TSG Ireland were recently successful in winning the bid for the provision of EV chargers for the taxi ranks at Dublin and Cork airports. This initiative was funded by the SEAI working with Dublin Airport Authority (DAA). TSG Charge undertook the installation of rapid chargers in Dublin and Cork airports on behalf of the DAA who also manage Cork Airport.
In this case study TSG Charge looks at the benefits of electric vehicle charging solutions for airports as well as the specifics of these installation projects.
Benefits of EV charging solutions for airports
- Airports generate more revenue from parking than any other non-airline source. The installation of charging stations could make it more likely that electric vehicle owners will drive to and park in airports. This in turn increases occupancy and offers additional opportunities for the airport to provide other value-added parking products.
- With increasing numbers of people purchasing and driving electric vehicles it makes sense for airports to provide a charging solution to their customers. Rapid chargers are particularly important so that travellers can quickly charge their car before heading away on holidays or quickly charge their vehicle upon returning, before driving home. As electric vehicle ownership continues to expand there is an increasing strong case for investing in airport charging stations.
- EV charging solutions in airports are not only beneficial for travellers but for those who drop-off and collect passengers. With the number of electric taxis increasing, the provision of charging solutions in airports provide a necessary service for drivers as they wait for passengers. The specific tender of the installation project in Cork and Dublin airports involved the provision of electric vehicle charging points in the main taxi ranks. This allows taxi drivers to charge their vehicles while they wait for passengers to board, offering a necessary service and saving time.
Dublin Airport Installation
The aim of the installation project for Dublin Airport on behalf of the DAA was to supply EV charger equipment to service the taxi ranks in Dublin Airport. The requirement was for 150kW DC Rapid Charger and 22kW AC Charger equipment.
TSG Charge were awarded the contract by the DAA on October 15th, 2020 and worked to exceptionally tight timelines to deliver the equipment and complete the installation by December 4th, 2020. As a result of their European-wide agreement with CirControl, they were able to get the equipment delivered 2 weeks earlier than normal factory schedule, to meet the DAA’s requirements.
All configuration, staging, testing, and modifications required were done in our premises prior to the chargers being installed on site. This facilitated a quick and smooth installation, with minimal time spent on site. The installation was completed successfully and handed over to the DAA within the time frame.
All of the chargers proposed for the site were from the CirControl range of EV chargers, which are manufactured in Spain. The 22kW AC units are identical to the new units currently being deployed by ESB e-cars in the public charger network, so EV drivers would be very familiar with them already. The 150kW DC Chargers with CHAdeMO and CCS connections per charger are new to the Irish market but have been deployed elsewhere around the world successfully. All 3 Chargers were installed for taxi rank and public use. The front panels of all the EV chargers were customised with DAA’s livery, logos and lettering.
Cork Airport Installation
The aim of the installation project for Cork Airport on behalf of the DAA was to supply EV charger equipment to service the taxi rank in Cork Airport. The requirement was for 50kW DC Rapid Charger and 22kW AC charger equipment.
Similar to the Dublin Airport project, TSG Charge were awarded the contract by the DAA on October 15th 2020 and worked to exceptionally tight timelines to deliver the equipment and complete the installation by December 4th 2020. They were also able to get the equipment delivered 2 weeks earlier than normal factory schedule, to meet DAA’s requirements as a result of our European-wide agreement with CirControl.
All configuration, staging, testing, and modifications required by the DAA were done off site prior to the chargers being installed on site. This facilitated a quick and smooth installation, with minimal time spent on site.
As with the Dublin airport installation, all of the chargers proposed for the site were from the CirControl range of EV chargers, which are manufactured in Spain. The same 22kW AC unit was deployed on site. The 50kW DC Chargers with CHAdeMO and CCS connections per charger are familiar to EV drivers also as they have been installed by ESB ecars in the public network elsewhere. All 3 Chargers were installed for taxi rank use. The front panels of all the EV chargers were customised to DAA’s livery, logos and lettering.
Services Provided by TSG Ireland for these projects:
- Complete and comprehensive response to the DAA tender
- Successful completion of the tender process
- Inspected and provided assistance and expertise to the plans provided by DAA.
- Several site surveys with DAA Civils Contractor and DAA Electrical Contractor were carried out to ensure site and EV charger requirements were met.
- Project Management from initial tender stage through to site deployment and service implementation for public customers.
- Provision of foundation kits to DAA Civils contractor in advance of the chargers arriving in country. This enabled the contractor to install the metal frame kits into wet concrete as the plinths were being built, facilitating the rapid pace of construction works, and subsequent charger installation shortly thereafter.
- All paperwork and datasheets provided to the Contractors.
- Assisted the Electrical Contractor with ducting plans, cable size, cable type (AC/DC), Circuit Protection, Earthing Protection and Data Communications.
- Installation, Termination and commissioning of 2No. 150kW AC-DC Power Units, 2No. 150kWDC Dispensers, 1No. 22kW AC Charger (Dublin airport)
Installation, Termination and commissioning of 2No. 50kW DC Chargers, 1No. 22kW AC Charger (Cork airport). - Assisted with the integration and implementation of the Back Office CPO platform onto each charger.
- Provided step by step documentation on how to use the chargers.
- Provided step by step documentation on electrical fault finding.
- Provided training on the charger operation and use.
- Warranty cover for 2 years as per contract on parts and labour.
- TSG are involved with the ongoing maintenance of the EV Chargers, carrying out scheduled preventative maintenance works on each EV charger as per manufacturer’s recommendations.
Source: TSG Charge