- TMB contracted Endesa X - Dominion for the construction of ultra-fast chargers for lines H12 and V15 and for the maintenance of the infrastructure for five years for 4.6 million euros
Barcelona has taken another step in the technological and environmental conversion of the urban bus network with the implementation of ultra-fast chargers at the terminal stops for lines H12 and V15 so next year they will be able to be operated using 100% zero-emission articulated vehicles. Transportes Metropolitanos de Barcelona (TMB) has contracted the Endesa X - Dominion joint venture to construct two charging stations on each line and for the comprehensive maintenance of the charging infrastructure for these lines and for the H16 line, which has already been fully electrified since last summer.
As a result of the public tender, Endesa X and Dominion will build the necessary infrastructure so that electric buses equipped with a pantograph on lines H12 (Gornal - Besòs / Verneda) and V15 (Barceloneta - Av. Tibidabo) will be able to charge their batteries during the service up to the optimal level of 90% taking advantage of the regulatory stop at the end of the route (this is called opportunity charging). So the H12 line will have a charging station at each terminal, that is, one in Gornal - Gran Via (L'Hospitalet) and another in Verneda - Concili de Trento, and the V15 line will have two more, on the Paseo Joan de Borbó, opposite the Hotel Vela, and on Josep Garí - Av. Tibidabo. The value of the award was 3.7 million euros, plus 940,000 euros for the maintenance contract.
Simultaneous recharging
Each electric charging station consists of a transformation centre, two rectifiers with a maximum power of 500 kW each and the charging stations. On the H12 line there will be two charging stations at each end of the line so two buses can recharge their batteries at the same time, while on the V15 line there will be two in the Port area and one more in El Tibidabo.
Ultra-fast charging by pantograph involves two elements: Firstly, a charger, consisting of a pillar approximately five metres high, similar to a lamppost, which is installed at the beginning and end of the line to take advantage of the time the bus stops in order not to affect the route's schedules, and secondly, a pantograph, a retractable mechanical arm located on the roof of the bus that extends and is coupled to the charger to make the charge.
At night, when the buses are parked in the garages, and services have been completed, it takes about two or three hours for the vehicles to recover 100% of battery capacity so they are at full capacity at the beginning of the next day. For this reason the garages at Horta and in the Zona Franca will be equipped with the corresponding 50 kW chargers to charge the new articulated buses that will be required, as is currently the case for those destined for the H16 line, which have charging infrastructure in the street and in the Triangle garage, also supplied by Endesa X.
At the same time, last September TMB contracted the manufacture of 29 100% electric articulated buses. They are 18 metres long and equipped for opportunity charging, and they will be in addition to the 30 buses of the same type existing in the urban bus fleet. With 59 high-capacity electric buses, within approximately a year and a half the H12 line (21 vehicles on weekdays) and V15 line (16 vehicles on weekdays) will be fully electrified, after having electrified the H16 line (22 vehicles) last July.
The lines that will be electrified as a result of the new chargers are amongst the most used in Barcelona's bus network: On weekdays and under normal conditions, the H12 carries about 25,000 passengers and the V15 about 17,000. The H16, Spain's first 100% electrified high-demand line, records about 20,000 ticket validations per day.
The Chairperson of TMB, Laia Bonet, underlined the "leading role" played by Barcelona in the implementation of green technologies in collective public transport, both in vehicles and in the "essential energy supply infrastructures". "Our commitment to the electrification of bus lines will make it possible to reduce CO2 emissions by 17,000 tons which is our target for 2025 and we are in line with the objectives for decarbonisation and sustainable development," she said.
Meanwhile, Davide Ciciliato, CEO of Endesa X, pointed out that "electric mobility in public transport is not only feasible, but necessary. It contributes to improving the service for passengers, decontaminating cities and optimising people's quality of life. This new collaboration between TMB and Endesa X, which involves the total electrification of 2 lines as important for the citizens of Barcelona as the H12 and V15, together with the already electrified H16, is proof that the electrification of public transport is accelerating the transition towards sustainable mobility".
