The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has voiced its support for the planning application by Heron Storage Development to include electric HGV (eHGV) charging at its proposed EV battery hub and battery energy storage facility in Toome, Co Antrim.
The application is for land immediately west of Creagh roundabout and approximately 150m east of The Elk Complex in Hillhead Road, Toome.
Heron wants to erect an EV charging hub comprising 25 charging units which will serve electric cars as well as eHGVs. The application includes details of improved vehicular access from Hillhead Road and Creagh Business Park as well as an amenity pod, canopies, lighting columns, CCTV columns and fencing.
The RHA represents nearly 9,000 hauliers, who between them operate almost 250,000 vehicles. In its letter of support for the planning application, the Association said that there are currently over 1,100 registered eHGVs on UK roads, out of 495,000 UK-registered HGVs overall.
“A key barrier preventing uptake of these vehicles is the lack of energy infrastructure and subsequent charging points to power these vehicles,” says the RHA, adding that in recognition of this problem, the UK government announced a £1bn funding package to help hauliers acquire zero emission HGVs, split across a Depot Charging Scheme and Zero Emission Truck Grant.
The Depot Charging Scheme allows operators to apply for up to £1m to help with charging point installation costs at depots. The Zero Emission Truck Grant provides a subsidy of up to £81,000 or, within Northern Ireland, 30% of the upfront cost of an eHGV for large enterprises (whichever is lower).
