The members of the Consortium that promotes the G.R.A.C.I.O.S.A. Project, whose objective is to install a smart microgrid of electrical energy on the eighth island, held its constitutive session this Thursday in the town of Caleta de Sebo. This consortium, led by Endesa and which also includes the Technological Institute of the Canary Islands and the company Win Inertia, has obtained support for this project from the Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI) and the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, together with co-financing by ERDF funds, which have contributed one million euros through the Interconecta 2015 Program. As a whole, the project will involve an investment of 2.4 million euros.
G.R.A.C.I.O.S.A., which is how the project has been named, is the acronym for "Renewable Generation with Storage and Intelligent Consumption for the Operation of distribution networks with Self-Consumption Systems". This is an electrical microgrid project, in which it is intended to implement different technologies on the island -PLC communications, low and medium voltage automation, real-time monitoring and control systems, energy efficiency applications and active demand management, among others- "with the main objective of experimenting and installing innovative technologies that guarantee the quality and safety of the electricity supply when the renewable generation power is very high".
"Within the European framework regarding climate commitments and the search for reducing energy dependence, sustainable generation and environmentally friendly energy distribution are also objectives of the social challenge in safe, efficient and clean energy, challenges with which the G.R.A.C.I.O.S.A project aligns", according to Endesa.
The eighth island, "an ideal space to experiment"
The company explains that "the characteristics of this island make it an ideal space to experiment" and install these "innovative technologies". Among the general objectives pursued by this project is to provide greater reliability of the energy supply to the residents of La Graciosa, greater participation of these in the field of energy generation and sale, better use of energy by gaining efficiency and reducing costs, diversification of energy sources, in addition to serving as a platform for experimentation of solutions for the electricity supply of remote and isolated areas and the reduction of emissions through the integration of renewable energies.
The G.R.A.C.I.O.S.A consortium is led by Endesa and has the participation of the Technological Institute of the Canary Islands (ITC), an entity dependent on the Ministry of Economy, Industry, Commerce and Knowledge of the Government of the Canary Islands, and Win Inertia, a company specialized in energy storage solutions for electrical networks.
In addition, several research organizations collaborate, including the Association for Research and Industrial Cooperation of Andalusia (AICIA), the Research Foundation of the University of Seville (FIUS), the Pontifical University of Comillas, the University of La Laguna and the Foundation for Research and Development of Information Technologies in Andalusia (FIDETIA). The University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is also part of the Advisory Board of the project, which also includes the Ministry of Economy, Industry, Commerce and Knowledge of the Government of the Canary Islands and the Cabildo of Lanzarote.
The G.R.A.C.I.O.S.A. project joins other smartgrid and smartcity projects in which Endesa participates. This company, belonging to the Enel Group, is an active partner in some of the most relevant technological platforms in the field of electric mobility and smartgrids at national and international level, such as Green eMotion, Zem2All, G4V and Elvire. It also highlights that it has been "a pioneering participant in the field of smart cities, with projects such as Smart City Malaga".
