Energy Management at a port : CRE Technology Solutions at the Heart of Martinique’s Smart Grid

Intervention type

Pre-study; Study; Pre-acceptance; Commissioning

Customer

The Grand Port of Martinique

Location

Fort-de-France, Martinique

About installation

The Grand Port de la Martinique has embarked on a major transformation of its container terminal at Pointe des Grives. This strategic infrastructure is thus adopting a new approach to energy management for a port , based on a next-generation hybrid smart grid.

The project is led by VALOREM, the contract holder and general coordinator. It relies on a consortium of local partners. Among them are SEREC (HV/LV electrical work, SCADA, generator sets, and PMS), So Watt (photovoltaics), DAC Antilles (project management), IB Consult (structural engineering), and Colorado (architect).

The stated goal is ambitious: to cover 50% of the terminal’s energy consumption through self-consumption of photovoltaic power with storage. Furthermore, the power plant the site’s energy resilience in the face of grid outages and crisis situations (hurricanes, earthquakes).

It is within this framework that SEREC has integrated CRE Technology solutions to manage all energy sources within the smart grid.

Background

Located in Fort-de-France, the Pointe des Grives container terminal is a regional maritime hub. Furthermore, it is exposed to the unpredictable Caribbean weather. Consequently, ensuring its operational continuity is a critical issue for the region.

To address these challenges, the system deployed combines five energy sources:

a network connection;
a 1,675 kVA Cummins diesel generator set;
three solar farms (700 kWp, 600 kWp, and 40 kWp) equipped with Huawei inverters and Smart Logger 3000 data loggers;
a 1.4 MW BESS storage system (7 containers, SUNGROW inverter).

The system operates on a 690 VAC bus. Such a multi-source architecture requires precise and reliable coordination between each piece of equipment.

The solution we provided

To manage this smart grid, SEREC integrated six CRE Technology controllers. Each controller a specific section of the architecture, in line with the brand’s modular philosophy. Thus, each module corresponds to a source or a load in the single-line diagram.

MASTER COMPACT Module – Network Inlet Management

A controller MASTER COMPACT (CORE version) manages the terminal’s grid connection. It handles the metering, protection, and integration of this source into the smart grid.

GENSYS COMPACT PRIME Module – Generator control

A controller GENSYS COMPACT PRIME (HMI version, mounted on the frontcabinet) controls the 1,675 kVA Cummins generator set. Specifically, it handles startup and shutdown, motor protection, and synchronization with the bus.

HYBRID COMPACT Module – Solar Farm Management

Three controllers HYBRID COMPACT (CORE version) monitor the three solar arrays. Each communicates with the Huawei inverters via their Smart Logger 3000 and tracks the power point.

BAT COMPACT Module – Storage System Management

A controller BAT COMPACT (CORE version) controls the battery energy storage system. Consequently, it interfaces with the 1.4 MW SUNGROW inverter and coordinates both the charging and discharging of the BESS.

An interoperable and coordinated architecture

The six CRE Technology controllers communicate with each other via CANbus, in accordance with the brand’s standard architecture. This ensures that the system operates smoothly and in sync.

Additionally, monitoring is handled by the i4Gen Suite 2. This software provides a unified view of the system overview and real-time parameters.

Finally, this architecture demonstrates the interoperability of CRE solutions. In fact, they communicate here with three different brands: Cummins for the genset, Huawei for the PV system, and SUNGROW for the BESS.

Conclusion

The smart grid at Pointe des Grives marks a key milestone in the energy transition of the Grand Port de la Martinique. With six controllers deployed, CRE Technology is at the heart of this large-scale infrastructure.

This project also demonstrates the ability of CRE solutions to orchestrate complex, multi-brand hybrid architectures. It thus highlights their role in strategic industrial and port decarbonization projects.

To learn more about the project, visit the official website of the Grand Port de la Martinique.