FAB base will have solar energy system with storage

AEB (Brazilian Space Agency), in partnership with the multinational WEG, will provide a battery storage system and the development of control of a microgrid powered by energy sources for the Alcântara Launch Center (CLA), in Maranhão, a from the FAB (Brazilian Air Force) rocket launch bases.

The contract, signed with the Sousândrade Foundation for the Equatorial Energia project, encompasses the supply of the battery system with an installed capacity of 1 MW, in addition to the commissioning, training and development of all microgrid control at the plant. The project is scheduled to come into operation in April 2022.

In addition to unifying distribution and expanding the capacity of the microgrid's energy generation system, the novelty also promises to disseminate the use of solar energy - which is part of the power system, thus ensuring safety, quality and resilience in energy supply during rocket launches.

The project also aims to contribute to reducing environmental impacts, since diesel consumption will be eliminated on site with the use of the battery system. The construction and development of a smart electrical power microgrid to serve critical loads on the CLA's internal premises is part of the Research and Development program of the Equatorial Energia Group and the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL), and has the Electric Energy Institute (IEE) of the Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA) as a technological development partner.

“This is a strategic project, both due to the importance of contributing to the technological modernization of the Alcântara Launch Center, contributing to national scientific research, as well as specializing in the development and control of microgrid models, which have each application. increasingly necessary in the electricity sector”, explains Marcelo Fernandes, corporate head of Digital and Innovation at Grupo Equatorial Energia.