Zero Carbon Charge Signs Deal To Bring 480 kW EV Ultra-Fast EV Chargers To South Africa – CleanTechnica

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Zero Carbon Charge, the South African firm working to build South Africa’s first fully off-grid charging stations, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Chinese energy storage systems manufacturer Shanghai Magic Power Tech Co., Ltd, also known as Magic Power, and its local partner Greencore Energy Solutions (PTY) Ltd, to build and import the first-of-its kind integrated ultra-fast systems for its 120 renewable charging stations currently being rolled out across South Africa.

Zero Carbon Charge says that this means that customers at Zero Carbon Charge’s off-grid, solar-powered charging stations will be able to charge any electric vehicle at its maximum charging rate. Well, these chargers could just be what Porsche Taycan owners in South Africa will need to enjoy their vehicles’ full charging capabilities. Porsche has just launched the updated Taycan on the global market which it says has the ability to recharge even faster than before and can be charged at 800-volt DC charging stations at up to 320 kW under ideal conditions.

The updated Taycan will surely be available on the South African market soon, following on from the first generation Taycan, which did pretty well on the South African BEV market. Taycan owners in South Africa would be happy to know that the ultra-fast chargers Zero Carbon Charge is planning to bring to South Africa are 480 kW liquid-cooled high power charging systems to be supplied by Magic Power and Greencore Energy Solutions will be integrated with the solar PV generation and battery storage located at each of the 120 charging stations.

“The first batch of the high power chargers is expected to arrive in South Africa before July which means that – pending regulatory approvals – we are on track to have our full network of 120 solar-powered charging facilities operational by September 2025,” said Zero Carbon Charge’s Co-founder and Director, Joubert Roux.

Zero Carbon Charge says the MOU follows Zero Carbon Charge’s trip to China at the end of last year in order to source the most cutting edge, custom integrated solutions for the establishment of its completely off-grid national charging network.  Once completed, this network will be a first for South Africa as well as one of the first off grid ultra-fast charging networks globally.

Zero Carbon Charge’s move to build an off-grid renewable energy dominated charging network has been inspired by several factors, including:

• South Africa’s current energy landscape. Zero Carbon Charge’s review of the South African Government’s draft Integrated Resource Plan 2023 indicates that South Africa’s national predominantly coal-fired grid will not be able to cope with the demands imposed on it by the mass charging of EVs. To stabilize the grid and end load-shedding sooner rather than later, Zero Carbon Charge says it is critical that prioritization is given to the roll-out of off-grid powered EVs.
• If South Africa is to reach its global emissions targets, it is essential that more renewable energy is incorporated and less electricity is sourced from coal to power EVs.

“Zero Carbon Charge looks forward to working with  its commercial partners and government stakeholders to provide catalytic solutions for the adoption of EVs. We are proud to help position South Africa as a global frontrunner in the move towards cleaner EV energy sources,” added Andries Malherbe,  Co-Founder and Director of Zero Carbon Charge.

More on Zero Carbon Charge’s assessment of the Government’s IRP, 2023. Zero Carbon Charge says the South African Government has underestimated the strain that EVs will place on the Eskom grid. Using projected EV sales, Zero Carbon Charge has calculated the quantity of EVs in South Africa each year while factoring in that the average South African driver covers 25,000 km annually, with an EV energy efficiency of approximately 0.22 kWh/km. When compared to the draft IRP’s overall projections for e-mobility, Zero Carbon Charge’s projections show that the demand on the grid will be far greater,  as set out in the graph below:

”The graph shows that, for example, by 2034, our projections predict the demand created by passenger EVs will have hit 10 Terawatt-hours (TWh), whereas the IRP predicts less than half that, at around 5 TWh. In 2050, our projections show that the demand created by passenger EVs will be just over 60 TWh, while the IRP’s projection is around 10 TWh less, at just over 50 TWh. Our analysis makes it clear that the best way to reduce demand on the grid and for South Africa to achieve its net-zero targets, government must focus on the mass roll-out of EV off-grid charging stations that are powered by renewable energy,” said Andries Malherbe, Co-Founder and Director of Zero Carbon Charge.

Zero Carbon Charge will roll out its charging stations starting with sites with space to accommodate the solar panels they require to meet their generation target. Additionally, when sites are situated near a river, they are investigating possibilities to harness small-scale hydroelectric power. Construction at the first of these sites has already started.

Images courtesy of Zero Carbon Charge