GEIS-新闻详情

All highway wayside amenities to have EV charging stations

2021-12-14 00:00:00.0 铸币报-政治原网页

The government has proposed to make all highways fully compliant with green norms, with charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) built at every wayside amenity.

Minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari told Parliament on Monday that charging stations have been included as part of Wayside Amenities (WSAs) being awarded by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and that this will be followed in all existing and upcoming highways.

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The NHAI has already awarded 39 such facilities and proposals for 103 more sites are at the bidding stage. Additional WSA sites, as and when identified by the NHAI, will be put up for bidding.

The idea is to make Indian highways support green transportation and to provide the infrastructure that would facilitate long-distance runs by EVs.

All bidders for developing wayside amenities have to commit to providing EV charging stations. It is expected that works which have already been awarded would be completed by the end of FY23.

The ministry of heavy industries (MHI) had invited proposals from government organizations and public sector undertakings (PSUs), including power distribution companies to build and operate charging infrastructure on expressways and national highways under the phase-11 of FAME India Scheme. Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) consortium and Convergence Energy Services Ltd (a subsidiary of EESL) have been awarded the work for setting up charging stations along 16 national highways/expressways.

In order to facilitate EESL, the NHAI has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with EESL. According to the MoU, the NHAI will provide space near the toll plazas and its buildings for installation of charging stations based on a revenue sharing model. The space shall be provided to EESL at no cost basis for durations as decided by the NHAI.

The ministry of power has published guidelines and standards for the charging infrastructure, which stipulate the requirements regarding the density and distance between charging points.