Rogaland: A step closer to electrifying shipping and port-related activities

A new microgrid will allow the International port Risavika in Stavanger to be self-sufficient in electricity at times. The microgrid is being built because of the increasing pace within electrification of shipping and other port-related activities.

This is the largest investment the port makes in the project Elnett21, says port director Merete Eik.

Elnett21 is a collaborative project between the port, Avinor (A network of airports), Forus business cluster, Lyse Elnett (local grid operator) and Smartly (solution developer) where the main purpose is to find solutions that will contribute to increased local production, storage and management of power and energy.

In addition to the establishment of the microgrid, there are plans for further investment in charging infrastructure and components for load management later in the project. The project expires in 2023.

Transport at sea is undergoing major restructuring, and electrification is the key. This entails a much greater need for electrical power than before. The regional network connected to the port, is not dimensioned for this development. For the Stavanger Region Port as an energy hub, the restructuring entails a need for shore power and charging for several different types of ships on the seaside, and charging and operation of trucks, terminal tractors, cranes, goods transport, private cars and buses on the land side.

What is a microgrid?

A microgrid is a geographically delimited electrical distribution network, which can be operated periodically without being connected to the main network - called island operation. In addition to ordinary electrical equipment, microgrids often consist of distributed production such as solar and wind, distributed energy storage such as batteries and hydrogen, controllable loads such as electric cars and hot water tanks, and control and monitoring systems.

Read more about Elnett21 (In english) https://www.elnett21.no/about-elnett21