Case Study: QMM boosts renewable integration and cuts emissions with Wärtsilä Energy’s GEMS microgrid optimisation

QMM cuts engine running hours 20% with Wärtsilä Energy

QIT Madagascar Minerals (QMM), a large-scale mining operation in Madagascar, faced the challenge of optimising its hybrid microgrid after adding renewable capacity. The lack of coordination between its solar PV, wind, battery storage, and Wärtsilä engine power plant led to inefficient operation, forcing the engines to run at low loads unnecessarily. QMM enlisted Wärtsilä's Decarbonisation Services to increase renewable utilisation, lower fuel consumption, and reduce emissions while ensuring a stable power supply.

Wärtsilä deployed its GEMS Energy Management System to act as a microgrid controller, integrating and dispatching all assets as a single, coordinated system. This solution transformed operations by using forecasts for smarter dispatch decisions, maximising renewable energy. The results for QMM included renewable energy penetration increasing from ~15% to ~30%, a ~20% reduction in engine running hours, annual fuel savings of 570 tonnes, and an estimated annual CO₂ reduction of 7,900 tonnes.

QMM