PRESS RELEASE

DHYBRID and Vibran complete largest microgrid in Colombia

Supply security for remote region

Ungía (Colombia)/Gauting (Germany), December 15, 2021. In the Colombian municipality of Ungía, DHYBRID and its regional partner, Vibran, have installed the largest hybrid microgrid in the country. This isolated community in the Chocó Department is not accessible by road. Until now, supply was restricted to 8 hours a day and was provided by diesel generators. Thanks to the new microgrid, over 10,000 families now have a reliable power supply around the clock.

You can find press images here: https://www.dhybrid.de/en/press-article/dhybrid-and-vibran-complete-largest-microgrid-in-colombia

The new grid is controlled and monitored by DHYBRID’s manufacturer-independent and technology agnostic Universal Power Platform (UPP). This energy management system connects four generators with a 780 kWp solar system and a 333 kWh power storage unit with a maximum output of 122 kW.

CO2 emissions cut by 818 tons per year

In addition to eliminating 818 tons of CO2 emissions from diesel generators per year, the microgrid also reduces exhaust emissions and fine dust pollution at the local level. The total fuel savings amount to 328,000 liters, not including the energy for the cumbersome transportation of diesel fuel through the jungle by boat.

Miguel Lotero Robledo, Deputy Minister of Energy, personally inaugurated the microgrid. The new system was funded through a government program aimed at supplying remote areas with green energy.

Commissioning via remote access

During the construction phase, the team faced a number of challenges including the transportation of components to the region. On top of that, the coronavirus pandemic meant that the engineers from DHYBRID were not able to travel from Germany to Colombia. These challenges were solved through close cooperation between the local experts and DHYBRID engineers in Germany: The system was installed by Vibran’s on-site team and configured and commissioned from Germany.

“The project shows how a gradual expansion of renewable energy supply in Latin America can succeed: Operators and energy suppliers remain flexible through a technology agnostic energy management system. They can benefit from the best solution available at the moment of implementation but remain open to extend their capacities regardless of manufacturers and technology. This way they can optimally adapt the output of grids to a growing demand in the future,” explains Tom Fricke, Head of Energy Storage at DHYBRID. DHYBRID is already planning three more projects in Colombia.

About DHYBRID

DHYBRID is a specialized international solutions provider of renewable and hybrid energy systems for islands, industry and utilities with headquarters in Munich, Germany. The company offers turnkey solutions and individualized control systems for hybrid energy projects. DHYBRID combines conventional energy supplies such as diesel generators or utility grids with renewable energy systems and storage technology – perfectly controlled and comprehensively visualized.

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Press Contact

Marja Anacker
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