Islanded Wave Powered Microgrid Pilot for Remote Islands in Thailand

Partners: Aquatera

Country: Thailand

Technology: Smart green grids including mini and main grid technologies

Stage: Mid

Stage: Round 10

The unit cost of the electricity generated by WPMGs can be significantly reduced by advanced predictive optimal control strategies to improve the wave power output of the WECs in a range of sea states with state-of-the-art power electronic components and novel microgrid energy management systems (EMS). The EMS can significantly reduce the power conversion/distribution losses and use deep-learning-based algorithms to forecast the stochastic loads in varying weather and wave conditions. This project builds on the company’s Round 8 project, which showed the feasibility of enhancing the efficiency of onshore wave energy converters (WECs) and developing advanced wave-powered microgrids (WPMGs) in remote islands of Thailand.

The Energy Catalyst supported project will reduce the cost of electricity from WPMGs by using advanced predictive optimal control strategies, state-of-the-art power electronic components, and novel microgrid energy management systems (EMS) with deep-learning-based algorithms. The project will demonstrate the whole concept in a hybrid system-level wave-to-wire (W2W) WPMG simulator, using Radar-based technology for wave prediction and WEC survivability. The project will increase the technology readiness level (TRL) of the WPMG technologies and provide inclusive community-based renewable energy that addresses the lack of energy access in Thailand and other SE Asia countries.