Image Credit: AMB
The Spanish city of Barcelona has rolled out the first electric vehicle (EV) 50kW fast-charging locations that will be powered by rooftop solar and from the energy derived from the braking of trains on the city’s Metro trainline.
Located on the promenade of the Marina de l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, close to the Line 1 Metro-stop Bellvitge, the charging station has two 50kW chargers and two parking spaces, each with three connectors that can be used simultaneously for a maximum of 30 minutes, 1 hour, or 2 hours, depending on the connector used.
The MetroCharge program has been conceived by the Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona, the main public transit operator in Barcelona.
AMB’s MetroCharge program has wide-ranging ambitions, including plans for fifteen 100kW ultra-fast chargers and ten 7.2kW semi-fast chargers and eight ultra-fast 150kW chargers with storage capacity, all of which will be powered by energy recovered through the Barcelona Metro’s regenerative braking system.
MetroCharge also plans to build five rooftop solar PV systems which will provide additional electricity for its EV chargers.
Each MetroCharge location will be integrated into the the Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB) network of electrolineras, or “electric lines”, which act as service points for each EV charging station. This network of electric lines is powered by 100 per cent renewable energy sources.
According to AMB, more than 100,000kWh of energy was distributed during June across its electric lines, facilitating 6,100 EV charging sessions.
AMB’s EV charging network currently boasts 52 stations across 41 municipalities that are capable charging up to 178 vehicles simultaneously. By year’s end, AMB plans to be operating 102 electric lines across its public network of EV charging points, allowing for 367 EVs to charge at the same time.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.
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Huh?
No details on how the energy re-generated by the trains leaps magically from the train to the charger.
Regenerated power is normally returned to the overhead wires. It would then go to the substation and into the charge network.
Railways used to use resistor banks for excess regeneration. Now they're using things like batteries, supercapacitors, and flywheels for energy storage either on board the train or at the substation.
Don't understand why locomotive regeneration needs to be shed or stored.
Regeneration power needs to go somewhere. Electric brakes are only as powerful as electrical resistance to them.
If there isn't another train in the area for regenerative brakes to power, then the Regen will be weakened, or they need another load for it.
Happens quite a lot in areas with low service frequency, or where peak hour services in one direction going downhill outnumber services going in the opposite direction.
Interesting fact; Switzerland's train time table takes into consideration the number of trains starting and stopping to try balance the regeneration with the need for energy for acceleration in the network.