SSE launch ultra-rapid EV charging hub

Energy infrastructure firm SSE Energy Solutions is installing one of Scotland’s most powerful electric vehicle (EV) charging hub in Dundee.

The new Myrekirk roundabout site will feature a total of 24 ultra-rapid charging bays with a total capacity of almost two and a half megawatts.

Eight of the bays will be powered by 360-kilowatt charge units, capable of delivering up to 60 miles of range in just three minutes. The remaining 16 bays will feature 150-kilowatt charge units, sufficient to deliver just under 8 miles of range per minute of charging to a standard family car. Additionally, the project will feature a green roof with sedum plants to enhance the biodiversity of the site.

The site is one of two hubs being installed by SSE in Dundee, with construction of a second hub in the city’s Kingsway West area, which will feature 8 bays with 150KW units, awaiting full planning permission.

Additionally, SSE is exploring the option to install, subject to planning permission, canopies for the Kingsway West hub from old wind turbine blades. The blades are being repurposed by Scottish company, ReBlade, with the design pending a patent.

SSE plans to build 500 ultra-rapid EV charging hubs powered by traceable, renewable energy in the UK and Ireland by 2030 with several sites already under construction.

Kevin Welstead, EV Sector Director at SSE Energy Solutions, said: “The Myrekirk hub represents our gold standard, a design we want to replicate across the country. With EV sales growing exponentially, they are going to take up a significant proportion of our country’s total electricity demand over the coming years and at SSE we are investing to respond to that need, delivering innovative solutions such as these new hubs in Dundee.”

Fiona Lindsay, Managing Director of ReBlade, said: “This is a ground-breaking project that demonstrates how practical circular uses can be found for turbine blade waste as it starts to come down in volume, and it’s exciting to be part of a global first in evidencing the circular potential of blades.”

Rapid charging solutions firm Heliox will have technology installed as part of the charging infrastructure at the hub. Its Senior Business Development Manager, Lee Johnson, said: “Our partnership with SSE to support the transition to EVs is extremely important. The launch of this hub is a positive step for the EV market, not just in Dundee but the UK and the rest of Europe.”

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