elnett 21

Press release from Elnett21 – 12th of January 2021

Kverneland Energi has been awarded the contract to deliver a micro-grid to the Stavanger region´s harbors facilities’, including the international ferry terminal in Risavika. The agreement is valued at 10 million NOK and will make the terminal for periods self-supplying its electricity needs.

The background for the project is the increasing tempo of electrification in the shipping trade and other harbor-related activities.

“We are extremely satisfied to be able to award the contract to a competent supplier. And it is extra satisfying that they are a local company. This is the largest investment the Harbor makes in this project” Harbor director Merete Eik. Elnett21 is a collaborative project between the Harbor, Avinor, Forus Næringspark, Lyse Elnett, and Smartly with the main objective to find solutions to increasing local production, storage, and controlling effect and energy.

Additionally, to establishing a micro-grid, there are plans for further investment in charging infrastructure and components for controlling production later in the project; the project ends in 2023. The Stavanger region harbor’s total share in the investment in Elnett21 is 20 million. The contract with Kverneland Energi allows us to participate in the Elnett21 business model to tackle the increased needs for the sale of effect flexibility via Smartly and effect sharing.

“We are proud to have a central role to develop the energy system in our region” Aksel Kverneland CEO Kverneland Energi. The technology company with a base in Klepp started in 2016 as a supplier of renewable powerplants for agriculture, industry, homes, and cabins. The contract with the harbor has a scope of Solar panels, electric vehicle charges, battery containers, and a control system.

Transport activity at sea is a significant adjustment where electrification is central requiring much greater electrical demands than previous. The Harbor connected to the regional grid is not scaled for this new development. The Stavanger region harbor to be the energy providers requires a readjustment of electricity demands and charging for multiple different vessels as charging for trucks, terminal tractors, cranes, freight transport, private vehicles, and busses onshore.

Facts about Micro-Grid:

A micro-grid is a geographically limited electrical distribution grid that periodically runs without connecting to the main grid – called off-grid. Additionally, it is typically electrical equipment equipped with its micro-grid comprised of solar and wind, distributed to energy stores in batteries and hydrogen, controllable charges like electric cars and water heaters, and controlling and monitoring systems. – Bendik Nybakk Torsæter at Sintef Energi