Port Louis commercial energy storage equipment

Why is energy storage a critical port function?

Ensuring availability of these electrical resources to meet loads which are intermittent and uncertain is becoming a critical port function. It requires investment in multi-vector energy supply chains, energy storage in ports and their associated energy management systems.

How can ports reduce energy costs?

ESSOP has explored two ways in which ports can minimize their energy costs by using energy storage: • Optimising how to use PV solar generation to offset grid electricity. The wholesale price of energy varies every half-hour, and on a time-of-day tariff this variation is passed onto users.

What is a shore power facility?

Shore power facilities will generally form part of a wider port energy network including electric power for port assets and back-up power generators. Ports that have a high-power grid connection (or could upgrade their connection at reasonable cost) do have the option of supplying shore power directly from the grid.

Why is energy storage important?

Energy storage is also needed to optimize utilization of in-port generation and avoid curtailment when generation exceeds the available demand. However, it is unclear how much PV solar generation and associated energy storage would achieve a minimum levelized cost of energy.

Should a port use battery storage?

In many cases, however, battery storage will be beneficial: allowing the port to optimize its procurement of electricity under a time-of-day tariff, to reduce its peak load on the grid connection and to optimise use of on-site renewable generation, notably PV solar.