PV Injection in Isolated Grid

EU PV Platform WG4
March 2008

Innovation Energie Dveloppement

Content
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Objective
Context
Power Demand and Load Profile
PV options
Case Study
Potential in Mauritania and
Burkina Faso

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1. Subtask Objective

To study the feasibility to inject solar PV

electricity into existing isolated grids (mini
or local) run by diesel gensets
Different scenario of load profile
Assessment of cost-effectiveness and
sensitivity to fuel prices
Results dissemination through the Rural
Electrification Club of 10 African countries,
EEI project
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2. Context

Many rural villages and towns rely on inefficient

and costly diesel gensets or fuel oil power plants
(200kW and 5 MW)
Several dozens such gensets in each Sahelian
country
Often the easiest power solution in off-grid
areas
Priority to minimise initial cost and maximise the
number of beneficiaries
Need to provide enough and flexible electrical
power for significant economic development
Context of steady increase of fuel prices
Recent experiences in hybrid and in Western PV
Grid connection

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3. Power Demand and Load Profile

African experiences with isolated thermal

grid (threshold size, tariff, full-cost
recovery, subsidized kWh => different
levels of service)
Load profiles (peak and minimum) in
major towns and smaller towns
Water pumping can be shifted (storage)

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4. PV options

Historical evolution

100% PV Solar Power Plant

Hybrid PV systems (with battery)

System oversizing to ensure reliable service

Still expensive approach
Significant progresses of inverters technology

Limited PV injection (without battery) in an

isolated mini or local grid supplied by:

hydro power plant (e.g. Philippines 1MWp +7MW hy)

thermal power plant

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PV - HP Load Dispatch
(with part of the Nepalese system as example)

Nepal Power System: Partial load curve for 29.12.1996

(revised - with PV: 12 MWp)

100

90

90

30

24
.0
0

22
.0
0

20
.0
0

0.
00

24
.0
0

22
.0
0

20
.0
0

18
.0
0

16
.0
0

14
.0
0

12
.0
0

10
.0
0

8.
00

6.
00

4.
00

0
2.
00

10

18
.0
0

20

10

16
.0
0

20

40

14
.0
0

30

50

12
.0
0

40

60

10
.0
0

50

70

8.
00

60

80

6.
00

70

4.
00

80

2.
00

Partial System Load (MW)

100

0.
00

Partial System Load (MW)

Nepal Power System: Partial load curve for 29.12.1996

(original - no PV)

Hours

Hours

Thermal power (imports and own generation)

Pondage hydro
PV contribution
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6-8h

8-10h 10-12h 12-14h 14-16h 16-18h

6-8h

Solar Production

PV Array

8-10h 10-12h 12-14h 14-16h 16-18h

Thermal Production

Genset n1

Inverter

Genset n2

Synchronisation

6-8h

8-10h 10-12h 12-14h 14-16h 16-18h

Isolated Grid

Daytime Demand

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Effect of load profile:

peak load shaving solution

contribution to the base power production

Major benefit = reduce fuel consumption but no

reduction of genset size
3 levels of PV injection

High injection rate (similar to "hybrid")

Medium injection rate (> 50% of min. demande)
Low injection rate (< 50% of min. demande)

No storage but minimum impact on grid stability

Affect genset load factor and specific consumption

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Solar production

Without storage, all production is injected!

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Genset production

Lower load factor  higher specific consumption

gasoil
260
250
240
g/kWh

230
220

gasoil

210
200
190
180
25%

50%

75%

100%

110%

PSC

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5. Case Study - Mauritania

Scattered settlement low power demand

SOMELEC: 14 isolated grids (2-3 generators)
Case of Mbout town (~10.000 inhab.) in Gorgol

Equipment: 2 diesel gensets (200 + 80 kW)

Typical load diagrams: peak/min. = 110/40 kW
Thermal production: 550 MWh/yr ('06) 296 gr/l

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Typical Load Diagram - M'Bout 2007

120
100

kW

80
Daily Peak Maxi
(June)

60

Daily Peak Min

(January)

40

Average max

Average min

20
0

Solar Array
Pow er (kWp)
1

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Hours

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Solar Radiation
Average in Mbout area = 5,5 kWh/m/d
Solar Radiation in plane of PV array

