Dong Energy and Schneider Electric to provide renewable energy to remote islands

Northern European energy company Dong Energy has entered into a technological and commercial partnership with energy management specialist Schneider Electric. The aim of the agreement is to enable electric network operators of remote or isolated island grids to increase the share of renewable energy used while maintaining grid stability and reliability.

In Europe alone, at least 286 remote islands distanced from mainland grids exist. These isolated island grids are often heavily diesel dependent, incurring high electricity costs and subject to fluctuating fuel prices. This is a barrier for local economic development, for improving living standards and for reducing carbon emissions.

Many island utility operators aim to replace diesel with renewable generation to reduce costs and reach renewable targets, but the main challenge of integrating intermittent renewable energy is the complexity of balancing the grid and maintaining reliability and stability. This can cap the amount of renewable energy which can be efficiently integrated.

Evert den Boer, Senior Vice President at Dong Energy, said the company “has developed a virtual power plant system called Power Hub, which aggregates loads and generation capacity for network flexibility through a software platform. The system has already successfully demonstrated its capability and value in optimising, balancing and improving the stability of remote micro-grids at the Faroe Islands.”

Meanwhile, Frédéric Abbal, Executive Vice President of Schneider Electric’s Energy Division, said Schneider has “expertise in grid field devices, network automation and grid management systems … Our joint architecture includes advanced distribution management system (ADMS), power control system (PCS) and renewable control centre (RCC) applications offering real-time generation and demand forecasting, monitoring and control.”

With Dong Energy’s virtual power plant technology and Schneider Electric’s distribution grid field devices and management systems, the companies aim to create a new platform - one which will address “how to run an isolated electricity system in a safe, economically optimal manner while making maximum use of renewables”, according to den Boer.

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