Centre
Sanctions Rs. 800 crores under FAME Scheme Phase II for 7432 Public Fast
Charging Stations
·
A
wide network of electric vehicle charging stations will be soon deployed across
the country by Oil Marketing Companies: Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey
The Union Minister of Heavy Industries,
Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, on
28 March, 2023 announced the sanction of Rs. 800 crores under FAME India Scheme
Phase II to the PSU Oil Marketing Companies (OMC) - Indian Oil (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum
(BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) - for setting up 7432 public fast charging
stations across the country.
The Committee headed by DG BEE
recommended certain changes to improve the viability of the development of public
charging infrastructure. It includes supporting the upstream infrastructure (such
as distribution transformer, LT & HT cables, AC distribution boxes, circuit
breakers/isolators, protection equipment, tubular or PCC mounting structures, fencing
and civil work) which generally cost up to 60% of overall cost for setting up a
Public EV charging station. The upstream infrastructure comprises of the money that
is to be paid by ChargePoint Operators to the DISCOMs to obtain electricity connection.
Based on the recommendation of committee, MHI approved financial assistance for
setting up upstream infrastructure of up to 80% upstream infrastructure.
This will make installation of
charging stations easier by reducing the upfront cost. In addition, the earlier
subsidy of 70% on EV Supply Equipment will continue as before.
While installing EV charging
infrastructure, Charge Point Operators (CPOs) face the issue of unavailability of
sufficient land. Considering this difficulty, MHI took up the matter with MoPNG (Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas) to explore the
possibility of establishing charging stations at the Retail Outlets (ROs) of the
OMCs. The OMCs have sufficient land in the premises of their ROs which can be utilized
for the setting up of the charging stations.
The OMC wise proposed installation
of charging stations including upstream infrastructure is as below:
|
OMC |
Chargers
of 50/60 KW capacity |
Chargers
of 100/120 KW capacity |
Total |
|
IOCL |
2,707 |
731 |
3,438 |
|
BPCL |
1,739 |
595 |
2,334 |
|
HPCL |
1,216 |
444 |
1,660 |
|
Total |
5,662 |
1,770 |
7,432 |
The installation is expected
to be completed by March 2024. At present, there are about 6,586 charging stations
across the country. The addition of the new 7,432 public charging stations will
be a significant push to EV charging ecosystem. The above charging capacity shall
be used for charging of electric 2 wheelers, 4 wheelers, light commercial vehicles,
mini buses.
Additionally, committee recommended
change in configuration of charging guns as below which are also approved.
|
Type of Charging Stations |
Existing No. of Guns |
Proposed No. of Guns |
Type of Chargers (Min.) |
Rating (Min.) |
No. of Chargers |
Total rated Capacity of PCS |
|
|
|
Slow/Fast |
No. |
No. |
Type |
kW |
No. |
kW |
|
1 |
Slow |
10 |
5 |
Type-II Ac |
11 |
2 |
|
|
Bharat AC001 |
3.3
x 3 |
1 |
32 |
||||
|
2 |
Fast |
6 |
3 |
Bharat DC001 Dual Gun |
15 |
1 |
65 |
|
CCS-II |
50 |
1 |
|
The above relaxations in number of charging guns
will help to increase utilization of charging capacity and reduce the cost of setting
up of charging stations.
Dr. Pandey
said this move will give a boost to the electric vehicle ecosystem in India and
encourage more people to switch to cleaner modes of transportation. He also added
that the government is committed to promoting sustainable green mobility solutions
and reducing the country's carbon emissions, working towards Prime Minister Narendra
Modi's Net Zero mission. This move will create a robust charging infrastructure
network in India that is more accessible to the public. It aligns with the government's
goal of reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable transportation options,
while also supporting the growth of the Indian automotive industry.
Today, March 27, 2023, the Ministry
of Heavy Industries has released 70% of this sum, i.e., Rs. 560 crores, to OMC (BPCL,
IOCL, and HPCL) as the 1st installment of the total amount
of Rs. 800 crores which sanctioned for the installation and commissioning of upstream
infrastructure and charging equipment of EV public charging stations at respective
retail outlets in the country.
In a major boost towards EV adoption
in the country, these fast-charging stations will be set up in all the metros, million
plus cities, smart cities notified by MoHUA, cities of
hilly states across the country, highways and expressways across the country. This
will provide EV owners a seamless and convenient charging experience that would
greatly reduce the anxieties of EV owners regarding range and charging time during
their intra-city and, more importantly, their inter-city, long distance travels.
The wide network of conveniently located OMC retail outlets is in the natural travel
route of motorists and also offers a host of amenities, viz., safety, good illumination,
extended working hours, washrooms, emergency assistance, etc., for customer comfort.
Among the current challenges
in EV adoption is the time taken for charging vehicles. These EV charging stations
from OMCs will be of the CCS-II type with a capacity of 50 KW and above, offering
efficient and fast charging for EV owners, especially for those looking for on-the-go
top-up charging.