From 20th to 23th October, the city of Porto will host the 25^th edition of EuroDoble, a forum for sharing best practices for managing European power networks, power stations and industrial sites. Nuno Silva, Efacec’s Director of Technology and Innovation, will make the opening address under the theme “Responding to the Future Grid’s Challenges”, which is the main theme of this year’s edition of EuroDoble.

Nuno Silva, says: “The electrical grids worldwide are being challenged in its operation and planning by the integration of large-scale intermittent renewable energy sources (either centralized or decentralized) and the electrification of the mobility of persons and goods. These challenges open opportunities for the development of new solutions and technologies to respond to these new realities”.

Efacec and Doble Engineering Company, the promoter of this forum and a leading company in the development of sensors and digitalization solutions, have been working, since 2018, in partnership to develop management solutions for digital assets.

With a long track-record as energy solutions provider, Efacec and Doble have been working together to develop technology that provides data in a timely manner from power transformers, enabling a faster and more efficient decision making. The achievements reached under this partnership will allow customers to get information at all stages of the equipment life cycle, minimizing possible failures and obtaining a better return on investment made in the transformers’ management.

Both teams have thus created a range of digital condition monitoring and diagnostics packages to meet the needs of all customers in major energy segments, including transmission, distribution, renewable energy, industry and power generation, combining relevant and synchronized information with a specialized analysis and high-quality services.  The solutions have been designed to be fitted to existing or new power transformers, to help to better understand the real condition of power transformers while enabling optimized management of their performance.

Efacec’s participation in EuroDoble 2019 includes the presence of company staff as speakers, namely Américo Guerreiro, Head of Cybersecurity, with a speech dedicated to big data and cybersecurity (The importance and challenges of implementing cybersecurity on a multi-nation, multi-business, century old company); Rogério Paulo, Head of PAC Division, who will attend a session related to protection and control (Digital substation architectures today and future outlook); and Cipriano Lomba, Coordinator of Technology & Innovation, who will talk about smart cities (The key to decarbonize the future).

EuroDoble’s 2019 last activity scheduled will be a visit to Efacec’s facilities, with a special emphasis on the transformers production plant.

With a comprehensive value chain, Efacec acts in the generation, distribution and transmission of energy; design, energy, construction and maintenance of integrated systems (EPC – Engineering, Procurement and Contracting) for the energy, environment, industry and railways sectors; and development of Electric Mobility solutions and their commercialization. Efacec Group is present in strategic markets such as Europe, the United States of America, Latin America, Asia, Maghreb and South Africa.

The consortium includes global vendors (Ericsson, InterDigital, NEC, Nokia,), operators (Altice, Telecom Italia, Telefonica), vertical industries (COMAU, EFACEC, INNOVALIA), SMEs (Mirantis, Nextworks, Telcaria), and research institutes and universities (CTTC, Instituto de Telecomunicações, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Politecnico di Torino University, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna and University Carlos III of Madrid).

5Growth is part of H2020 5G-PPP, a joint initiative between the European Commission and European ICT industry which aims to deliver solutions, architectures, technologies and standards for the next generation of communication infrastructures of the coming decade.

The 5Growth vision is to empower vertical industries, such as Industry 4.0, Transportation, and Energy with an AI-driven automated and shareable 5G end-to-end solution that will allow them to simultaneously achieve their key business and performance targets. 5Growth will automate the process for supporting diverse industry verticals through:

1. a vertical-oriented frontend providing a common entry point and interface and an advanced customer portal, in charge of interfacing verticals with the 5G end-to-end platforms, receiving their service requests and building the respective network slices,
2. closed-loop automation and SLA control for vertical service lifecycle management,
3. AI-driven end-to-end network solutions to jointly optimize resources provided across all the network and application segments (access, transport, core, cloud, edge and fog), and across multiple technologies and domains.

The main objective of 5Growth is the technical and business validation of 5G technologies from the verticals’ perspective, following a field-trial-based approach in vertical sites (TRL 6-7) to increase exploitation opportunities in products, services, and vertical markets, hence economy and society at large. Multiple use cases of vertical industries will be field-trialed in four vertical-owned sites in close collaboration with the vendors and the operators of the project. 5Growth will leverage on the results of 5G-PPP Phase 2 projects where slicing, virtualization and multi-domain solutions for the creation and provisioning of vertical services are being developed and validated with specific Proofs of Concept, e.g., 5G-TRANSFORMER and 5G-MONARCH.

