Cemig asks that new GD connections take place where there is no network depletion By Estadão Content

2023-08-02 01:10:28

© Reuters. Cemig asks that new GD connections take place where there is no network exhaustion

In the midst of an exhaustion in its distribution network in the northern region of Minas Gerais, Cemig (BVMF:) started to recommend that companies that operate with remote distributed generation (GD) systems seek other areas of the State to develop projects, or that adopt battery storage systems to inject energy from 7 pm to 5 am.

“We are asking them to direct these projects to the regions indicated in our availability map”, said Cemig’s distribution director, Marley Antunes to Broadcast Energia, Grupo Estado’s real-time news system. He also explained that as plants with up to 5 megawatts (MW) for remote GD are usually located far from urban areas, the energy produced by them is injected into the medium voltage network and into the substations that serve the National Interconnected System (SIN) .

According to Antunes, today there are 2.6 gigawatts (GW) in plants of this type in operation in the State, and another 3.4 GW under construction, which adds up to 6 GW putting pressure on the distributor’s system. The executive also said that the number of requests for new connections rose from 55 thousand in 2019 to 160 thousand last year, due to the transition period for obtaining the access opinion, which granted the right to economic benefits to the linked plants and consumers. to them.

Regarding smaller projects, installed on roofs, Cemig’s distribution director stated that they will continue to be connected normally, since the energy is consumed in the unit itself or in the vicinity, without affecting the substations. “It’s a structural issue. We are growing our transformation capacity at substations by 50%,” he said. He admitted, however, that it is still insufficient to meet demand.

Last week, the National Electric System Operator (ONS) released a technical note in which it points to the exhaustion of the distribution system in the northern region of Minas Gerais, which would be leading to power flows in Cemig’s substations.

As shown by Broadcast Energiathe problem, however, had been generating reaction from entrepreneurs and users of distributed generation systems who in recent months received letters from the concessionaire stipulating that it would only receive energy flows at night, when there is no longer any sun.