SMART GRID: VALOREM is installing a comprehensive energy generation, storage and management system for the Grand Port Maritime de la Martinique
In response to the growing challenges of decarbonising the maritime and port sector, the GPMLM launched a Call for Expressions of Interest in late 2022, followed by a Call for Tenders, for the design, construction and operation of a smart grid at its container terminal at Pointe des Grives in Fort-de-France.
VALOREM, lead partner of a consortium of Martinican companies comprising So Watt (photovoltaics), SEREC (HV, SCADA), DAC Antilles (project management), IBConsult (structural engineering), and Colorado (architect), has won this contract, opting for an approach based on the complementary nature of local expertise, drawing on its mastery of the entire energy production chain for over 30 years!
A bespoke solution for the Grand Port Maritime de Martinique
Like other major industrial players, ports face significant energy challenges. The Grand Port Maritime de la Martinique is continuing its efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of its port operations whilst strengthening its energy resilience. It has therefore drawn up a detailed specification of the desired performance levels, indicators and methods for optimising its internal distribution network.
The Smart Grid solution proposed by VALOREM and installed by the consortium comprises:
– An on-site green energy generation system: photovoltaic power plants on car park canopies and rooftops, with a total capacity of 1,350 kWp;
– A battery storage system (1 MW / 2.5 MWh), enabling the timing of energy feed-in to be shifted;
– A 1.3 MW generator set, ensuring continuity of service in resilience mode.
– An EMS (Energy Management System) to control the entire system: specified by VALOREM, the EMS determines the optimal production schedule in real time, taking into account: photovoltaic production forecasts, based on solar irradiance forecasts; the port site’s consumption forecasts; and the price of electricity supplied by the EDF Martinique grid.
Around 75% of the self-generated solar energy is used for self-consumption during the day. The remaining 25% is stored in the battery system and then fed back into the port’s grid in the evening during peak consumption.
The annual output of the photovoltaic power stations is estimated at 1.9 GWh, compared with the site’s annual reference consumption of 3.8 GWh, representing a self-consumption rate of around 50%.
A three-pronged approach to addressing port energy challenges
The smart grid deployed at the port provides a concrete and structured response to the energy challenges facing port infrastructure. By combining local solar generation, battery storage and intelligent management of electricity flows, this system tackles three major challenges head-on.
From an environmental perspective, it substantially reduces greenhouse gas emissions generated by port operations by replacing a significant proportion of fossil fuel-generated electricity with on-site photovoltaic energy. The combination of solar panels and batteries then optimises the rate of self-consumption: production is smoothed over time and consumption can be shifted to peak periods, thereby maximising the use of every kilowatt-hour produced locally.
Finally, and this is perhaps the most strategic challenge for an island territory exposed to climatic hazards, the system guarantees genuine energy resilience. In the face of cyclones, earthquakes or grid outages, the port’s operational continuity is ensured — an absolute requirement for an infrastructure that handles 90% of Martinique’s import-export flows.
This is a major first for the Group, which now wishes to offer its expertise to other port operators.
Proven expertise in island regions
This expertise in smart energy management is underpinned by a concrete, operational track record. Inaugurated in January 2019 in Guadeloupe, the Sainte-Rose hybrid wind farm was the first “smart” multi-megawatt wind farm in the French West Indies. Led by VALOREM, this 16 MW project—comprising eight wind turbines coupled with a 5.3 MWh lithium-ion battery storage system—perfectly illustrates the technical expertise that VALOREM is now putting at the service of the port of Martinique.
Beyond power generation, it is the “controllable” aspect that makes this project unique: a real-time energy management system constantly balances wind power generation against production commitments, using storage to smooth out wind variations and ensure a stable feed-in to the grid. In the event of a grid disconnection, the system also ensures the wind turbines continue to operate, enabling them to withstand strong winds without human intervention. Over a minimum lifespan of twenty years, the farm produces around 33,000 MWh of green electricity per year, covering the annual consumption of some 17,000 people.