Two ICT-17-2018 5G end-to-end platforms, 5G EVE and 5G-VINNI, will be integrated with the 5Growth platform in the trials to demonstrate the 5Growth specific vertical use cases.

In terms of impact towards standardization bodies (SDOs), apart from the impact on vertical-oriented standards (e.g., EN50126 (IEC62278) for railway signaling), the verticals in the consortium will also be offered an opportunity to influence ongoing 5G standardization by leveraging the involvement of leading experts in the various relevant SDOs, such as 3GPP, ETSI MEC, ETSI NFV, ETSI ENI, ITU-T FG ML5G/NET2030. Furthermore, 5Growth also inherits the open source spirit of 5G-TRANSFORMER and also plans to have an impact in this area.

 

For more information, please contact:

 

Project Coordinator:

Carlos J. Bernardos, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
(cjbc@it.uc3m.es)

Technical Manager:

Xi Li, NEC Laboratories Europe
(xi.li@neclab.eu)

 

Project Web Page:
http://5growth.eu/

 

Social media:

Twitter: @5growth_eu
Instagram: @5growth_h2020
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/5growth-project/

Exus and BlackRock Real Assets have selected Efacec for the construction of the PV solar power plant, starting in 2020

Efacec was selected for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), and operations and maintenance (O&M) of a free market 24 MWp solar plant, located in Salvaterra de Magos, Portugal. With an area of about 50 hectares, this infrastructure has a production capacity of 46 GWh per year. The operation of this solar power stations is expected to start in the beginning of 2020.

The project is being developed and managed by Exus Management Partners. Exus is an independent investment and asset management firm focused on the renewable energy sector (wind, photovoltaic and small hydro) and combines comprehensive financial, technical and operational know-how which ensures turn-key investment solutions to investors.

BlackRock Real Assets has acquired interest in the construction-ready 24MW solar farm from Exus Management Partners through its Renewable Income Europe fund, a strategy which to date has invested in a diversified portfolio of renewable power infrastructure assets across Europe.

The transaction includes the supply of full EPC and associated guarantees for the performance of solar power plants, as well as the O&M of the plant. The solar plant will be able to supply electricity annually to more than 11,000 houses, resulting in savings of about 12.000 tons of CO2 per year. This plant contributes to the achievement of Portugal’s 2020 goals.

The generated energy will be sold through a private PPA celebrated with Axpo, a leading company in Switzerland with subsidiaries across Europe, operating in Portugal since 2009.  It is the second PPA to be carried out from Axpo in Portugal and the third in the Iberian Peninsula.

Efacec develops solutions for solar systems, including self-consumption, hybrid systems and large-scale PV plants on a turnkey basis. Efacec positions itself as a main player in the energy sector, with about 300 MW installed worldwide and 133 MW under O&M. San Pedro de Atacama Solar Park is one of the most emblematic solar park projects developed by Efacec, with more than 186 thousand photovoltaic panels, 51 inverters and an annual electricity production of 170GWh.

→ About neoGEN

NeoGen is a new range of sustainable modular medium voltage switchgear for secondary distribution applications such as compact substations. It has innovative, environmentally friendly, SF6 free technology and combines resistance to ambient conditions with the flexibility and extendibility of a modular design. The insulation is air combined with solid insulation while all switching operations are done with vacuum technology. The switchgear is also prepared for smart grid applications and can be equipped with advanced protection, control and monitoring functions.

→ neoGEN Design Features

• SF6 free technology
• Modular switchgear (extensible both sides)
• Main circuit isolated and protected from ambient conditions
• Very compact and light design
• Insulation medium is air combined with solid insulation
• Vacuum technology for switching
• Easy installation and extension
• Same width for switch disconnector and circuit breaker modules (375 mm)
• Integrated MV cable testing facilities (optional)
• Integrated voltage and current sensors (optional)
• Automation controllers (optional)

It is Formula E’s last two rounds. New York City is the setting of the last two races of the season, on July 13^th and 14^th. With all options still on the table, DS TCHEETAH arrives in the US in a good position, as championship leaders for the Teams, and their driver Jean-Éric Vergne could become the championship’s first ever double-champion.

