GRACIÓLICA LDA

Graciólica is a Portuguese company owning and operating a hybrid power plant in Graciosa Island in the Azores archipelago. Supplying a population of 4,500 people and 65% of the island’s electricity demands from renewal resources. This plant is comprised of a wind and photovoltaic farm and BESS with the assets controlled by an autonomous and unique EMS with proprietary control algorithms. It also operates the island diesel power plant which is used only as backup when the renewable generation is not enough to cover the demand.

Graciólica has acquired significant technical expertise since 2015 in the deployment and operation of microgrids in isolated hybrid power systems as result of the project in Graciosa Island. The integration of inverter-based generation and storage sources towards greater integration of variable RES in islanded grids dominated by traditional synchronous rotating machines bring very specific challenges that may comprise the security and the continuity of supply as well as good power quality levels. Thus, the technical constraints shall be well identified and tackled during the different phases of the project so that a smooth integration of variable RES is successfully achieved. Graciólica site facility will be used in the SMYHLES project to further integrate a sodium battery that will be used for long duration storage purposes. The sodium battery will also help to reduce the current surplus of renewable energy as this energy will be stored and delivered to the grid later when needed. A supercapacitor will also be integrated under the scope of SMHYLES to provide additional grid services, namely voltage and frequency regulation for primary and secondary control. Overall, the expansion of the hybrid plant over the course of SMYHLES project is expected to increase the flexibility in terms of further integration of variable RES and grid services response.