With an investment of 10.3 million Bolivian bolivianos (approximately €1.391 billion) from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), this project provides a continuous electricity supply to a community of 160 families who previously relied on fossil fuel generators. This system sometimes provided them with only two hours of electricity per day.
Smart electrical grids
The development of this plant, which includes the design, supply and construction of the electrical distribution network in said community, represents the first operational smart grid for electrical distribution systems in Bolivia and, in turn, the largest lithium storage system in the country.
The solar plant has an installed photovoltaic capacity of 181.44 kWp, with 336 Jinko photovoltaic modules of 540 Wp, 140 kW in SMA Sunny Tripower grid inverters, 806 kWh in a Cegasa lithium battery bank with SMA Sunny Island battery inverters.
Cegasa's battery storage system allows families to have access to an uninterrupted electricity reserve during episodes of adverse weather conditions, which are common in the area, providing a better quality of life for the citizens of the region.
In addition, an intelligent system for measuring the consumption of the beneficiaries has been incorporated, which allows for remote management of any incident and optimization of the use of the plant.
“At Cegasa, we are very pleased to contribute to improving access to electricity and the quality of supply in isolated areas, such as the aforementioned project in Bolivia. We thank the Sie-TTA Joint Venture for their trust in us and for promoting renewable energy projects in remote communities around the world,” says Ramón Ugarte, Commercial Director of Batteries and Lithium-Ion Systems at Cegasa.
The companies participating in the consortium include Sie SA, a Bolivian company dedicated to providing comprehensive renewable energy services in Bolivia; Mora, an expert in civil works; and TTA, a consulting and engineering firm based in Barcelona.