“It’s been a great year for the whole team” said Vergne. The French driver is focused on these two races rather than the final score. “I wouldn’t say that we do anything differently for a season finale, we do our normal preparations and treat it like any other round because in the end of the day, that is what it is, and the points matter just the same”.

André Lotterer looks forward to having two good races in New York. “Until it’s mathematically impossible, I’ll be giving it all I got to clinch it and to finish the season on a high”, said the DS TCHEETAH driver.

Similar to Berlin and Bern, Efacec is giving Fórmula Efacec’s winning students the chance to enter the backstage of Formula E race, joining the team supported by the Portuguese company on the season crucial rounds.

Efacec in the US: a successful connection

Efacec’s link with the American market has been strengthened during the last few years, especially with the Portuguese company’s role in Electric Mobility, with 10 employees of this company’s sector in the country, being part of strategically relevant projects in this region.

Recently, New York State has pledge to eliminate net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. In this context, Efacec has been one of the leading providers of transformers and Electric Mobility solutions. In May 2019, New York Power Authority (NYPA) has requested 12 ultra-fast chargers (HVs) from the Portuguese company, adding to the 10 chargers spread around that State. Until 2021, New York City plans to implement 10.000 electric chargers, as part of the EVolve NY Initiative.

In 2018, Efacec has established a partnership with Electrify America, as one of the key charging equipment suppliers that would share the delivery of more than 2,000 new ultra-fast electric vehicle charging systems across more than 484 sites in the USA. At this point, around 137 chargers, in 37 locations, are already operational, and the installation of another 122 chargers, in 21 sites, is underway. 

In the context of Electrify America, Efacec is using the first-ever certified cooled-cable 350kW DC Fast Charger, that provides charging speeds of up 20 miles a minute, which is seven times faster than today’s 50kW DC chargers.

Efacec offers a full range of Electric Vehicles Chargers for private, public, fast, ultra-fast and wireless segments. Among Efacec’s main electric mobility customers, there are some of the world’s most renowned automobile manufacturers, charging infrastructure operators, utilities and Oil & Gas players.

Complementary to these electric mobility solutions, Efacec has the technical expertise of manufacturers and engineers to develop energy production systems (solar, microgrids and management systems) and products (transformers, PV inverters, equipment for medium to high tension).

Efacec’s production is primarily intended for export to demanding and sophisticated markets such as United States of America and Europe. Currently Efacec’s chargers are present in 45 countries, from North to South (from Lapland to South Africa) and from West to East (from Hawaii to Australia).

Efacec actively participates in the largest markets for electric mobility, especially in Europe and the United States but also focuses on other markets such as Asia, Latin America and Oceania, leading the sector in some countries in the regions.

With a comprehensive presence in the value chain of Energy, Mobility and Environment, Efacec acts as a solution provider, EPC contractor (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) and O&M service partner. Efacec is present in strategic markets such as Europe, the United States of America, Latin America, Asia, Middle East, Maghreb and Southern Africa.

The last race of Formula E on European soil takes place on June 22^nd June in Bern, Switzerland. DS TECHEETAH remains as championship leaders for the Teams, with 25 points ahead of its nearest rival, with drivers Jean-Éric Vergne and André Lotterer in first and third place respectively in the Drivers’ championship.

Jean-Éric Vergne said: “In Berlin, I finished P3 and I’m still leading the championship. A massive thanks to the team as they worked really late to find the issue that we had on the car and to fix it. I had an amazing car and it was great fun to start from eighth and work myself up to the podium position. I absolutely loved it.”

André Lotterer said: “It’s fair to say that Berlin E-Prix wasn’t the best day of my career. The race weekend started great when I was fastest in the practice session, but we made a mistake in the qualifying session, meaning that I started from the back in the race. The actual race was fun, I was overtaking a lot moving up to P11 but then suffered a battery issue which finished the race early. On the positive side we’re still in a good position in the championship and we’ve got a quick car so I’m looking forward to Bern”.

Efacec heads to Bern with more young talents to experience Formula E behind the scenes

As in Berlin, five students from Portugal, the winners of the “Formula Efacec” initiative, will have the unique opportunity to go behind the scenes of a Formula-E race and to follow the dynamics of the race side-by-side with DS TECHEETAH Formula E Team during the race in Bern.