With these new ultra-fast chargers, Endesa X and TMB have strengthened their relationship and their commitment to making Barcelona a more sustainable city. The first of these were already installed by Endesa in 2016 on the H16 bus line and were pioneers in Catalonia, Spain and Europe.
A commitment to electric public transport
This new collaboration is another step in Endesa X's plan to promote electric public transport, which is a key factor in the reconciliation of increasingly demanding environmental and efficiency requirements by satisfying citizens' public mobility needs. Improving air quality in urban environments, reducing CO₂ emissions to zero, is one of the Company's objectives to help institutions and market operators revolutionise the concept of urban transport by taking advantage of the transition to electric buses. With this in mind, Endesa X is offering public bodies and private companies a wide range of modular solutions for the transition and implementation of the electric bus or eBus in their fleets.
About Endesa
Endesa is the largest electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. The company is also the second largest gas operator in the Spanish market. It undertakes end-to-end business from generation to marketing. Endesa is firmly committed to the United Nations SDGs and therefore strongly supports the development of renewable energies through Enel Green Power España, the electrification of the economy and Corporate Social Responsibility. The Endesa Foundation is also active in CSR. Our workforce numbers around 9,600 employees. Endesa is a division of Enel, the largest electricity group in Europe.
Endesa X is the Endesa Group's business line that provides innovative solutions that support energy transition, turning the objectives of decarbonisation and electrification into beneficial activities that help cities, companies and people in a constantly changing world. With a strategy focussed on digitalisation and innovation, Endesa X offers an ecosystem of closely interconnected solutions, which turn energy into new opportunities for different sectors: Electric mobility, public and private energy efficiency, artificial intelligence services, data analysis and energy consultancy. Endesa X designs, creates and provides modular commercial solutions that enable everyone to create new value through the innovative use of energy. This approach focusses on the principles of sustainability and circular economy to provide households, administrations and companies with an alternative model that respects the environment and integrates technological innovation into the daily lives of customers, who are at the heart of its strategy. Endesa X is a strategic partner that makes new opportunities a reality.
Endesa X is the Spanish and Portuguese division of Enel X, a world leader in the field of advanced energy solutions, managing demand response services with about 7.4 GW of total capacity and 137 MW of installed storage capacity worldwide, also owning around 232,000 charging stations for electric vehicles worldwide[1].
e-City: An Endesa X business unit that enables municipalities to develop cities that are more sustainable, fit to live in and in line with the needs of citizens, providing an ecosystem of electrified and digitalised urban infrastructures combined with innovative solutions that make smart cities a reality.
About Dominion
Dominion is a global engineering and multi-technology services and projects company. It operates as a strategic partner providing customers with comprehensive solutions in the fields of Industry, Technology and Telecommunications, Energy, Infrastructure and the Home.
Dominion's value proposition is based on maximising the efficiency of business processes through our sector knowledge and the innovative application of technology with a different approach.
Founded in Bilbao in 1999, the company has a unique culture and management model based on four key factors: Digitalisation, Diversification, Decentralisation and Financial Discipline. Dominion is present in more than 35 countries, has more than 1,000 customers and a team of more than 9,000 people. It has a turnover of 1,000 million euros per year and has been listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange since April 2016 (DOM:BME).
About the TMB
TMB is the main public transport operator in Catalonia. It operates the bus network in Barcelona and 10 other municipalities with a fleet of 1,140 vehicles.
Electrification is the main axis of the plan to renew and environmentally update the urban buses in Barcelona and its metropolitan area, and this is one of the main lines in TMB's Strategic Plan for 2025. Between 2022 and 2025 more than 500 ecological vehicles (electric, CNG and hydrogen) are expected to be incorporated and the necessary infrastructure work will be undertaken to supply them with green energy. The aim is that by the end of 2024 TMB's fleet of standard and articulated vehicles will consist only of electric, hybrid and compressed natural gas buses (currently standing at 70%).