Rolls-Royce supplies battery storage for Microgrid on Cook Island

• 3 mtu battery containers are used for grid support on South Sea Island Rarotonga
• Vector Powersmart from New Zealand relies on Rolls-Royce for the third time

Rolls-Royce has been awarded a contract to supply three 40-foot mtu-brand battery containers for a microgrid on the Pacific island of Rarotonga. The mtu EnergyPacks will be integrated by Vector Powersmart, an energy solutions provider in New Zealand, into an existing power plant run by the local utility Te Aponga Uira. With a storage capacity of 4,268 kWh and a power output of 4,800 kVA in total, they will serve as a power reserve, grid support and enable the increased use of renewable energy. The microgrid, which supplies the approximately 11,000 inhabitants of the remote Cook Island with electricity, consists of photovoltaic systems, diesel generators and battery containers. The archipelago has set itself the goal of covering its energy needs completely from renewable energies in the near future, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Vector Powersmart has previously chosen Rolls-Royce storage solutions for two other microgrid projects. On the Cook Island of Aitutaki, a 20-foot battery container has been controlling the microgrid there since 2019, storing energy from various sources and making it available in order to achieve the highest possible efficiency, grid stability and CO₂ savings. At a vacation resort in Glenorchy, New Zealand, a 130 kVA battery container stores the excess power from the photovoltaic systems during the day and provides it at night and as emergency power.

Rolls-Royce offers its customers worldwide a comprehensive portfolio of energy systems that contribute to decarbonization – from simple storage solutions to complex microgrids that intelligently combine battery storage with renewable energies and diesel or gas gensets.  

About Rolls-Royce Holdings plc

1. Rolls-Royce pioneers cutting-edge technologies that deliver clean, safe and competitive solutions to meet our planet’s vital power needs.
2. Rolls-Royce Power Systems is headquartered in Friedrichshafen in southern Germany and employs around 10,000 people. The product portfolio includes mtu-brand high-speed engines and propulsion systems for ships, power generation, heavy land, rail and defence vehicles and for the oil and gas industry as well as diesel and gas systems and battery containers for mission critical, standby and continuous power, combined generation of heat and power, and microgrids. Medium-speed engines from Bergen power ships and power generation applications.
3. Rolls-Royce has customers in more than 150 countries, comprising more than 400 airlines and leasing customers, 160 armed forces, 70 navies, and more than 5,000 power and nuclear customers.
4. Annual underlying revenue was £15.45 billion in 2019, around half of which came from the provision of aftermarket services.
5. In 2019, Rolls-Royce invested £1.46 billion on research and development. We also support a global network of 29 University Technology Centres, which position Rolls-Royce engineers at the forefront of scientific research.