“Formula Efacec” is an initiative that Efacec launched last April to challenge higher education students and recent graduates from Science, Technology, Engineering and Math areas to imagine and propose new solutions regarding the future of energy, mobility and environment. Curricular and Summer internships, Master’s theses and Efacec Trainee Program are other opportunities provided by the initiative

Efacec supports Switzerland’s transition to electric mobility

Operating in Switzerland for 20 years, electric mobility is one of Efacec’s main targets regarding this European market. One of the reasons for this strategic step is Switzerland’s commitment to make the transition to the electric mobility, namely by the “Roadmap E-Mobility 2022”, a project launched in 2018. This roadmap aims to achieve a 15% share of new passenger vehicles registered in the so-called “rechargeable” category, which includes 100% electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, by 2022.

Efacec is contributing to the achievement of this goal through the recent creation of the Digital Hub, a corporate incubator for digital businesses. The first corporate startup incorporated last April was “Smart Digital eMobility” (SmaDeM), leveraging Efacec’s knowledge of both EVs and Power industries. SmaDeM is focused on providing digital solutions for electric mobility that are equipment agnostic and future proof, in an holistic platform that is both robust and secure. Switzerland was one of the first countries to trust in SmaDeM to provide Efacec’s Charge Point Management System to an ambitions Swiss Charge Point Operator.

The company is making a strong commitment in this sector, providing a full range of electric vehicles chargers for private, public, fast and ultra-fast segments.

Efacec’s new electric mobility dedicated facilities, inaugurated in 2018, materialize the company´s continuous commitment to the production capacity, R&D, innovation and to product engineering. This approach allowed Efacec to launch new projects, namely integrated storage solutions, integrated solutions (hardware and software) for home and fleet charging. The company is also working in charging solutions for truck fleets, evolving its range of high-power solutions.

The company actively participates in the largest markets for electric mobility, especially in Europe and the United States.

With a comprehensive presence in the value chain of Energy, Mobility and Environment, Efacec acts as a solution provider, EPC contractor (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) and O&M service partner. Efacec is present in strategic markets such as Europe, the United States of America, Latin America, Asia, Middle East, Maghreb and Southern Africa.

From June 11^th to 14^th, Lisbon plays host África Energy Forum (AEF), one of the largest meetings worldwide dedicated to the energy, infrastructure and industry sectors of the African continent, which will be held for the for the first time in Portugal. Efacec is one of the entities hosting the event, which will bring together members of the Portuguese Government and African countries, representatives of international institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and European Union, as well as dozens of companies and initiatives related to the energy sector in Africa. More than 1,500 people are expected to attend the event during four days.

The 21^st edition of the Africa Energy Forum will take place at the Lisbon Congress Center. Ângelo Ramalho, CEO of Efacec, will be in charge to welcome the attendees during the opening sessions on June 11^th. This will be an opportunity to underline Efacec’s actuation worldwide and in particular in Africa, a continent where the company has been present for more than 50 years, continuing to contribute actively in the development of the projects to solve the problems of access to energy in this region.

Efacec will participate in some discussion panels of the event, especially during June 13^th: David Claudino, Director of the Energy Business Unit, in the panel “The Rise of Solar in the Energy Mix”; Duarte Ferreira, Global Business Development Director, in the panel “Development and Implementation of Regional Hydro Projects and Growing Relevance of Mini Hydro”, and Miguel Vales, Strategic Marketing Director, in the panel “The Crucial Role of Multilateral Institutions in Financing Energy Access and Efficiency”.

Efacec has a historic presence in Africa. In addition to the close connection with Portuguese-speaking African Countries, Efacec intends to be a relevant actor across the continent. So, the company is currently working actively in other African markets, including Ivory Coast, Egypt, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. Among the priorities for future investments, Efacec identifies opportunities in electric networks of several countries in the Central, Western and Nothern regions of the continent.

Efacec had developed and participated in a wide range of projects in different points of the African continent, namely in the fields of transmission and distribution of energy, energy production, water and waste treatment and photovoltaic parks. Some of the most significant projects erected by Efacec are the construction and supply of a power transformer for the Laúca Dam (Angola); provision of SCADA and Energy Distribution Control Center for the regions of Luanda and Northern of Angola; Oran and Constantine Light Rail (Algeria); Mamba substation with 220kV capacity (Rwanda) and the Ait Massaoud Water Treatment Plant (Morocco).

