Sri Lanka progresses renewable energy strategy

Ceylon Electricity Board has selected ABB as its preferred supplier to develop Sri Lanka’s fast charging infrastructure.

The Sri Lankan government has made a strategic decision to install more than 100 EV charging stations by 2020 to align with the country’s plan to obtain a minimum 20 per cent of its energy from renewable sources.

The order comes following the successful installation of ABB’s first EV charging stations in Sri Lanka for a private vendor in 2015.

The Sri Lankan area of Colombo City will benefit from the new fleet of connected, fast electric vehicle (EV) chargers from ABB.

The installation of six Terra 53 CJ chargers, which are part of the ABB Ability portfolio of connected mobility solutions, will not only facilitate more efficient charging of electric vehicles across the region, but will include remote monitoring and troubleshooting capabilities, said ABB.

“The ABB team has extensive experience, working with all types of projects, from small en-route installations to innovative city-wide fast charging systems,” said Frank Mühlon, head of ABB’s global business for electric vehicle charging.

“It’s this depth of knowledge and the ability to work closely with our customers that has enabled us to develop a range of future proof and connected solutions for environmentally friendly transport systems.”

ABB’s Terra 53 CJ chargers are compatible with all CHAdeMO & CCS electric vehicles on the Sri Lankan market, with typical charging times ranging between 15-25 minutes, depending on the capacity of the vehicle type.

The charging stations are also configurable as a single, dual or triple outlet while delivering 50 kW power output and are suitable for operation in extreme weather conditions from -- 35⁰C to + 50⁰C. The Terra 53 is ideal for use at highway rest stops, petrol stations, car dealerships and busy urban areas, such as public car parks, according to ABB.

The multi-standard DC charging stations (Terra 51 and Terra 52) are already operational in Colombo and the greater Colombo areas, as well as a few other major locations including Kandy, Kurunegala and Kegalle.

Remote condition monitoring and remote troubleshooting are important advantages of ABB chargers.

By connecting chargers, service solutions and people, ABB claims it is able to diagnose more than 90 per cent of service cases remotely, which means that solving over 60 per cent of these cases without any site intervention over the past two years, has been achieved locally in Sri Lanka. This results in significant savings on downtime, travelling, transportation, man-hours, and resources.

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