions,
enabling the
island to run
on solar power
for at least
nine months
of the year.”
which previously required
around 600,000 litres of fuel
a year but now will serve
primarily as a backup.
An ABB Ability™ wireless
network connects the solar
plant to the microgrid,
providing reliable and
secure communications.
An operations centre in
Cape Town is capable of
Infographic courtesy of ABB
monitoring and controlling
the microgrid. The remote
set-up eliminates the need
to maintain a workforce on the
island, whose volatile weather can
sometimes impede travel to and from
the mainland. The wireless solution
has also eliminated the need for cable
trenches, helping preserve the local
habitat on the World Heritage Site.
“ABB’s microgrid solution integrates
solar energy and curtails the use of
fossil fuels to power Robben Island,
bringing substantial cost-efficiencies
and supporting the Department of
Tourism’s efforts to keep the heritage
and spirit of this world-renowned island
alive,” said Claudio Facchin, President of
ABB’s Power Grids Division. “The project
supports our focus on microgrids and
our ongoing commitment to reduce
www.intelligentcio.com
“An ABB Ability™
wireless network
connects the
solar plant to
the microgrid,
providing reliable
and secure
communications.”
environmental impact as a partner of
choice for enabling a stronger, smarter
and greener grid.”
ABB’s containerised, modular plug-
and-play microgrid solution includes an
ABB Ability PowerStore™ battery energy
storage system and the dedicated
Microgrid Plus control system, whose
Internet cloud-based capabilities make
remote operation possible. The control
system enables management of the
power supply, including energy storage
and balancing of the use of renewable
energy and diesel backup in accordance
with changing demand.
ABB has around 40 microgrid
installations around the world, across
a diverse range of applications serving
remote communities, islands, utilities
and industrial campuses. n
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