High-powered electric charger planned for Cavan

The ESB is looking at installing a high-power charging point (HPC) for electric vehicles in Co Cavan.

The Transport Minister Eamon Ryan says a major project of investment is underway across the country to improve facilities for electric vehicle drivers.

There has been criticism of the lack of charging points across the region, with Minister Ryan saying there are 10 standard charge points across Cavan and one fast charger.

Monaghan, meanwhile, has eight standard charge points and two fast chargers, while Co Meath has 24 standard charge points, six fast chargers and two high-powered charge points.

ESB ecars is to begin work next month to install a high-power charging hub in Monaghan but the location of it has not been disclosed at this point.

Minister Ryan says ESB ecars is in negotiations with private landowners in Cavan with regard to the provision of a new HPC hub in the county. Two others in Trim and Navan will be completed by mid-2022.

HPCs can provide up to 100km of range in six minutes.

The need for an increase in charging points was raised at the November meeting of Cavan-Belturbet Municipal District where Councillor Brendan Fay (IND) asked how the Government’s targets for electric cars can be met “when there are only chargers in Cavan town?”

Minister Ryan says €10 million was committed from the Government’s Climate Action Fund to support ESB investment in the charging network and this has been added to with a further €10 million investment from the ESB.

He says the infrastructure will be in place by the end of 2022 and will include 90 additional high power chargers, 52 additional fast chargers and 264 replacement standard chargers. Each unit will charge at least two cars at a time.

Cavan town was the first town outside a major urban centre to have an electric car charging point installed when the unit at the Courthouse was put in place in 2010.

Around 2,000 charge points have already been installed across Ireland.