WPD innovation makes rapid chargers more cost effective for service station operators

Electricity distribution network operator Western Power Distribution (WPD) has installed and switched on a pilot of its ‘Take Charge’ technology at Moto’s Exeter motorway services.

The technology delivers the electrical capacity required to power 80 rapid 150 kW EV chargers, without the need to install additional complex and costly infrastructure. WPD estimates the new tech should offer a saving of almost half a million pounds at each motorway service area site where it is installed

Its 12,000kW capacity, says WPD, is the equivalent of powering 10,000 conventional homes or a small town. And without the compact technology, which is housed within two shipping containers, the motorway service area would need a substantial substation upgrade with a much larger physical footprint to power the same number of rapid EV chargers.

WPD describes Take Charge as a standardised, pre-constructed and pre-packaged, “one size fits all” solution with “plug in and play” components ensuring that service station customers can charge their vehicles simultaneously at peak time.

The installation will be trialled over a six-month period to evaluate its performance, the benefits generated and the associated learning. If successful, it is hoped that Take Charge could be rolled out across the motorway service station network over the coming years.

The government, in its Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, released earlier this year, outlined its ambition for all motorway service sites to have at least six rapid chargers by the end of 2023. Overall, the government’s ambition is for around 6,000 high powered charge points on England’s motorways by 2035. WPD says it hopes that its project will make the installation of rapid chargers easier and more cost effective for service station operators.

Motorway service areas (MSA) are currently supplied either directly via the local low voltage networks or via a distribution substation connected to the 11kV network. However, the deployment of rapid EV charging at MSAs will typically require a power supply capacity of up to 20MVA to ensure that customers can simultaneously charge their vehicles at peak times.

Providing this level of capacity using traditional solutions would require the installation of a new 33/11kV substation with associated transformers, compound, switch room, switchgear and auxiliary equipment. The delivery of which is, says WPD, expensive, time consuming and often far too complex for the needs of the customer.

The new package solution at Exeter services was developed and built by Brush, a leading manufacturer in switchgear and transformers. Connected to the existing 33kV network, the new solution provides up to 20MVA of capacity and is specifically tailored towards the requirements of the new rapid chargers and the need to integrate with future Battery Energy Storage Solutions (BESSs) and Distributed Generation (DG).

Commenting on the project, WPD’s Systems Development Manager Paul Jewell said, “Government and industry have long identified the importance of making widespread rapid charging available at service stations. However providing this capacity through existing technology and infrastructure can be disruptive and expensive. If we are to encourage the take up of EVs, we need to make charging in all scenarios easier and quicker.

"Ultimately it is our hope that this project will ensure that EV drivers on journeys of all lengths are never far away from a rapid charger and that service stations have the capacity required to meet expected demand.”

Moto Chief Executive Ken McMeikan added, “Western Power Distribution’s Take Charge project will be a game changer for Moto if it’s rolled out across the UK. This innovative solution should allow us to better overcome one of the key challenges associated with the roll out of the biggest EV charging network on the UK’s motorways – access to sufficient electricity."