ABM_1 - Flipbook - Page 18
OPINION
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Strategic clean
→ Ben Croxford is managing director
at Eclipse Power Networks
T
ransport is the UK’s largest
source of emissions,
contributing 29.1% of the total
in 2023, so targeting transport
emissions is fundamental to
net zero success.
When it comes to the road
network, electric vehicles (EVs)
currently offer the most mature and
viable technology to deliver significant
carbon reductions. Modelling by the
Department for Transport suggests
that electric cars produce roughly a
third of the emissions of conventional
vehicles and have broadly the same
per-passenger emissions as trains or
buses. Clearly, we need a rapid uptake
of electric cars, vans and fleets. For
that, we need a robust and convenient
charging network.
Constrained by the grid
Despite the demand for EV charging,
charge point operators (CPOs) catering
for this market are encountering delays
with connecting their projects to the UK’s
power network. EV charging hubs are
by their nature power-intensive, with a
mid-sized installation likely to have a
peak power demand upwards of three
megawatts (MW). Under the previous,
‘first-come, first-connected’ process,
some EV and fleet hubs were facing
potential waits of several years for a
suitably high-capacity connection.
Things are improving within the
electricity distribution network, though.
The National Energy System Operator
(NESO), has implemented a connections
reform package, designed to tackle the
backlog of important infrastructure
projects caught in the queue. This has
shifted the connection priority to ‘firstready, first-needed’, favouring the
most viable projects – typically those
with secured land rights and Nationally
Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP)
planning permission.
It's too early to know the full effect of
these reforms. While they should result
in quicker connections for EV charging
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infrastructure, major projects may still
face delays due to transmission capacity
restraints, and ongoing supply chain and
skills shortages in the sector.
Against this backdrop, what can CPOs,
fleet operators and motorway services
groups do to accelerate delivery of
their project pipeline and secure further
investments? The key lies in partnerships
with expert independents, working in the
distribution and grid connection space.
A flagship charging facility
In 2000, the UK’s distribution network
was partially deregulated. Among the
changes were the provision for new
independent distribution network
operators (IDNOs) and independent
connection providers (ICPs), which
would operate alongside the established
distribution network operators
(DNOs). IDNOs like Eclipse are Ofgem
regulated, but able to operate with
fewer constraints than DNOs – for
example, they aren’t confined to a single
geographical area, they can take a more
innovative approach to connections,
and they can offer an asset value
contribution, which lowers capex costs
for developers or owners.
Working together, ICPs and IDNOs
can help EV CPOs find innovative
grid solutions that help streamline
their projects, and move them up the
connection queue. Eclipse's involvement
with InstaVolt’s flagship Winchester
superhub provides the perfect example.
The InstaVolt facility at Three Maids
Hill comprises 44 ultra-rapid 160kW
chargers, an onsite café and a play park.
It’s co-located with an 870-panel solar
farm and four megawatt hours (4MWh)
of battery storage, making this the
largest and most advanced EV charging
superhub on the UK road network.
The facility and its users gain several
benefits from the use of locally generated
renewable electricity. Clearly, this
minimises the environmental impact of
EV driving, and ensures a cost-efficient
supply of power. But at the same time,
