AN ENERGY infrastructure expert is set to install Scotland’s most powerful electric vehicle (EV) charging hub in Dundee.
SSE Energy Solutions will build one ultra-rapid EV charging hub at Myrekirk roundabout, and a second hub in the city’s Kingsway West area with construction awaiting full planning permission.
The Myrekirk roundabout will feature a total of 24 ultra-rapid charging bays, eight of which will be powered by 360-kilowatt charge units, the first publicly accessible hub anywhere in Scotland to feature charge units this powerful.
Additionally, the project will include a green roof populated with sedum plants to enhance the biodiversity of the site and help to filter pollutants out of the air.
For the Kingsway West hub, SSE is exploring – for the first time in the UK – the option to install canopies fashioned from old wind turbine blades.
The blades are being repurposed by Scottish company, ReBlade – whose design is patent pending – and SSE anticipates fitting more such canopies on future EV charging hubs.
The energy infrastructure expert 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.
However, concerns remain that charging infrastructure is not keeping pace with electric vehicle sales, despite an increase of 33% in a year of public electric vehicle charging devices installed in the UK, according to Zapmap.
Kevin Welstead, EV Sector Director at SSE Energy Solutions, said: “The city of Dundee has shown great commitment to installing EV charging infrastructure.
“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.”
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.”
