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Samoa Observer, 21st July 2018
Samoa has become the first country in the Pacific to install battery energy storage systems and micro grid controller.
The US$8,844,817.03 million (T$22.7m) facilities, housed at the Fiaga Power Station compound, allows the storage of electricity that is automatically injected to the grid, when there is a sudden increase in demand or sudden loss of power generated.
The micro grid controller is a computer-based system. It will automatically control and regulate the operation of not only the two new battery systems, but also all the Electric Power Corporation power plants and independent solar farms.
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi said the new battery storage system is about 6 MW capacity x 10,000 units of electricity storage and the other at the Faleolo International Airport is 2MW capacity x 3,400 units of electricity storage.
“Without the new battery energy storage systems and micro grid controller, the system will not be able to operate efficiently with such a high percentage of solar penetration in Samoa of 55 percent,” he said.
