Over £1.3m Secured For New EV Charge-Points Across NI

Electric vehicle charge-points are to be installed in residential areas across Northern Ireland following the allocation of funding of more than £1.3 million, Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd and a local council consortium, led by Derry City and Strabane District Council, have announced.

Funding opportunities for the installation of charge point infrastructure in GB-NI are provided by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).

This funding award and match-funding from the Department for Infrastructure of £500,000 will be to assist local councils across the north with the installation of on-street electric vehicle charge points for local residents in a number of residential areas wishing to charge their plug-in electric vehicles that lack access to private off-street charging.

Welcoming the funding offer Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd said: "In order to tackle the decarbonisation of transport and address climate change we must seriously prioritise sustainable modes of transport. This offer of funding from OZEV and the match funding of £500,000 that I am making available to a local council consortium led by Derry City and Strabane District Council for 2021-22 applications, subject to public expenditure processes, is a further welcome boost to help accelerate the transition to zero emission cars and vans.

"Having access to available and convenient charge-points is another important step forward. My Department has set up an EV Infrastructure Task-Force which brings together representatives from government, consumers, energy providers, industry and EV drivers to consider our EV Infrastructure requirements. The task-force will help set out a clear action plan by autumn 2022 to deliver a fit for purpose, modern EV charging network."

Welcoming the funding, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Sandra Duffy said: "Derry City and Strabane District Council have been leading a consortium of local councils in the development of a funding bid for the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles's (OZEV) On-Street Residential Charge-point Scheme (ORCS), and we are delighted to have been successful in what is the first ORCS application for Northern Ireland. The scheme will see 124 EV charge-points installed in a number of residential areas that do not have access to private off-street parking and charging. The demand for electric vehicles is set to grow, particularly in the climate of rising petrol and diesel prices and alongside the phase out set by the UK government on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. Local councils identified the need to work collectively in the development of further EV charging infrastructure as some forecasts predict the UK will be 100% electric by 2040-2045. The funding application was only made possible thanks to the contribution of match funding from the Department of Infrastructure, who are also members of the consortium."

Decarbonisation Minister Trudy Harrison said: "Our On-Street Residential Charge-point Scheme will help councils across Northern Ireland to install more charge-points, helping drivers make the switch to electric vehicles.

"By making charge-points more accessible, particularly to those without a driveway, we can help more and more people make the switch while supporting cleaner air and our journey to net zero."