Case study
Hackney Council: EV Charging and private wire infrastructure strategy
Hackney Council appointed UK Power Networks Services to develop an EV transition strategy for its refuse collection fleet, which comprised approximately 160 vehicles, made up of Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) and Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV).
Further to this, the Council envisaged deploying an Energy from Waste (EfW) plant, to be located at an adjacent site to their refuse depot, where potentially a private wire connection can supply energy from the EfW plant to the refuse depot.
Client
Hackney Council declared a climate emergency in 2019, recognising the need to drastically reduce carbon emissions in the borough. The Council has pledged to deliver net zero emissions across all its functions by 2040 and has committed to decarbonising its buildings and transport fleet by 2030.
Our Solution
The objective of our study was to establish the optimal combination of technologies to meet the electrical capacity requirements for EV charging infrastructure at the Hackney Council refuse depot. Our work included an assessment of the infrastructure options for the site, including grid upgrades, smart-charging, load management, solar and battery storage. We identified potential EV equivalents for the Council’s current fleet and provided a recommended concept design, including requirements list and a high-level plan for the site, which detailed the number and type of charge points needed. Furthermore, we carried out a techno-economic appraisal for the proposed EfW plant and assessed the connection options for the facility.
Key Outcomes
Our report provided recommendations for upgrading the electrical infrastructure and identified the phased development of EV infrastructure that could be implemented to meet the energy requirements. We developed a concept design for the site outlining the optimal technology solution for the depot along with potential risks and opportunities. Our appraisal of the EfW plant identified a positive business case for the Council and provided budgetary costs for the development of a private wire connection.
Through this innovative approach, the Council has the opportunity to use the waste collected from homes and businesses in Hackney to repower its zero-emission vehicles, supporting its overall net-zero strategy and optimising energy costs to recharge the EV fleet.