Nema
Atar
"average Nema"

ep
te
m
be
r
N
ov
em
be
r

Ju
ly
S

M
ay

"average Atar"

M
ar
ch

ry

9,00
8,00
7,00
6,00
5,00
4,00
3,00
2,00
1,00
0,00

Ja
nu
a

kWh/m/day

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PV Injection

Solar generator: 20 kWp (50%) @ 5,5 kWh/m/d

Solar production: 31,4 MWh/yr (6%)
No battery

Power Balance

Net Thermal Power required (see next figure)

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Typical Load Diagram - M'Bout 2007

120
100

kW

80
Daily Peak
Maxi (June)

60

Daily Peak
Min
(January)
Solar Array
Pow er (kW)

40

Thermal
Pow er - Max

20
0

Thermal
Pow er - min
1

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Hours

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Preliminary economics

Cost of the diesel kWh: 0.147 /kWh @ 0.5 /l (06)

Cost of the diesel kWh: 0.3 /kWh @ 1 /l (07)

Solar kWh cost : 0.22 /kWh with 7/Wp 20 yrs

Threshold if diesel price = 0.75 /l  same kWh prices
Annual fuel savings: ~ 7.5 tons/yr
CO2 Savings: ~ 24 Tons/yr
O&M cost: no additional cost for PV injection

Conclusion for PV injection

For SOMELEC: not directly cost-effective today

For Mauritania economy: direct viability is rather obvious
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N+SONABEL : cost-effective17today
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6. Mobilising Investment funds

Isolated units run by SOMELEC
Anne

2006

MIN 2006 MIN/MAX

Nma

kW

560

160

29%

Timbdra

kW

245

40

16%

Aioun

kW

480

210

44%

Tintane

kW

235

47

20%

Kiffa

kW

930

400

43%

Gurou

kW

395

80

20%

Slibaby

kW

590

140

24%

Mbout

kW

110

40

36%

Tidjekja

kW

320

150

47%

M.Lehjar

kW

150

35

23%

Aleg

kW

430

120

28%

Boutilimit

kW

405

190

47%

Akjoujet

kW

600

120

20%

Bogh

kW

270

TOTAL (sauf
Bogh)

5 450 Moyenne

31%

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Isolated units run by

Sonabel 24h
Nom

Puissance (kVA)

Po
1983
110
Lo
1983
170
Bogand
1999
284
GoromGorom
1999
344
Manga
1999
359
Gourcy
1997
360
Boulsa
1999
455
Bagassi
Hounde
1986
560
Solenzo
Diapaga
1999
565
Mogtedo
Bittou
1999
604
Gayeri
Bati
Djibo
1999
604
Seytenga
Kongoussi
1997
800
Sebba
Nouna
1986
960
Sapouy
Boromo
1998
1 150
Bouna
Diebougou
1991
1 230
Dori
1991
1 290
Tougan
2005
1 300
Yako
1983
1 311
Gaoua
1983
2 040
Kaya
1998
2 850
Dedougou
1972
4 325
FadaN'Gourma
1986
5 140
Ouahigouya
2005
5 250
Koudougou
1969
7 950
total
32 061
Innovation Energie Dveloppement

Isolated units run

by FDE not 24h
Bagassi
kVASolenzo
180
Mogtedo
250
Gayeri
70
Bati
100
120
Seytenga
40
Sebba
100
140
Sapouy
40
Bouna

kVA
180
250
70
100
120
40
100
140
40

1 040

1 040

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Brussels March 2008



20kWP @7000 / kWp : 140 000

Makes a lot of sense over the life time
Issue of mobilising funds today
Capital
Long term financing is not available from banks
Other facilities such as GEEREF?
Potential is very big taking a very low limit

2*20kWp and 5*50kWp Mauritania: ~2 M

8*50kWp in Burkina Faso : ~2,8M

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Next steps by WG 4?

Mauritania:

IED is the TA for the rehabilitation of the Diesel units

SOMELEC does not want to fund PV

Has mandated IED to mobilise funds for PV hybrids

If WG 4 can come up with a demonstration or financing
scheme, the Tariff can be discussed

At this stage, more complicated to address ADER
Burkina Faso

IED is doing the RE planning

Discussing a Fit with SONABEL is open

Question is the financing scheme

FDE Fonds dElectrification rurale is mobilising funds
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Tchad

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Thank You
Innovation Energie Dveloppement