ESB to support electrical vehicle network

Electrical vehicles have been hailed as "the way of the future" by Electricity Supply Board's (ESB) director of sustainable energy.


The state electricity firm is considering ways of supporting a move to carbon neutral vehicles, John Campion told the Sunday Business Post.

According to the newspaper, energy minister Eamon Ryan and transport minister Noel Dempsey are soon to announce the Electric Transport Programme, which ESB will support.

Mr Campion said that electrical vehicles would complement renewable strategy as they would use electricity at off-peak times to recharge.

In order to make electric travel viable, changes will have to be made to the grid system, battery exchange facilities and charging points installed around the country.

“ESB will be looking at the various options, including the Better Place model,” Campion said.

“We believe that Ireland could be an early mover in this area.”

Earlier this year a senior ESB official visited Israel to study a $200m grid project set up by software firm Better Place.

Cars in the Israel project were equipped with energy monitors to alert motorists of the need to plug in.

Meanwhile, EirGrid, which manages the ESB-owned national grid, plans to double the capacity of Ireland’s electricity transmission network.

The Euro 4bn cost will be met in part by the introduction of a ‘transmission tariff’, which will be of 0.2% until 2025.

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