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piSCES

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    Duration

    45 Months

    Vertical alignment / Department

    Smart Energy / Programmable Autonomous Systems Unit (PAS)

    Walton Team members

    Overview

    The operation will consist of 4 partners – 2 of which will research and develop the technology and 2 implementation partners (one of each in Ireland and Wales). Waterford Institute of Technology through its ICT research division TSSG, who will lead the operation, and Cardiff University (CU) plan to research, design and develop microgrid networks in conjunction with production centres in Ireland and in Wales. The implementation partners, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) in Ireland and the Milford Haven Port Authority (MHPA) in Wales, will work with fish processors and related industry to provide live data and test sites.

    The project runs from January 2017 to September 2020.

    Partners             

    Research and develop the technology

    • Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) through its ICT research division TSSG, who will lead the operation
    • Cardiff University (CU) plan to research, design and develop microgrid networks in conjunction with production centres in Ireland and in Wales

    Implementation

    The implementation partners

    • Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) in Ireland
    • Milford Haven Port Authority (MHPA) in Wales.
    • Stakeholders from the fish processing industry,  smart grid technology industry and related government bodies.

    The fish processing industry, by definition, is generally centred around coastal fishing ports which are remote and isolated by their nature. This imposes inherent competitive disadvantages in the market compared with other similar food producers who are located close to large urban centres. To survive, they must be innovative in their business practises improving efficiencies and controlling their cost base. Due to the nature of their business, energy costs represent a significant portion of this cost base through freezing, chilling and production processes. The energy industry is going through a paradigm shift from a unidirectional, demand driven model with large, centralised power generation to a market driven by smart grid ideals where supply and demand will be balanced with variable and intermittent renewable energies in a more localised manner. This will require intelligent systems to enable the scenarios, particularly at end user level, to satisfy demand within the peaks and troughs of the market.

    Key Objectives

    The piSCES operation objectives include:

    • To model and implement a microgrid on a single high energy site in both Ireland and Wales to examine and improve the efficiency by availing of smart grid technologies and in doing so, encourage the take up of new products and processes by partners and associated SMEs across both regions.
    • Compare and contrast the outputs in relation to the energy markets, economic returns and local legislative conditions thereby promoting the exchange and transfer of knowledge via cross-border research collaboration between SMEs and HEIs.
    • To realise the inherent flexible capacity within these networks and to leverage this asset to realise economic returns for participating partners and the region including the possibility of additional investments.
    • To investigate future trends in relation to EU directives, which aim to remove obstacles in the energy market, through linking and leveraging a sites dispersed network and aggregating them into a microgrid, resulting in wider economic impacts within the sector and internationally.
    • To investigate a model integrating renewable energy technologies into these networks resulting in take-up of new products and processes by SMEs.

    Achievements

    Indicators 

    • Number of enterprises cooperating with research institutions – 4
    • Number of enterprises participating in cross-border, transnational or interregional research projects – 4
    • Number of research institutions participating in cross-border, transnational or interregional research projects – 2
    • Number of enterprises receiving non-financial support – 4

    Inferred Indicators 

    • Employment increase in supported enterprises
    • Improve knowledge flow
    • Improving SME’s innovative capabilities
    • Vulnerability to the impacts of climate change
    • Economic and social cohesion
    • Cross Boarder synergies