The design and performance of the first fully automatic non-grid 5 MW multi-diesel / mini hydro / battery converter power stations

Electricity power supply in remote communities and towns are traditionally and hitherto supplied by diesel generator sets of varying capacities and sizes -from few kilowatt to few megawatts. Its proven to be versatile, robust, modular cheaper capital investment, reliable and easy to operate and maintain. These features are what make diesel generators most preferred choice for generating electric power to power hungry remote communities. The main draw back, though, is its increasingly high cost of operation and maintenance, largely due to upward trend in the cost of diesel fuel, high cost of engines spare parts plus the inflationary nature of salary and wages of operators. For these reasons, engineers and technologists have for years worked tirelessly to find ways and means to reduce the O and M costs. One of the novel ideas was to hybrid the conventional diesel generating system with renewable energy resources, such as mini hydro, solar photovoltaic or wind energy. Many prototypes involving several configurations of energy resources eg diesel/PV/ battery, diesel/wind/battery, diesel/mini hydro/battery have been tested but none has so far has been as successful as Sema/ Powercorp automated Intelligent Power System (IPS). Based on microprocessor hardware, powerful computer software programming and satellite communication technology, the IPS -equipped diesel power station can now now be operated fully automatic with capability of remote control and monitoring. The system is versatile in maximising the use of renewable energy energy resources such as wind, mini hydro or solar thereby reducing very significantly the use of diesel fuel. Operation and maintenance costs also are reduced due to the use of minimum manpower and and increase in fuel efficiency of the engines. The tested and proven IPS technology has been operating successfully for the last ten years in remote diesel stations in Northern Territory, Australia, Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland and its latest and biggest system is the 5 MW diesel/minihydro stations in Sabah, Malaysia. This technology had brought about radical transformation in the ways remote diesel stations are operated and maintained not only in alleviating environmental damages related to diesel generation but also in improving the occupational health and safety of diesel engines operators. This paper discusses the installation of IPS technology in a local electricity grid powered by multi diesel sets and mini hydro machines, in Ranau/Kundasang, Sabah. The drastic system improvement and significant cost savings the system have entailed, have convinced the electric utility of its effectiveness and reliability. Finally, we believe strongly that IPS technology will pave way for modernisation of diesel-based remote power generating station in Malaysia, and elsewhere in other developing countries. (Author)