The first medium-voltage microgrid demonstration project in Brazil, with the participation of Chinese partners, was officially put into operation on November 21 local time, marking a new milestone in sci-tech cooperation between China and Brazil in the microgrid sector.

The project is a collaborative effort between the Chinese and Brazilian sides including the China Electric Power Research Institute (CEPRI), Brazil's CPFL Energia, the University of Campinas (Unicamp), and Hangzhou Hexing Electric Power Technology Co., Ltd.

As the first comprehensive scientific research and demonstration project for medium-voltage microgrid in Brazil, the Unicamp campus microgrid demonstration project, the largest campus microgrid in Latin America, was planned in 2018, and officially approved by the funding party CPFL in 2021.

CEPRI participated in the whole process of planning, research and construction of the project, providing consultancy, technical support and guidance, and formulating microgrid planning and operational control technical standards for CPFL.

The microgrid can operate in grid-connected and islanded mode, with the capabilities of black-start and customized optimization strategies based on customer needs.

It comprises 12 transformers of 11.9 kV, a 250 kW gas generator, 455 kW distributed photovoltaic power, and a 1,000 kW/1,270 kWh energy storage system.

The project demonstrates the value of microgrid in promoting local consumption of distributed renewable energy, improving efficiency, and ensuring high-reliability power supply.

It can save more than 500,000 RMB of energy expends annually for Unicamp, serving as an exemplary model and providing technology and standards verification basis for planning, construction, and operation of distributed energy projects in Brazil.

The microgrid showcases the latest effort of CEPRI and Chinese enterprises in tapping international business. It will promote the overseas application of State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC)'s advanced research, equipment, and standards in the microgrid field.

The project will also enhance SGCC's international influence and brand image in the Brazilian power industry, laying a solid foundation for its future business expansion in Brazil and other overseas markets.