VIOTAS, Mitsui Ireland, ESB Smart Energy Services, eStation and The Mobility House Solutions have connected EV fleet depots operated by An Post and DHL Express Ireland to Ireland’s electricity flexibility markets. It lets fleet operators shift charging around grid conditions and potentially earn revenue, while vehicles are still charged in time for their next journeys.

An Post operates three of the pilot sites in Cork and Galway, and DHL Express Ireland operates the Dublin site. Together they cover 211 EVs and 181 charging points, with up to 500 kW of flexible electricity demand.

VIOTAS enables the depots to take part in EirGrid’s flexibility markets. Mitsui Ireland, with ESB Smart Energy Services, provides EV charging solutions for fleet depots, while The Mobility House Solutions and eStation supply and install the charging and energy management system.

The system coordinates charging schedules around fleet operating requirements and signals from the electricity system. Charging output can fall when grid demand is high and rise when wind and other renewable energy is plentiful.

Shane Mullarkey, business development at Mitsui Ireland, said: “For leading logistics fleet operators like An Post and DHL, the clear focus remains on fleet decarbonisation and daily operational efficiency. However, this pilot demonstrates the additional value large commercial electric vehicle fleets can offer in supporting grid flexibility.”

Robert Flanagan, director of innovation at VIOTAS, said: “VIOTAS has spent more than a decade developing flexibility solutions that enable businesses to actively support the electricity system while creating commercial value from their energy assets.”

The need is documented. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities published Ireland’s first Flexibility Needs Assessment, covering the technologies and smart electricity use needed by 2028 and 2030 as renewable energy and electrified transport grow.

GridBeyond reported that EirGrid forecasts Ireland’s electricity demand rising from 33 TWh in 2022 to between 73 TWh and 86 TWh by 2050, with demand flexing up and down across all sectors.

For the sector, turning depot charging into a market-facing asset signals that fleet operators can treat energy use as an operational lever, not only a cost line.

Source: electrive / EIN Presswire / CRU / GridBeyond