The first of eight electric vehicle chargers to be rolled out by Horizon Power in the Kimberley under the WA EV Network is now operational. The 150-kilowatt charger, located at Town Beach car park in Broome, allows drivers to top up their electric vehicles in as little as 20 minutes and marks a major milestone for the regional power utility. Horizon chief executive Stephanie Unwin told Business News the facility would draw energy from the existing power supply in Broome and lessen range anxiety for those interested in EVs in the region. Plans for further chargers at more remote locations to use a standalone system combining solar panels, battery storage and a backup diesel generator.
Ms Unwin said Horizon would ultimately be responsible for 27 chargers planned at 49 locations under the 7,000-kilometre EV Network initiative. The whole network will span from Kununurra to Esperance, and east to Eucla. Synergy is tasked with delivery of chargers within the South West Interconnected System. Once complete, the network will provide access to charging with an average distance of 200km between infrastructure points. "A huge amount has gone into the planning for this work, getting support from the local shires and making sure we could get all the equipment, and working with Jet Charge on the charging infrastructure,” Ms Unwin said. Horizon expects a charger at Carnarvon to be complete in the next few weeks, while a system at Karratha is in its final stages of construction. Facilities are also under construction at Exmouth, Denham and Derby.
Ms Unwin said Horizon hoped to have its work on the network completed by May next year, with a busy pipeline of delivery expected over the coming months to provide certainty to road users. “The most exciting thing about this is that you need to create a backbone for the EV community to feel they can move across this state, and not feel anxious about whether they can get to a point of charge,” she said. “Every 200km along the coast you will be able to take your EV and feel confident that you can charge.“That’s a huge step, I think it gives EV owners a real sense that ‘I’m okay wherever I go’, and it will then support EV uptake in this state, particularly in tougher places like the regions where that range anxiety is a really big deal.
”JET Charge, the company tasked with delivering the charging technology on the network project statewide, said comprehensive infrastructure in regional locations like Broome would be essential for accelerating the EV transition. "It’s important that we recognise the significance of providing reliable and accessible charging infrastructure beyond major cities," chief executive Tim Washington said. “Instilling EV drivers with the confidence to explore our beautiful country, knowing charging infrastructure is readily available is vital to our transition.”Ms Unwin said there was a delicate balance as a power utility delivering charging infrastructure in the regions, and said its move to electric meant Horizon had to be mindful of delivering for road users and towns.She said a lot of thought and work went into planning how the needs of both parties could be accommodated in delivering the network’s chargers.“We’re really seeing a shift at the moment, almost joining together of what it is that utilities do,” she said.
“Part of the challenge is understanding how each network can cope with fast charging and electric vehicles in its footprint “You need the network service providers to be on the same page to make sure we have infrastructure available, or at least the ability for it to be connected where needed. “That requires systems studies to work out how do we manage things, so the town gets reliable power and the number of EVs charging doesn’t upset that reliability. “It needs to be managed carefully, there’s some technical challenges involved in making sure we have EVs being able to be charged sensibly within town-based requirements.
”Geraldton and Northampton in the state’s Mid-West were the first to receive fast chargers through Synergy as part of the network in April. When complete, the WA EV Network will be the longest of its kind in Australia.
Cheers all and as always GLTAH
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