SSEN helps prepare Highlands for more electric vehicles with portable charging devices
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A temporary portable charger will be demonstrated in the north of Scotland as part of a project to boost electric vehicle capacity.
With more EVs expected on the roads as we move closer to the phasing out of petrol and diesel powered vehicles, the region's electricity network operator is looking at how to deliver the required infrastructure.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has secured funding from Ofgem’s Network Innovation Allowance (NIA), to deliver the £320,000 Local Electric Vehicle Energy Loop (Level) project.
Level will scope out the design and capabilities of portable electric vehicle (EV) charging devices to provide power to EV drivers when and where they need it. This includes considering temporary effects such as roadworks and collisions as well as seasonal increases in traffic in certain areas that are popular with tourists.
Level is an 18-month project that begins in April 2020, which will identify ways to improve network and charging resilience to meet short-term demand. The project will develop the standard and specification of temporary, portable EV charging devices, including a demonstration of a device in the SSEN licence area in the north of Scotland.
Future charging devices could be deployed in advance of bad weather, such as to remote locations across Scotland which experience adverse weather that can cause power cuts, which would affect EV drivers’ mobility. Level will investigate the feasibility of positioning charging devices in public car parks during the summer months, to boost capacity in the local area.
Kate Jones, project manager for Level at SSEN, said: “The electrification of transport is critical in realising Scotland’s decarbonisation ambitions, bringing exciting opportunities to be seized and challenges to be mitigated. Through the Level project we will be working collaboratively to identify potential issues, to give customers the confidence to make the EV transition.
“Level is an exciting addition to our portfolio of projects that are preparing the electricity network for EVs. A portable charging device could be a valuable tool to help us manage short-term and short-notice surges in demand, whilst avoiding costly network reinforcement.”
SSEN is a partner of the Scottish Government’s Strategic EV Partnership, which is working to decarbonise all forms of transport in Scotland and identify and address potential issues in the transition.
As part of the Level project, it will consider a possible app to display the locations of mobile devices as well as looking at the role of such portable devices in remote communities.
SSEN has committed to invest in network infrastructure and flexibility to support 10 million EVs on GB roads by 2030 and is seeking views on its EV Strategy, which can be read at ssen.co.uk/SmarterElectricity
