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Pivot Power has partnered with National Grid to create a nationwide network of electric vehicle (EV) chargers and batteries at a cost of £1.6 billion.
The firm will install a 50MW battery system and up to 100 chargers at each of 45 sites around the country.
The company claims it will be the world’s largest network of rapid EV chargers and – with a total capacity of more than 2GW – will also be the world’s largest network of batteries.
“We want to future-proof the UK’s energy system and accelerate the electric vehicle revolution, helping the UK to clean up its air and meet climate targets,” said chief executive Matthew Allen.
“Big problems require big solutions, and we are moving fast to put in place a unique network to support a clean, affordable, secure energy system and embrace the low-carbon economy.
“We are keen to hear from anyone who shares our vision and wants to go electric, particularly partners with large fleets such as local authorities, supermarkets and logistics companies.”
The facilities will be located close to towns and major roads and will be fed directly by the high-voltage transmission network. Each site will have a 20MW grid connection – large enough to supply around 10,000 homes. They will initially feature 150kW rapid chargers, although even faster 350kW chargers will also be installed once they become available in the UK.
Pivot Power says co-locating batteries and chargers and connecting them to the transmission network will reduce building and operating costs, giving it a competitive advantage over rivals installing them separately or connecting them to distribution networks.
In particular, the batteries will allow it to maximise the value of the costly grid connections, which would otherwise need to be bigger.
Pivot Power chief technical officer Michael Clark told Utility Week the batteries will earn revenues from a range of sources, including: frequency response and reactive power markets; the balancing mechanism; intraday and day-ahead trading on the wholesale market; and possibly the capacity market. They will also be used to help manage constraints on the transmission network.
“I think the key thing here is by going on to the transmission network we are giving ourselves options in terms of the markets that we can play into and earn revenue from,” he explained.
The batteries and chargers will be rolled out in stages over a period of five years. The company plans to install ten facilities in the next 18 months, with the first coming to Southampton in the first half of 2019.
National Grid’s project director for electric vehicles Graeme Cooper said: “We expect the use of electric vehicles to grow rapidly. This innovative solution will help accelerate adoption by providing a network of rapid charging stations across the country enabling cars to charge quickly, efficiently and as cost-effectively as possible.”
National Grid recently put forward proposals for a nationwide network of EV chargers located along motorways and connected to the transmission network. The company said it did not intend to install the chargers itself and called for partners to help realise its vision.
Allen said although Pivot Power’s plans are separate: “We see them as complimentary in terms of trying to address the range anxiety which the electric vehicle industry faces.”
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