ESB secured £3.27 million from the Levelling Up Fund (LUH) to support the continued enhancement of the EV charging network.
The Levelling Up Fund is a £4.8 billion British Government fund to support infrastructure projects such as town centre and high street regeneration, local transport projects and cultural and heritage assets to improve everyday life across the UK.
Speaking about the investment, Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon said: "This is very welcome news and will provide confidence to existing and new drivers of electric vehicles here through the enhancement of our charging infrastructure. A modern and efficient EV charging infrastructure is essential at this time as we address the climate emergency and make the transition to cleaner and greener modes of transport."
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ESB operates the largest EV charging network on the island of Ireland consisting of more than 1,350 charging points. The Levelling Up Fund investment, further supported by ESB's own capital investment, will replace all existing fast (22kW) and rapid (50kW) EV chargers across Northern Ireland. The legacy infrastructure will be replaced with the fastest, most reliable and advanced technology available.
This project will double the existing number of rapid chargers and will also see the introduction of high power (200kW) charging for the first time in Northern Ireland through the delivery of five high power charging (200kW) hubs in strategic locations. These high-power charging hubs can charge multiple vehicles simultaneously and can provide an EV with 100km of range in as little as six minutes.
Welcoming the funding, Marguerite Sayers, Executive Director Customer Solutions, ESB, added: "Enabling the electrification of transport is a key part of ESB’s Brighter Future strategy to help tackle climate change. This injection of this investment will completely revamp the EV charging network in Northern Ireland, modernising it, making it faster and more reliable to support the growing numbers of EVs on our roads. We would like to thank all the MLAs and local Councils who supported our submission and we look forward to delivering the new EV charging network that will bring many positive benefits to current and future EV drivers, communities and the environment."
