Wärtsilä Energy, the Finnish technology company, has announced the release of an upgraded version of its GEMS digital energy platform, GEMS 7. This enhanced platform is set to revolutionize the management of large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Australia, offering improved control, monitoring, and optimization capabilities that address the increasing complexity of renewable energy projects in the region.
GEMS is a well-established software platform that connects and optimizes energy assets at both site and portfolio levels. The newly introduced GEMS 7 takes this functionality further by operating autonomously to support multi-gigawatt-hour-scale energy storage projects. This is a crucial advancement as the industry witnesses the growth of large-scale BESS sites across Australia and globally.
Wärtsilä's GEMS platform is already deployed in several key projects in Australia, including the AGL Energy Torrens Island BESS (250 MW / 250 MWh) in South Australia and Origin Energy’s Eraring Power Station in New South Wales, which includes both Stage 1 (460 MW / 920 MWh) and Stage 2 (240 MW / 1,030 MWh) BESS projects. The introduction of GEMS 7 is expected to enhance the management of these and future projects, ensuring they meet the rigorous demands of the evolving energy landscape.
GEMS 7 offers a unified platform that enables plant owners to control and monitor various hardware components, including BESS, renewable and thermal generation assets, and balance of plant assets. The platform is designed to help users quickly comply with dynamic utility and market regulations, a critical feature as Australia aims to achieve 32 GW of renewable energy by 2030.
One of the key enhancements in GEMS 7 is its advanced visualization capabilities. Ruchira Shah, General Manager of Software Product Management at Wärtsilä Energy, explained that the platform now allows for detailed visualization of large projects, with the ability to zoom in and out of different sections as needed. This is particularly important for managing the complex and large-scale energy projects that are becoming more common in Australia.
Shah also highlighted other improvements in GEMS 7, including expanded alarm management features and advanced algorithms for cell balancing and state of charge calibration. These features have been developed in direct response to customer feedback, reflecting Wärtsilä's commitment to continuously evolving the platform to meet the needs of its users.
The updated platform is also equipped to handle the increasing size and complexity of BESS projects. Shah noted that GEMS 7 supports advanced functionalities such as synthetic inertia, black start, and grid forming, which are becoming increasingly important in grid operations. The platform's architecture has been upgraded to control multi-GWh-scale BESS facilities within a fraction of a second, offering asset visibility at the battery cell level and ensuring rapid response to grid demands.
Image credit: Wärtsilä