The creation of a public map of electricity grid power by the National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) is emerging as a crucial change for the deployment of charging points.
Especially in a context where the installation process can extend from several months to even years before the charger is operational.
Each start-up requires a procedure with the distribution company, which can only be initiated once the infrastructure is completed and approved by the inspection.
After obtaining the technical-economic letter, you must wait again to connect the station to the electrical grid.
The lack of data that the public map could provide means that planning and executing new points becomes a complex and time-consuming task.
According to industry sources told Mobility Portal España, “the lack of information makes the process tedious.”
Why? Because when planning an installation, the operator is not clear about the costs involved because he does not know the power available on site.
This uncertainty forces CPOs to make multiple requests and procedures to evaluate the viability of each project, which can cause significant delays and unforeseen expenses.
This is reflected in the number of charging points that are installed but not operational nationwide.
According to the latest published figures, of the more than 34,000 chargers available, approximately 7,000 are out of service.
This is because they are in poor condition, broken or have not yet been connected to the electricity distribution network.
This highlights the urgent need for a public power map that allows operators to plan and execute installations more efficiently.
In countries like Portugal, where information is already available, the implementation of chargers is done more quickly.
This is due, in part, to a more centralized structure that facilitates both the planning and execution of new stations.
Specifically, what benefits will the map provide?
“It would reduce the workload for distributor technicians since the power that we would know in advance is available would be requested, avoiding the opening of thousands of files,” says Francisco José Serrano Cruz.
In this regard, CEPSA’s Mobility Project Manager tells Mobility Portal España:
“On the other hand, it would allow us to develop a better development plan taking into account the capacity of the area.”
When will it be available? The CNMC announced that the map is already being prepared, although its publication will take time.
The circular is expected to be approved within a year and will be available for consultation in “approximately” two years.
These lead times are mainly due to the process required by energy companies to carry out the corresponding mapping.
Currently, the system is fragmented between large companies, regional operators and local entities, which increases bureaucracy and complicates the installation process.
And this is not the only map that the sector is demanding.
The national government has committed to establishing a system that will allow the locations of the charging points deployed throughout the country to be known by the beginning of 2022.
This is intended to provide users with information on the location of the infrastructure, as well as its accessibility, maximum power, available payment methods and the type and charging mode of each connector.
However, two years later, this remains pending.
In this regard, Eduardo Torres Martin, Iberia Sales Manager of Raedian, assures Mobility Portal España: “ This information alone would not be enough.”
“It would also include a study of the areas with the highest sales of electric cars, taking into account the type of autonomy they offer, in order to develop an analysis and an organized plan of where it is most urgent to install chargers,” he explains.
