APRAM S.A. (Administration of Ports of the Autonomous Region of Madeira) is part of the research project SHIFT to Direct Current (SHIFT2DC), which received funding of more than 11 million euros, under the Horizon Europe Programme.
The main objective of the SHIFT2DC is to create smarter, more efficient, and sustainable energy infrastructures through direct current (DC) solutions. This project, led by INESC-ID (Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Research, and Development), aims to promote economical and sustainable energy alternatives, carrying out detailed analyses to ensure feasibility, cost-effectiveness, life cycle, and environmental impact.
The Port of Funchal is one of the four locations chosen, and the only one in Portugal, to, in partnership with the Madeira Electricity Company, test medium and low voltage DC solutions in a real-time scenario, with the other ‘demonstrators’ located in Germany (Datacentre and Industry) and France (Buildings).
“Our participation in this project demonstrates APRAM’s commitment and commitment to the search for more efficient, sustainable, and intelligent energy solutions for Madeira’s port infrastructures and equipment,” stated Paula Cabaço, Chairman of the Board of Directors of APRAM. “We are involved in other research projects, such as Green Ports Madeira, which aims to provide green energy to ships at berth, and our participation in the SHIFT2DC reinforces our goal of finding new environmental solutions for port operations. As this is a project with an international dimension, the fact that APRAM was chosen to be one of the four test sites, in a real context, shows that we are on the right track.”
Project coordinator, Hugo Morais, from INESC-ID, points out that: “Real-world testing and validation is one of the most exciting aspects of the SHIFT2DC project. This will allow the evaluation of methodologies and control tools, as well as implementation conditions for medium-voltage and low-voltage DC systems. In each demonstrator, the project will highlight the advantages of DC solutions compared to traditional alternating current ones.”
The SHIFT2DC will last for 42 months, bringing together a group of more than 30 partners from 12 countries: Germany, Belgium, Spain, Estonia, France, Netherlands, Hungary, Italy, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, and, of course, Portugal.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
