In April, SAKO Brno, the City of Brno’s waste management company, successfully tested the functionality of its facilities in the so-called “island operational mode” (i.e. autonomous functioning outside the electricity distribution network).
Founded in 1994, SAKO Brno is responsible for waste collection and disposal in Brno, operating a waste incineration plant in Brno-Sever. As a critical infrastructure site for Brno and the South Moravian region, SAKO Brno must be prepared to respond quickly and effectively to unexpected or critical situations.
With this test, SAKO Brno aimed to check whether the company can maintain the production of electricity in the event of a blackout, and at the same time ensure the supply of heat for the residents of Brno.
“It has been confirmed to us that in the event of a total power outage, we will very quickly move to cover our own energy self-sufficiency, which will allow us to continue the waste processing system and energy supply to other entities,” said Pavel Urubek, chairman of the board of SAKO Brno. “Continuous provision of our services for the Brno metropolitan area is a priority for us. The test of the island regime gave us confidence that in the event of a crisis, we will be able to process all the produced waste.”
The functionality test of the island mode lasted 29 minutes, and was carried out during the company’s standard operation routine, while combustion boilers, electricity generators, and steam supply were on.
The test started with a planned interruption of electricity supplies and subsequent disconnection from the main distribution system. The facility thus switched to an island regime, in which it remained successfully operational throughout the duration of the test. Immediately after the stabilisation of speed and voltage, the steam turbogenerator was ready to resume export performance.
“From our point of view, the test was successful,” added Urubek. “After disconnection from the distribution network, we maintained the production of energy for the internal needs of our premises, and in a record short time we were able to phase back to the distribution network and supply it with the energy we produced.”
SAKO Brno will test the readiness of the island mode again in the coming year, as well as testing other potential failure states in order to be as well prepared as possible for different crisis scenarios.
