Saft, a designer and manufacturer of high-tech industrial batteries, has delivered an advanced Lithium-ion Energy Storage System (ESS) to power lighting and Wi-Fi for the Champ de Mars, the grand public square in Port-au-Prince, Haïti. The contract with Montreal-based Geninov Group, a diversified energy and engineering technology company, was finalised in May 2015.
The Champ de Mars is the largest recreational park in Haïti. The Saft ESS, to be installed in the vicinity of the Triumphe Cultural Centre in conjunction with approximately 110kW of solar panels, is comprised of one Intensium Max 20E energy battery container. The configuration is designed to collect power during sunlight hours and to illuminate the entire park area at night while providing Wi-Fi coverage in the immediate vicinity.
“We are extremely pleased to work with Saft to provide a critical service to the city of Port-au-Prince and the Haïtian people,” said Yves Marthone, chief operating officer of Geninov. “Renewable energy technology is one of the most important areas of development for small power networks in remote locations, and we are confident that this project will have an immediate positive impact.”
The so-called ‘Triumphe’ project is the first photovoltaic plant developed in Haïti. The power conversion system was supplied by U.S.-based Princeton Power Systems, a global energy technology company serving customers across North America, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. With an installed capacity of 100kWp designed to match a daily demand of 200 kWh per day, the Triumphe project will provide an assessment for the potential of similar applications supporting renewable energy in Haïti.
The 20-foot Saft Intensium® Max 20E container provides high energy capacity for daytime charging, evening discharge, back-up power and energy shifting. The Champ de Mars installation is indicative of the demand for high-quality lithium-ion battery storage systems for island grids throughout the Caribbean to support the integration of renewable energy and increase network resiliency.
“Saft is recognized as a leader in providing specialized energy storage solutions for power networks such as those found in island locations around the world,” said Glen Bowling, Transportation, Telecom & Grid S.V.P Sales at Saft. “The Triumphe project is a further innovative collaboration that will likely lead to similar other installations in the Caribbean and beyond.”
Geninov, a diversified energy, engineering and technology company headquartered in Montreal, Canada and with office in Port-au-Prince, Haïti has developed a network of partner companies to operate in North America, Latin America, Africa and the West Indies, and selected Saft in part for its market reputation and its ability to help win the confidence of the Energy Bureau of the Haïtian government and the World Bank which was involved in financing the project.