SEV and Faroe Islands see impressive sustainable energy gains through collaboration with Hitachi Energy

SEV is the Faroese utility company responsible for achieving the sustainability deadline while continuing to deliver power to everyone on the archipelago, 24 hours a day. Faced with the challenges of sourcing reliable, high-quality electricity while integrating multiple renewable sources and safeguarding energy security, SEV partnered with Hitachi Energy.

How to Attain a Bold Sustainable Energy Goal

Hákun Djurhuus, Chief Executive Officer of SEV, explained SEV’s bold energy target in this way: “How do we free ourselves from oil and how will we manage to provide secure and stable electricity based on Faroese resources by 2030? We cannot look to others for solutions to copy, we need to come up with our own solutions and adjust them to our natural resources. That is our challenge.”

To meet this challenge, the Faroese utility installed the Hitachi Energy e-meshTM PowerStoreTM battery energy storage system (BESS), a 6.25 MW / 7.45 MWh battery that provides full backup for the Porkeri Wind Farm on the archipelago’s southernmost island, Suðuroy. The Hitachi Energy BESS installation is the largest of its kind on the Faroe Islands, and its success has ensured it will not be the last. 

Real Results

SEV has tracked significant improvements in its power availability and quality after bringing the BESS fully online:

• Frequency variations have also significantly improved.
• Wind utilization improved from 38% to 77% during the first 3 months of BESS in operation.
• Even with multiple days with only inverter-based generation (wind and PV), SEV had several days with 100% sustainable energy generation on Suðuroy. That number continues to grow.
• The storage capability has allowed SEV to take its thermal power plant on Suðuroy temporarily offline and reduce emissions from thermal diesel generation, while powering the island using only energy derived from a mix of renewable sources that include wind, hydro, and solar.

SEV has plans ahead to integrate additional BESS facilities in the country to support integration of multiple types of renewable energy sources into its grid and gain higher utilization with storing and accessing electricity.

Automation and Digitalization: Core Components of Greater Asset Utilization

Automation and digital services also will take on greater importance as utilities evolve and expand BESS installations and integration of various sustainable energy assets. Hitachi Energy solutions such as e-mesh EMS and SCADA allow personnel to manage their various energy assets more easily, intelligently, and efficiently.

No doubt the world will continue to take note of SEV and the Faroe Islands as they achieve energy autonomy through global collaboration and lead the world in adopting fully sustainable energy.

Hitachi Energy is proud to work with customers like SEV in driving the evolution of the grid itself. Backed by more than thirty years of innovation and leadership in energy storage and microgrids, the company has provided electricity to communities that once looked at reliable power as far-off dream. And we’re just getting started. Our aim for the next 30 years is to bring electricity to the remaining 940 million people still without access across the globe and enabling a sustainable, flexible and secure power grid to advance a sustainable energy future for all.