A 3 MW wind turbine integrated with an energy storage network using an energy management system is saving Glencore’s Raglan mine 2.4 million litres of diesel per year for power generation. The first of its kind in the world, the project located on the northern tip of Quebec in the Canadian Arctic smoothes out wind power variations to maintain grid power quality in the face of highly variable winds and severely low temperatures that can reach -40°C.
The wind turbine was installed in mid-2014 and Hatch is currently involved in commissioning the energy storage systems: a high-speed flywheel, a lithium-ion battery, and a hydrogen storage loop composed of an electrolyser, a fuel cell, and hydrogen storage tanks. The Hatch Microgrid Controller (HμGrid) monitors demand for wind power and variations in supply, and economically dispatches the charge and discharge of the energy storage units, through complex algorithms, to produce a smooth power output that enables higher wind power penetration on the microgrid to displace diesel generation.
Hatch states: “It has been a long journey to overcome all the challenges that arose during the project. There were numerous lessons learned to successfully deliver sophisticated equipment to a remote location in harsh climatic conditions. The next steps for Hatch include post-commissioning support, operational monitoring, and optimisation of the entire system to maximise fuel savings.”
In the engineering and construction phases of the project, tight integration of Hatch, the Glencore Raglan mine, Tugliq Energy Co (owner of the wind turbine and energy storage systems) and the many suppliers “was key to the delivery of this remote project during the short Arctic summer construction window.” Hatch’s work has also included a complete wind energy production assessment, turnkey delivery of the integrated flywheel system, and management of the implementation of the other energy storage components. Hatch assisted with successful government funding applications to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and the Government of Quebec (this funding has been a catalyst for important innovation, and provided key support to the long-term agreement between Tugliq and Glencore.
Hatch states that the project is a complete success and Tugliq Energy Co intends to implement similar systems at other mine sites and remote communities to reduce the burden of high diesel cost and greenhouse gas impacts. Hatch says it intends to further develop high-penetration hybrid solutions to leverage its microgrid controller and experience in renewables, energy storage, and conventional power generation.
