In an era where sustainability and technological advancements are driving innovation, Hobart Airport has embarked on a pioneering project to introduce EV charging (electric vehicle) stations. The initiative, led by Tom Green from Enginuity Power Solutions, aims to meet the growing demand for EV infrastructure, enhance passenger convenience, and position Hobart Airport as a forward-thinking hub. This project is not just a leap towards greener transportation but a model that can inspire other institutions like hospitals, shopping precincts, coffee shops, and car parks to adopt similar green technologies.
Leading the Charge: Enginuity Power Solutions
Tom Green, the solution designer and overall leader of this project, has been instrumental in guiding Hobart Airport through this transformative journey. His expertise and vision have laid the groundwork for what promises to be a significant enhancement in the airport’s infrastructure. “Enginuity Power Solutions work with the Hobart International Airport, and I’d go as far as saying we partner with the airport to deliver energy strategy,” Green explains. His team’s role has been to consult, design, and deliver a robust EV charging system that integrates seamlessly with the airport’s existing and future infrastructure.
EV Charging: Meeting Growing Demand
Belinda Bresnehan, Head of Commercial at Hobart Airport, highlights the motivation behind this project: “We decided to undertake this project to introduce electric vehicle charging at Hobart Airport due to the growing demand from our passengers. As the gateway to Tasmania, we have over 2.6 million passengers passing through the airport each year.” This initiative is part of a broader $200 million upgrade aimed at enhancing the airport’s capacity and services.
The initial phase includes the installation of two charging stations—one dedicated to the car rental business and another in the valet parking area. This setup is designed to cater to both rental car operators, who need quick turnaround times, and passengers who want the convenience of a charged vehicle upon arrival.
A Collaborative Effort
Enginuity Power Solutions has collaborated with several key partners to ensure the success of this project. Clive Atwater, Managing Director of Electric Highway Tasmania, emphasises the importance of fast chargers at the airport: “The Hobart Airport installations are not a typical public fast charger. They’re really here as much as anything for the rental cars and for people who are charging en route to a flight or coming back from a flight through the valet parking.”
Chargefox, represented by Amos Redfern and Nick Franco, plays a crucial role in providing the software that facilitates the operation of these chargers. “Chargefox’s part in this project is to provide the software layer. This allows the airport to control their chargers when they’re dealing with all their car rental customers,” explains Franco. The Chargefox app enables users to locate chargers, check their status, and initiate charging sessions seamlessly.
Technological Backbone
NHP and Delta Electronics Australia have supplied and supported the installation of the chargers. Malcolm Noyle, NHP’s EV infrastructure manager, explains the technical aspects: “NHP’s part in this whole project is the supplier of the Delta EV chargers through to Enginuity and making sure we support Enginuity as an electrical contractor with our engineering expertise and parts and materials.”
Kal Gwalani from Delta Electronics Australia adds, “Delta is the manufacturer of these City Chargers that have been installed here at Hobart Airport. The city charger 100 kilowatt that we have here is part of that range. It can charge a single car up to 100 kilowatts or two cars on a CCS2 connection.”
Future-Proofing and Expansion of EV
One of the critical aspects of this project is its scalability. As Bresnehan notes, the airport is planning for future growth. “We currently have about 2.6 million passengers a year, and we expect by 2030 we’ll have 3.5 million passengers per year. This improvement in infrastructure will help support that.” The project is designed to be expandable, with the potential to add more chargers as demand increases.
Tom Green anticipates there will be more EV chargers installed at Hobart Airport soon. “What we’ve done is actually integrate the chargers onto a custom dashboard that we’ve deployed across the airport, which allows us to monitor, interrogate, and use the information of the whole electrical reticulation system to start making better decisions and form better plans.” These built-in future-proofing aspects within the design will help expansion of the network for years to come. This consultative approach to solution design is one of Enginuity Power Solutions’ core-values.
“It’s really what sets us apart. Large businesses with complex and expanding infrastructure needs often approach us to ask how we can help improve power efficiency to exisiting systems while at the same time introducing new solutions. Immediate access to an increase in power may at times not be possible, so we have to find ways of introducing more efficiency,”
Tom Green
Encouraging Broader Adoption of EV Charging
The success of this project serves as a beacon for other institutions considering similar investments. Airports, in particular, are in a unique position to drive the adoption of EVs due to the high volume of vehicles and the need for efficient turnaround times. However, the model can be applied to various other settings. Shopping centres, coffee shops, and parking facilities can benefit from installing EV chargers, providing added value to their customers and contributing to environmental sustainability.
Clive Atwater underscores the broader impact: “It’s really important to see developments like this at Hobart Airport. Airports and other institutional parts of our state and our road network have to play along and be part of the game. Without them, we can’t put all the pieces in the jigsaw puzzle.”
EV Chargers – Hidden in plain sight, almost everywhere
This is an important project for the State which is seeing a significant increase in people coming from Interstate and and is anticipating new visitors from overseas as the airport continues to grow. “We’re expanding the terminal to allow for up to 4.5 million passengers to pass through each year, and this improvement in infrastructure will help support that” emphasises Bresnehan.
Tasmania is a great place to rent an electric vehicle as the State already has an extensive network of public EV chargers. Clive Attwater of Electric Highway Tasmania believes strongly in the inevitability of EV adoption locally and across Australia. “My own view about EV uptake, two things. One is that it’s inevitable, that it’s unstoppable. EVs are better, cheaper, and faster. And when people discover that, there’s no turning back.” Clive is a founding member of the Tasmanian State branch of the Australian Electric Vehicle Association (AEVA) and the Electric Highway Tasmania website is a popular resource for EV owners to discover chargers across the State.
Tasmania is recognised as a place of significant natural beauty. It plays a unique part in the Australian energy story as the first state to generate 100% of its power from renewable sources including hydro power stations. In support of this “green” reputation the state enjoys, Malcolm Noyle from NHP points out, the environmental benefits of EV are significant and fitting. “If we look at some averages, on average, we’re looking at about 11,000 kilometers traveled per vehicle in Tassie. An internal combustion engine equates to somewhere around 900 kilograms of carbon. With an EV, we’re looking at about a 78% reduction.” That’s great news from both a sustainability and clean-air point of view.
Kal Gwalani from Delta Electronics Australia sees a bright future for EVs in Australia, and an increase in need for more EV chargers. Even though Australia has been slow in comparison with neighbours like New Zealand, “but we are fast-catching up. The new fuel efficiency standard announced by our Fed government has obviously been a catalyst in this direction” says Gwalani.
Conclusion
Hobart Airport’s EV charging infrastructure project, spearheaded by Tom Green and Enginuity Power Solutions, is a testament to the power of collaboration, innovation, and foresight. By integrating advanced EV charging solutions, the airport not only meets the current demands of passengers and car rental services but also sets a standard for sustainable infrastructure development. This initiative is a call to action for other institutions to explore similar ventures, contributing to a greener, more sustainable future.
As EV adoption continues to rise, projects like these will become increasingly crucial. Hobart Airport’s success story provides a roadmap for how to effectively plan, implement, and expand EV infrastructure, ensuring that we are all charging towards a brighter, cleaner future.