Superhub powers forward

Work is well under way to install a high-powered underground cable that will deliver electricity to the UK’s largest public electric vehicle charging hub which is based in Oxford.

The four-mile cable is an integral part of Energy Superhub Oxford (ESO), a four-year government-backed project to build a transmission-connected network of rapid electric vehicle charging, hybrid battery energy storage, low carbon heating and smart energy management technologies that reduces stress on the local grid.

The project aims to save 10,000 tonnes of CO2 per year once fully operational, rising to 25,000 tonnes per year by 2032.

The cable will connect National Grid’s Cowley substation to Redbridge Park &

Ride, creating the power infrastructure needed to charge lots of electric vehicles quickly at once. The hub – expected to open this year – will provide Oxford residents and businesses with easy access to fast, reliable charging. A connection point will also be installed at Oxford Bus Company’s Watlington Road depot, ready to support electrification of the city’s bus fleet.

The battery storage site at Cowley, installed by Pivot Power – part of EDF Renewables, has been recognised by National Grid as the ‘first tertiary connection’ in the country to export on to the Grid. Tertiary connections provide a way of connecting directly to National Grid’s high voltage transmission network. Each connection provides up to 57MW demand or generation capability.

The Energy Superhub Oxford is one of

Mike Schooling, now the company’s chief technology officer, said: “This sets the precedent for the future of the entire EV charging industry. The Smart Pioneer is the world’s first commercially available V1G product that rewards customers for being flexible when they charge their EV at home.” three demonstrator projects part-funded by the UK government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to deliver innovation in smart local energy systems.

(V1G refers to varying the time or rate at which an electric vehicle is charged in order to provide ancillary services to the grid).

Another one of the demonstrator projects is Project Leo (Local Energy Oxford), a local energy marketplace which is seeking to balance generation with demand for power, heat and transport, enabled by an intelligent local grid.

One of Project Leo’s trials is currently under way at Rose Hill, a residential area outside the city and one of its most diverse communities. Here, the project has installed a battery at the local primary school, to test how a small battery can provide flexibility to the network. This means being able to increase or decrease energy generation or turning up and down energy demand.