Press Release

Greensmith Energy will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Azores

Greensmith Energy, a part of the technology group Wärtsilä, will deliver an integrated energy management system based on its industry-leading Greensmith Energy Management System (GEMS) software for Graciolica Lda’s microgrid power facility in the Azores. When completed, Graciosa Hybrid Renewable Power Plant will enable 1 MW of solar and 4.5 MW of wind power to be supplied to the local electricity grid, reducing the islands’ reliance on imported fossil fuels and significantly reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The order, placed by Portuguese project company Graciolica Lda and supported by its majority shareholder, Denmark based Recharge A/S was booked in December 2017.

The Graciosa Hybrid Renewable Power Plant, located on the island of Graciosa in the northern part of the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal, will combine solar and wind generation, together with energy storage using lithium-ion batteries supplied by Leclanché SA.

GEMS embodies intelligent energy applications that focus on monitoring and operating energy storage power plants and hybrid power plants formed by energy storage, thermal generation, wind and solar. GEMS, approved by Graciolica’s end client EDA, will balance the Graciosa power system to accommodate the inevitable fluctuations in output that are inherent to energy supplied from renewable sources, such as solar and wind.

“Our investment will help create a renewable energy asset that will deliver both economic and environmental benefits. This project represents the future direction of the global energy sector with an integrated power system combining renewables and energy storage. We appreciate Greensmith’s professionalism in providing the software needed to expand the functionality of the microgrid to create overall system reliability and performance,” said Scott Macaw, Director, Graciolica Lda and Recharge A/S.

“We are delighted to partner with Graciolica and Recharge on this important project in the Azores to enable the successful transition to renewable resources on an island grid,” said John Jung, President and CEO of Greensmith Energy.  “Beyond the advanced energy storage technology we are known for, we help a growing number of power companies and developers integrate and maximize a diverse mix of grid resources using our industry-leading GEMS software platform.”

Greensmith will also provide software maintenance services under a five-year agreement. The plant is expected to become fully operational in mid-2018.

Wärtsilä closed the acquisition of Greensmith Energy Management Systems Inc in July 2017. Greensmith is a leading energy storage integrator with over 150MW deployed in North America. Greensmith provides a full range of solutions including the turnkey delivery of storage systems complete with software controls to maximize returns for system owners/operators.

Greensmith Energy, a Wärtsilä Company
As the leading provider of energy storage software and integration services, Greensmith’s mission is to make energy storage a fundamental part of a more resilient, intelligent and distributed energy infrastructure. Now in its fifth generation, Greensmith’s GEMS software platform optimizes the performance of energy storage and integrated grid assets by lowering costs and maximizing system return on investment.
www.greensmithenergy.com

Wärtsilä Energy Solutions in brief
Wärtsilä Energy Solutions is a leading global energy system integrator offering a broad range of environmentally sound solutions. Our offering includes ultra-flexible internal combustion engine based power plants, utility-scale solar PV power plants, energy storage & integration solutions, as well as LNG terminals and distribution systems. The flexible and efficient Wärtsilä solutions provide customers with superior value and enable a transition to a more sustainable and modern energy system. As of 2017, Wärtsilä has 65 GW of installed power plant capacity in 177 countries around the world.
https://www.smartpowergeneration.com/

Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in advanced technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising sustainable innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2016, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 4.8 billion with approximately 18,000 employees. The company has operations in over 200 locations in more than 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
www.wartsila.com