With a comprehensive presence in the value chain of Energy, Mobility and Environment, Efacec acts as a solution provider, EPC contractor (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) and O&M service partner. Efacec is present in strategic markets such as Europe, the United States of America, Latin America, Asia, Middle East, Maghreb and Southern Africa.

Efacec will present a new product of the switchgear range during the International Conference on Electricity Distribution (CIRED), that Madrid will play host from 3^rd to 6^th June 2019. This is a new range of modular medium voltage switchgear for secondary distribution application.

Called neoGEN, this new range of products is made up of innovative, environmentally friendly and SF6 gas-free technology, which combines resistance to ambient conditions with the flexibility and extendibility of a modular design. The insulation medium is air combined with solid insulation while all switching operations are done with vacuum technology. The switchgear is also prepared for smart grid applications and can be equipped with advanced protection, control and monitoring functions.

Design Features:

• SF6 free technology
• Modular switchgear (extensible both sides)
• Main circuit isolated and protected from ambient conditions
• Very compact and light design
• Insulation medium is air combined with solid insulation
• Vacuum technology for switching
• Easy installation and extension
• Same width for switch disconnector and circuit breaker modules (375mm)
• Integrated MV cable testing facilities (optional)
• Integrated voltage and current sensors (optional)
• Automation controllers (optional)

In addition to its switchgear business area, Efacec will be present at this event with its automation, transformers and service business areas.

neoGEN is an example of Efacec’s effort to design products with lower environmental impact. Efacec is deeply committed to contribute to a better, cleaner and safer world. To achieve such important goals, the company has implemented a sustainability policy that reinforces its commitment to protect the environment and reduce environmental impacts throughout our products lifecycle. The concept of circular economy is a guideline for Efacec, based on the production and disposal of waste, new circular flows, reuse, restoration and renewal of materials and energy.

CIRED, the leading forum where the electricity distribution community meets, covers the whole field of Electricity Distribution Systems and associated services, including distributed generation issues, cost reduction, asset management, flexibility tools and integration mechanisms, new roles for distribution, resiliency and reliability, sustainability and improved energy efficiency, telecommunication and data management. This conference will be attended by over 120 companies, up to 2,000 experts (80% of international attendance) and key decision leaders in the field of Electricity Distribution.

With a comprehensive presence in the value chain of Energy, Mobility and Environment, Efacec acts as a solution provider, EPC contractor (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) and O&M service partner. Efacec is present in strategic markets such as Europe, the United States of America, Latin America, Asia, Middle East, Maghreb and Southern Africa.

The UEFA Champions League Final 2019 will have a Portuguese representative outside the football pitch.  Efacec will supply Nissan with seven fast-chargers for electric vehicles, that will be used to transport VIP guests before and during the final match of the competition to be held in Madrid on Saturday.

The seven fast-chargers supplied by Efacec will be placed on Nissan and UEFA’s operations center and are prepared to meet the requirements of Nissan, especially the capacity to 0 to 80% charge in less than 30 minutes.

Efacec and Nissan has a relationship in the electric mobility for more than a decade, with about 300 QC45 fast chargers for electric vehicles already installed throughout Europe.

Efacec offers a full range of Electric Vehicles Chargers for private, public, fast, ultra-fast and wireless segments. Among Efacec’s main electric mobility customers, there are some of the world’s most renowned automobile manufacturers, charging infrastructure operators, utilities and Oil & Gas players.

Complementary to these electric mobility solutions, Efacec has the technical expertise of manufacturers and engineers to develop energy production systems (solar, microgrids and management systems) and products (transformers, PV inverters, equipment for medium to high tension).

Efacec’s production is primarily intended for export to demanding and sophisticated markets such as United States of America and Europe. Currently Efacec’s chargers are present in 45 countries, from North to South (from Lapland to South Africa) and from West to East (from Hawaii to Australia).

Efacec actively participates in the largest markets for electric mobility, especially in Europe and the United States but also focuses on other markets such as Asia, Latin America and Oceania, leading the sector in some countries in the regions.

With a comprehensive presence in the value chain of Energy, Mobility and Environment, Efacec acts as a solution provider, EPC contractor (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) and O&M service partner. Efacec is present in strategic markets such as Europe, the United States of America, Latin America, Asia, Middle East, Maghreb and Southern Africa.